Where do the electrodes go? The clinical use of TENS

Veterinary physical rehabilitation is full of benefits for animal patients — whether they are recovering from a postoperative procedure, injury, or going through the natural ageing process. As physical rehabilitation veterinarians and nurses, we set up individual goals for our patients to help them gain a better quality of life. One goal that is often part of the rehabilitation plan is the alleviation of pain (Prydie and Hewitt, 2015). When an animal is no longer in pain, he or she is more likely to relax and perform better during exercise (Sluka and Walsh, 2003).

There are many ways to help alleviate pain during a rehabilitation appointment. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) can be used in conjunction with medications and other modalities to help alleviate pain before, during and after exercise, or in phases of healing. For the purpose of this article, a brief overview of low intensity, high-frequency TENS (also called conventional TENS) and its clinical application on canine patients, will be discussed (Johnson, 2007).