Electroacupuncture and TENS: Putting Theory into Practice

Electrotherapies can be a safe and effective way to alleviate pain, improve therapeutic outcomes and help patients recover more quickly from injury. This paper explains the neurophysiological mechanisms of electroacupuncture and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and outlines their methods of application for a range of conditions. When used appropriately the integration of electrotherapies with acupuncture can broaden one’s scope of clinical practice.