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Book examines effectiveness of TENS machines
The book, Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS), has been written by Mark Johnson, Professor of Pain and Analgesia at Leeds Met, and is published by Oxford University Press.
It provides a comprehensive coverage of research issues and findings about TENS and will be essential reading for healthcare professionals, practitioners and students.
As Professor Johnson explains: "The book explores how TENS works, how to administer TENS appropriately in clinical practice and it also looks at the research evidence to determine whether TENS is clinically effective.
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation is a technique that delivers mild electrical currents across the intact surface of the skin to reduce pain. TENS is used by practitioners throughout the world to manage painful conditions and TENS equipment can be purchased by the general public so that they can self-administer treatment. A TENS machine is a small, battery-operated device that has leads connected to electrodes which are attached to the skin using self-adhesive pads.
There have been extensive experimental and clinical research studies published on TENS and related techniques, however there is uncertainty about the best way to administer TENS in clinical practice. This is because currents used during TENS can be administered in a variety of ways and the findings of research studies have been inconclusive.
Professor Johnson's book provides guidance on how best to use TENS based on an evaluation of current research evidence. The book covers what TENS is, how it works, and safe and appropriate clinical techniques for many conditions including chronic low back pain, osteoarthritis and cancer pain. It also offers solutions to the problems faced by researchers when trying to design clinical trials on TENS.
Mark Johnson is a Professor of Pain and Analgesia. He trained as a neurophysiologist and has been investigating the science of pain and its management at Leeds Metropolitan since the early 1990's. He has published over 150 research articles and 30 book chapters and is a member of the International Association for the Study of Pain, The Pain Society of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, The Leeds Pallium Research Group and The Higher Education Academy.