Can EMS help to reduce pain and restore function? Is TENS or EMS better?

Health Research Digest with Leo and Eva

TENS vs EMS — Which Works Better for Pain? ⚡

If you’ve tried TENS and still live with pain, this might surprise you.

Researchers from the University of Texas Health San Antonio and the University of the Incarnate Word reviewed 23 years of research to find out which electrical therapies truly help people in pain — and which don’t.

Their study, published in Pain & Therapy (Springer Nature, 2023), compared 13 types of electrical stimulation.
Among them were the two most common: TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) and EMS (Electrical Muscle Stimulation).

The results were clear.

🔹 TENS only offered mild, short-term comfort — mostly while the device was running. It could ease temporary pain after surgery or exercise, but its effect faded fast.

🔹 EMS, on the other hand, did much more. By sending stronger, rhythmic pulses that actually contract muscles, EMS improved blood flow, muscle strength, and movement.
In studies with stroke survivors and spinal injury patients, it helped restore control and reduce ongoing pain.

Researchers also noticed something important: EMS reduced the need for pain medication in some cases — showing it may support longer-term relief without the side effects of drugs.

So while TENS can calm the nerves for a moment, EMS activates the body to recover, not just distract.

That’s why many experts now view EMS as the more effective and lasting solution for pain relief and functional recovery.

✨ Published in Pain & Therapy (Springer Nature)
🧠 Led by researchers from the University of Texas Health San Antonio
📘 Find the full research summary: http://bit.ly/3WerTHg