Which TENS Electrodes To Choose?

Without electrodes TENS treatment would not exist. Therefore, you definitely have to have the right electrodes for your TENS unit, because they can have a significant influence on the effect of the treatment. The electrodes must be intact and in perfect conductive condition for every single session. The size and shape of the electrode is also an important factor to consider. Certain treatments will need electrodes of a specific shape. One of those treatments, for example, is for incontinence problems. In this case you will need a TENS vaginal or anal probe by Promed. Certain electrodes are designed to make its application as easy as possible and to guarantee a perfect fit. This group of electrodes includes the stim garments for knees, elbows, feet or hands from Life Care TENS electrodes. Their material also consists of silver yarn, which makes the electrode particularly conductive.
Conventional electrodes with the shape of a flat pad can be easily applied on the skin. They are fixed with a self adhesive coating or by gel. There are round, rectangular or square shaped electrodes in different sizes. Before choosing the electrodes you should definitely consider your doctor's recommendations or the description of the TENS application and also pay attention to the indicated amount of electrodes (2 or 4) as well as the right position of where to place them on the skin. Basically, large electrodes are perfect for larger areas such as the back and smaller, round electrodes are suitable for the face. When changing from larger to smaller electrodes or from square to round, make sure that the maximum current density does not exceed 2 mA/1 cm2 of the electrode size. The intensity has to be adjusted accordingly.

Electrodes with a self-adhesive coating or those which are applied to the skin with the use of gel are either made of carbon or soft fabric. Self-adhesive electrodes from Beurer, Medisana or Omron can normally be used for 20-30 applications, until you notice that the adhesive coating is losing its strength. As a general rule: the better the storage conditions for the electrode after use, the longer they will last. If the electrodes can't stick well onto the skin, then putting a few drops of water on them can help to adhere better.
An important factor to consider when choosing between self-adhesive electrodes or the ones that are fixed with gel is how delicate the skin is. Self-adhesive electrodes are much faster to handle, but they also feel differently on the skin. Sometimes adhesive residues must be removed afterwards and they are stickier than gel residues.
Carbon electrodes like those from Promed or Medisana are also called "permanent electrodes", because they are considered particularly durable. You can fix them by using a suitable electrode gel on the skin and you can easily remove them once you have finished.