Electrical Stimulation for Relief of Musculoskeletal Pain

In brief: This is a general discussion of the history, applications, and contraindications of transcutaneous neural stimulation (TNS) as well as a brief description of a study of its use after knee surgery. TNS can be used for pain relief after surgery and in conjunction with other physical modalities to decrease joint stiffness and regain strength faster after sports injuries. Patients who used TNS after arthrotomy meniscectomies and total knee arthroplasties had shorter hospital stays and needed less narcotic pain relief after surgery. In the author's experience, people with acute pain respond much better to TNS than people with chronic pain.