Initial impressions
I have herniated discs in my lumbar and sacral regions of my spine, slight herniation in my neck, plus MCLs that give when pressure is exerted.  I've done physiotherapy and been exposed to TENS machines there.  Then after my Mom had a stroke I got acquainted with EMS machines which are used in her therapy.  I've bought various brands of TENS and a Balego EMS.  This EMS has a large display unlike the TENS and Balego machines and seems fairly easy to figure out.  The other TENS and EMS seem to have better ports for connecting the electrode wires, somehow this seems frail.  The electrodes that come with the kit have good adhesion but seem much thinner than the ones that I've bought.  The ends where you push in the wires are very thin and frail, they literally seemed to be wrapped with shrink wrap tape which suggests that you have to be very careful pushing in the wires and removing.  The other electrodes that I've used are thicker and have plastic ends.  I'm using it on my knee and went through all the EMS settings but really never felt anything.  I finally settled on program 4 and increased the individual channels using the CH+ buttons to increase to 3 bars which is when I felt some sort of electrical stimulation.<br /><br />My Mom's physiotherapist examined this and said that it was easy to use and was actually better than the one that they use at the hospital on stroke patients.  She says that one is very complicated and not easy to use.<br /><br />The manual which I skimmed over has a weird setting for knees - all negatives on one knee and all positives on the other knee.  Can't figure out how that is supposed to work, and the physio was of the opinion that it wouldn't work.  She recommended that I use the electrodes on the sides of the knee or over the top.  I'm using it with one set over and under the knee cap and the other on either side of the knee.<br /><br />The settings for the back seem to skip out a placement in the lumbar region.  There is one for hip pain.  When I did physiotherapy for my back, the placement of the electrodes for TENS was on either side of the lumbar region, and when the SI joint was involved the placement was by the spine and close to the hip if I recall correctly.<br /><br />I will update later after more use on knees, back and abdomen.
Rating: 3 stars