TENS Training

A new way of relieving pain in childbirth involves the use of a TENS unit - transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation - which is commonly used during labor by women in Great Britain and Sweden.  In the U.S., TENS units have been used for years by chiropractors and physical therapists in their rehabilitation of injured patients.

A TENS unit can make a patient more comfortable in labor by using mild electrical stimulation to increase the release of the body’s natural pain-relieving substances, and by blocking the nerve pathways that cause labor pains.  The unit and pads are applied to the lower back and attached to a small battery-operated stimulator which the patient holds and controls.  A tingling sensation is felt at regular intervals, and the woman can adjust the amount of stimulation to her own preference.

Obstetric TENS has been found to be an effective technique for pain control in over 50 to 80 percent of births.  Many studies have been done in Europe with marked success, especially for back pain in labor.  There are no known harmful effects to mother or baby.

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