Problems are rare, but all procedures have some risk. The doctor will go over some problems that could happen. The problems a person may have depend on the reason for the procedure.

Things that may raise the risk of problems are:

Heart problems
Seizures
Pregnancy

What to Expect

Prior to Procedure

The care team may meet with you to talk about:

Any allergies you may have
Current medicines, herbs, and supplements that you take and whether you need to stop taking them before the procedure
Whether you have any implanted devices, such as a pacemaker

Description of Procedure

Small sticky pads will be placed around the site. Wires from the e-stim device will be attached to the sticky pads.

The device will be turned on at a low setting. The setting will be raised until you sense a pins and needles feeling. An EMS device will also cause a small twitch in the muscle. The strength of the EMS may be adjusted throughout your treatment as your body gets used to the feeling.

How Long Will It Take?

E-stim may last 5 to 15 minutes. It depends on the reason it is being used.

Will It Hurt?

You may feel a tingly or warm feeling during e-stim. The feelings are strange but should not be painful.

Post-procedure Care

At Home

Follow the pain or rehabilitation program given to you by your care team.

Call Your Doctor

Call the doctor if you are not getting better or you have:

Redness or swelling at the site where the sticky pads were placed
Rapid heartbeat

If you think you have an emergency, call for medical help right away.

RESOURCES:

American Cancer Society
http://www.cancer.org

American Chronic Pain Association
http://theacpa.org

CANADIAN RESOURCES:

Canadian Cancer Society
http://www.cancer.ca

Chronic Pain Association of Canada
http://chronicpaincanada.com

REFERENCES:

Electrical stimulation. University of California San Diego website. Available at: http://muscle.ucsd.edu/musintro/es.shtml. Accessed October 14, 2020.

Guide to controlling cancer pain. American Cancer Society website. Available at: http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/content/@editorial/documents/document/acspc-046379.pdf. Accessed October 14, 2020.

Hafez AR, Alenazi AM, et al. Knee osteoarthritis: a review of the literature. Phys Med Rehabil Int. 2014 Nov 13;1(5):8-15.

Physical therapy for osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/management/physical-therapy-for-osteoarthritis-oa-of-the-knee. Accessed October 14, 2020.

Resende L, Merriwether E, Rampazo E, et al. Meta-analysis of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for relief of spinal pain. Eur J Pain. 2018;22(4):663-678.

TENS machines. Patient UK website. Available at: http://patient.info/health/tens-machines-leaflet. Accessed October 14, 2020.

Last reviewed September 2020 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Teresa Briedwell, PT, DPT Last Updated: 6/4/2021

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