What TENS parameters would you typically use for a client with pain?

• A. Sensory: 8-100 pps / Motor: 1-10 pps
• B. Sensory: 50-100 pps / Motor: 150-200 pps
• C. Sensory: 8-100 ms / Motor: 1-10 ms
• D. Patient determines intensity

Answer: (A)

TENS pain relief works by using two common modulation methods: high-frequency sensory stimulation to gate pain signals, and low-frequency stimulation that can evoke a brief muscle response and help release endorphins. The best choice lists sensory stimulation at a higher frequency (pulses per second) and motor stimulation at a lower frequency, which directly aligns with these mechanisms. Using sensory rates around 8–100 pps provides the rapid, comfortable paresthesia that modulates pain signals, while motor rates around 1–10 pps produce a slower, therapeutic effect through endogenous opioids. This combination reflects typical practice for addressing pain with TENS. Units expressed as milliseconds refer to pulse duration, not the frequency used in this context, and extremely high motor frequencies aren’t standard for TENS. Intensity control by the patient is important, but it doesn’t define the specific parameter ranges needed to achieve the two modulation effects.