Physical therapy
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Numerous publications devoted to the topic of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) have appeared since the presentation of a special issue of Physical Therapy (December, 1978). This update article addresses contemporary information on efficacy, mode of application, treatment outcomes, and neurophysiological mechanisms relevant to this modality. ⋯ Perhaps the greatest advances in our understanding of TENS involve the recent development of mechanisms that might account for how different types of TENS work. Suggestions for predicting patient responses to TENS and for avenues of future inquiry are offered.