ireliev TENS +EMS Combination Unit

I have another unit, a Maxtens 2000. It's a nice unit that works wonders. I got it through a Chiropractor for $120. The clip broke which is a nusence. I use these for arthitis, pain level 5. Aside from general relief it's nice on my knee for long trips where I can't move around. I fell a coulpe weeks ago and tore the muscles in my shoulder. The wires had broken internally on my Maxtens (lots of use), same as the iReliev cables. I got some more from Amazon for a few bucks and while I was at it broke down and bought a second TENS with more features. I wanted to be able to use two at once and have one at work. The first impression, is this baby small, half the size of the other one. I liked that it uses AAA batteries so I can use rechargables. I was spending a fortune on 9 volt batteries. The clip/holder is way better. I haven't had time to read the manual or try the EMS. Third impression, wow do these pads stick! It's my first experience with Butterfly pads, I guess I am ambivelent about that. My Maxtens has knobs to adjust the power, so when it comes on you are hit at the level you last used. Since the fall I have struggled to sleep because in a mater of a minute each new position becomes uncomfortable. I lay back and crank this baby on. I turn up the setting, which resets to zero for every mode or start up. I get up to 5 of 25. Wowzers! This little bugger has kick. One mode I could go to 11. I get to the first page in the manual where it recommends mode 8 for Arthritis. Fine let's try it. I crank to 10. This mode is a medley of sensations that constantly has you guessing. In no time I am back to 5 laying there watching my arm bounce around enjoying the relief, next thing I know I am waking up refreshed. This is the next best thing after the Gospel and my wife, and I have only tried half the settings. The engineer who programmed this does symphonies.

I think when you're buying something you're not only buying the product but the support that comes with it afterwards if there;s any issues. I've been having some back pain and decided to buy one of these to try out. Item arrived within a few days, hooked it up and immediately felt improvement in my neck and back. After using the TENS on P5 for about 30 minutes, my back felt better. The pain was still there but it went from a 10 (being most painful) to an 8.. I've repeated the usage for about a week and now I say the pain is at about a 4. I've used rechargeable batteries and at about an hour a day, the battery indicator still hasn't come on. When I received the product, I noticed it had some light scratches on the unit which to me looks used, not new (all the accessories were new); although not happy about it, I was planing on keeping it as I didn't want the hassle of returning it (plus my back was feeling better each day after using this. The vendor sent a follow up email the same time I received my unit asking if I was happy and I point blank told them the situation that I was happy with the quality but I didn't think the unit I got was new. Unlike some vendors that send out these generic email and you never hear back, this vendor responded immediately that this was unacceptable and sent me a new unit! Actions like this prove this is a vendor that genuinely wants to ensure 100% customer satisfaction and a vendor that I know if I have any problem with their product, they'll stand by it!

This is my second tens unit. Would like to give it 3.5 stars instead of 4. Pros: COMES WITH EMS! (To build muscle- “weak muscles can cause other muscles to overcompensate”- according to my PT) 4 ELECTRODE PAD PAIRS INCLUDED! (Which is GREAT compared to my last tens unit I bought that only came with 2!) ELECTRODE PADS ARE DIFFERENT SHAPES AND SIZES! ONE LARGE PAD FOR NECK PAIN (I’m assuming- slight butterfly shape to it about 4” x 5”) VEERRRYY POWERFUL VIBRATIONS!! (Can be PAINFUL for some people!) DUAL PORTS FOR UP TO 4 ELECTRODES BEING USED AT ONE TIME SIMULTANEOUSLY!! USED APPROX 5 TIMES NOW AND PADS ARE STILL RELATIVELY STICKY (it helps if u stick them together so they don’t get dirty between uses and slowly pull them apart and also get them damp before use but BE CAREFUL AS THIS CAN BE DANGEROUS! DO IT WITH MACHINE TURNED OFF AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION LOL CONS: NO BACKLIGHT (can’t see in the dark- I use this when I wake up with muscle spams during the night so that sucks lol) REQUIRES MORE STEPS TO CHANGE FUNCTIONS COMPARED TO MY PREVIOUS (TENS ONLY) UNIT THAT I PAID $30 for.. SHUTS OFF WITHIN 60 SECONDS APPROXIMATELY AFTER TURNING VIBRATIONS DOWN TO ZERO (which I do so I can reposition the electrodes- ANNOYING!) ***CAUTION- DO NOT TRY TO MOVE ELECTRODES WHILE THE VIBRATIONS ON YOU WILL ZAP YOUR HANDS AND IT DOES NOOOOT FEEL GOOD (this applies to all units like this)**** OVERALL: For $75 not SUPEEEEER IMPRESSED, BUUUT it DOES WORK AND HELPS ME With my muscle tension and pain, SO I’LL CONTINUE TO USE IT! Just wish it wasn’t so annoying or strong cause it hurts but that’s my personal preference (my other tens was almost too weak so I’m probably just being picky lol) Overall if there was one similar for around $50 I would probably repurchase it. Just a BIT PRICEY (IN MY UNASKED FOR OPINION) for being so annoying lol

this thing has saved my life. I wouldn't be able to walk without it. I have horrible back pain due to a failed back surgery and a possible herniated disc and it's extremely painful for me to walk or even stand. Using this on my back in the tens mode I can actually stand and even walk a little bit! It's amazing. I bought two of them and I use the other one on my abs in the other mode to try and keep fit since I can't do ab workouts because of my back condition. I'm not sure if it actually does any noticeable difference so time will tell. But at least I can feel like it is and the Tens pain relief is actually something legitimate! This thing is easy to use and pretty well made and the batteries last a long time! I had no idea they could make the batteries last that long. It's pretty high quality. the electrodes last a pretty long time but only if you treat them very delicately and carefully not to get them dirty Or tear them. but if you use it a lot you will have to replace the electrodes every now and then and they are kind of expensive. My best advice is put them on you and purchase a bandage or two at Rite Aid and bandage around yourself firmly. That way the electrodes are kept firmly pressed against you and this protects them from coming apart by accident and ruining them if the cord snags on something for example and the added pressure the bandage ads against you makes the electrodes more effective and produces a stronger electric pulse. This unit is able to provide a pretty good amount of electric pulse It took a couple days before I could regularly use it on the maximum level. Obviously I wish they could increase it like anything in life but so far it's acceptable and we'll see where it is in time. if you have major pain keeping you from functioning this might be the best thing you ever bought. Honestly nothing else works the same. Ice relieves the pain somewhat but the pain returns after 20 minutes. This is the only thing that consistently that consistently relieves 50 to 80% of the pain as long as you are running it which could be for hours and hours.

I love this! I was suffering for many weeks with a shoulder/upper back injury. The pain was unbearable and though I hate taking any drugs, I was downing ibuprofen like candy for weeks. The day I started using this unit, I was off the pain meds. I had it attached to me all day every day at first, rarely going more than 20 minutes without turning it on. I had electric going through my muscles so often that they ended up tender to the touch after a few days! Probably not the proper way to use it, but it was better than the constant debilitating pain. After about 2 or 3 weeks I noticed I was using it less and less, as my injury was healing. It saved my kidneys from all those drugs! Another positive is that this little machine packs some SERIOUS power, and as much as I used it, I never had to change the batteries. I don't know how they accomplished that. I fully expected to go through tons of batteries, and it still would have been worth it. But I didn't need to. It's been put away now for the past couple of weeks since I'm now pain free, til the next time I need it. I should also add that this is the second time I've had this shoulder issue. The first time it lasted 6 months, and that included chiropractic care. I apparently have a weak spot there and reinjured it a year later. This time the pain was worse, but I never went to a chiropractor this time around, just used this unit instead. This time I healed in less than 3 months. I really do believe this TENS unit sped up the healing process. Plus I made a serious effort to rest it as much as possible. This TENS unit was my new "best friend" for awhile and I highly recommend it.

I purchased this months ago for a back pain that recurred after several months of being pain free. I was advised by my physician and therapist to get one of these since I was spending a lot for therapy sessions over the years since my first injury. I can do my rehabilitation exercises at home after I use this with hot packs (I just don't have an ultrasound machine) daily in between therapy sessions. I ordered this with a package that had the large electrodes. It is indeed small and lightweight as advertised but it's not fancy looking. For me, what's important is the relief it gave me. I couldn't tolerate sedating medication during the daytime so this augmented my recovery faster and helped in my mobility. I also followed manufacturers instructions which was thoroughly prepared in their manual. My favorite setting for pain relief is P4! It's easy to use, not messy and it's very portable. I just noticed that after a month, with twice a day of use, the electrodes seem dry so a little gel helps. It has a safety feature that prevents sudden strong surges so the user has to gradually increase the intensity of the current and the buttons help there. It's a bit stiff so I can tell how many times I've pressed it. The electrode pads are another to rave about, they're durable, easy to stick on skin, they're neat, the gel doesn't leave a residue and they're easy to keep, just follow manufacturers storage directions, which is easy to follow. It's a lot better to put on without taping it. I was so happy with this that I ordered more electrodes, gel, alcohol wipes and lotion! Soon, my son used this for his legs after his track training. Then my husband used it too for hip pain.... We recover faster from injuries with this and don't depend on strong medications for pain relief any more. It's a family asset already. I mentioned that I use this with hot packs because it's my therapy prescription but manufacturer cautioned using such as it dries out the gel. However, I use hot water bags at home wrapped in towels over the electrodes and it works magic! I am scared of using the electric hot packs as it might affect the electrical current and could dry out the gel more since it warms the air in pockets over areas it's not completely covering. I'd rather sacrifice the longevity of the electrode pads (it still lasts more than a month despite the abuse) with the gels than not recover. Customer service was also great because I called them several times to clarify the model and package contents. Then they helped me with a missing package. Btw, I'm just a user, not a paid reviewer, just helping out those searching for a great instrument and to thank the great minds who came up with this.

This TENS Unit is 18 months old and has been used about 15 times until recently when I began using it in a recommended daily regimen. It broke last night. I changed the batteries, and still can't get the channel off of 1. It is easy to use and works (except this brand pads don't stick at all. They can be used maybe two times.) So, if you buy this unit, you need to be prepared to buy different pads. If you get pads that stick, you will IMMEDIATELY notice a difference in the connection. I had my strength up to 25 on the i-Relieve same pads, in order to feel anything but I ran out of pads because I could only use them for 2 or 3 days. When I bought a different brand pad, I only needed half of that strength for my treatment. So, clearly if you have poorly sticking pads, you aren't getting the treatment you should. I am a 123lb senior woman. But, I never expected to pay this much money for a unit that won't last when I need it.

Bought this for chronic mostly muscular back pain. The main control unit is pretty small, about 2 x 3.5 inches. Comes with 3 AAA batteries. Hardly weighs anything even with battery installed. Display is good, but is not backlit. There are 2 electrodes plugs on top. Each electrode split into 2 pins that plug into the contact patches. Electrical current cycles between the 2 pins, causing the EMS or TENS effect. You can run one electrode at a time, but that electrode has to have contact patches plugged in in order to work. You get 4 packages of contact patches. The first two packages each have four 1.5 inch pads. Again, you'll need 2 patches per electrode. The patches have a sticky adhesive and comes stuck on a plastic sheet. You remove the pads, plug it in to the electrodes. When done you peel it off your skin, then stick it back onto the plastic sheet for storage. According to the label, each pad last up to 30 uses. The second set of two packages each contain 2 larger contact pads that measure about 3 x 5 inches. Usage is super simple. The manual is excellent. I looked at it briefly. There are 2 basic modes. TENS and EMS. There are 8 preprogrammed TENS modes, and 6 preprogrammed EMS modes. The manual does a good job differentiating the different modes. There's no way to program you own modes. Each electrode has intensity setting that goes from 0 to 25. Then the last function is the timer. You can set the duration of use, and the unit turns off afterwards. I've used this now for a couple of days. What's it like? First the TENS modes feels almost like tiny needle sticks that cause a tiny bit of surface muscle fascination The EMS modes feels similar, causing mostly muscle contraction, but not so much the pin prick sensation. Does it work? Frankly I've not used it enough to really say. Though this technology has been well researched. I do feel that my muscles are just a bit more relaxed and I do think I feel less pain. It's not an astounding effect like taking a good pain pill. But I think the effect will build over time. Overall I like the unit. It does what it's designed to do. It's easy to use, small, and relatively inexpensive. Apparent quality of the unit is good also.