NIKKEN is proud to introduce a highly sophisticated TENS unit called SOLITENS. Designed and structured like a flattened pen, this TENS unit comes equipped with individual set controls. The frequency of the beeper increases to confirm that proper contact has been made with the patient's skin in the affected pain area and that a return path is complete. Electrical impulses are then delivered to the nerve site to achieve pain relief.

SOLITENS is a portable, lightweight, compact, hand-held, long-term pulse duration TENS unit that requires no gels or pads. Although SOLITENS is easy to use, proper instructions from a physician or qualified health care professional should always be obtained prior to use. SOLITENS is a classified by the FDA as a class two medical device for pain control and requires a prescription in the United States.

Background

The use of electricity for the treatment of ailments is not new. In 46 A.D.. Scribonius Largus reported the application of an electric fish in treating chronic headaches. As methods of artificially produced electrical currents were developed, various electrical devices became accepted in medicine. Their use became common in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

With the work of Melzack and Wall* and the publication of their gate theory of pain in 1965, a new era of research was begun into the application of electrical stimulus for relief. TENS gained widespread use after the invention of the first wearable device. It was developed in 1971 by Dr. Norman Shealy, a neurosurgeon, and David Maurer, a biomedical engineer.

Although the device was designed as a screening tool for selected patients as candidates for the implementation of dorsal cord stimulators, the use of TENS proved to be successful in its effect on chronic pain to warrant its use as a primary treatment modality.

References: * Melzack R, Wall PD. Pain Mechanism: A New Theory, Science: 150:971,1965
* Nolan, MF. A chronological indexing of clinical and basic science lita- ture concerning TENS, 1967-1987. Section on Clinical Electro- physiology, Alexandria, VA, Physical Therapy Association, 1988

Principles of Operation

The ability of a TENS unit to relieve pain has been explained in many different ways. Two of the most cited mechanisms involve nerve transmission. One holds that TENS may block the transmission of impulses of the afferent nerves. The other focuses on the possible stimulation of endorphin (an endogenous opiate) production, which is a substance that is naturally produced in the human body whose function is to dull and de-sensitize nerves.

Solitens Function

A SOLITENS unit will accurately locate all trigger points throughout the body by an audible tone indicator. Then SOLITENS will deliver an electric stimulus conducted by direct point contact to the pain site. The electric shock lasts 0.066 seconds with an alternation of 15 hz at 75 volts maximum, and contains both positive and negative pulses. The SOLITENS stim- ulator is a bi-polar device in which the first major pulse of energy is positive and bi-polar and 175 microseconds long, followed by a second major negative pulse of the same length, followed by a delay.

Directions for Usage

Each SOLITENS device is equipped with a wrist band grounder (current connection) which must be worn at all times during treatment. Adjust the intensity and timing controls as pre- scribed to the required level and time length. Turn the unit on by pushing the switch to the ON mode; a light pitch should sound. While holding the device in a pen-like manner, and main- taining an even pressure on the electrode (tip of SOLITENS), pass it around the pain area; a higher pitch sound will begin and end as you pass the pain area, then return to the original sound. The audible tone indicator notifies you when you are above the trigger point. Press the treatment button with your index finger for at least 15 seconds, then move to the next pain area.

1. TENS units are designed to provide sensory and not motor stimulation. Motor stimulation will cause muscle contractions that may aggravate pains.

2. TENS units are intended for the symptomatic relief of a large number of painful syndromes until a cause can be found, the relief of chronic intractable pain syndromes, or cases where analgesic drugs would be contraindicated.

3. Results should not be expected within one or two applications. Your body will respond at its own rate and results cannot be rushed.

Solitens™

Electricity has transformed the way we live. For more than a century, human beings have relied on this invisible force to light their homes and offices, power their machines and serve in countless other ways.

But there's even more that electricity can do for us. Nikken is a leader in the use of electricity in an entirely different application - the management of physical discomfort.

Medical science has established that we feel discomfort because our brain sends us a message. When a part of the body is affected, an impulse runs from that area to the brain, where it is processed. As soon as this was discovered, scientists began to think about a new way to manage the phenomenon: block this signal from reaching its destination. This would be especially useful in addressing chronic discomfort, where the sensations persist.

An Idea is Born

Because the nerve impulses behave in a way similar to transmitted electricity, work began on developing ways to use electrical current to disrupt these signals or desensitize the body's reaction to them. A variety of systems were developed. But in an interesting twist of fate, an instrument that was intended only for diagnosing the problem turned out to be an effective way to manage chronic discomfort.

Medical professionals realized that the device they were using to test if their patients were good candidates for electrical stimulation, was itself a very effective means of alleviating physical distress. Even better, it could be made small and simple enough to operate so that patients could use it themselves as needed. The hand-held TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) unit was born.

Compact, Convenient, Easy to Use

The Nikken Solitens™ is the result of that inspiration. It represents the cutting edge in TENS design: a lightweight, portable, highly sophisticated penlike instrument with adjustable controls.

Solitens is used by chronic discomfort sufferers worldwide as a part of their management regimen. After receiving a prescription and instructions for its use by their medical professionals, these patients find Solitens convenient and extremely effective.

The individual-set controls make Solitens easy to use. The patient can set the device for the desired intensity and duration of its electrical impulse. Then he or she passes it around the area where discomfort is felt. Solitens even alerts the patient with an audible tone to indicate when the contact point is directly over the place where the sensation originates. Simply pushing a button delivers the electrical impulse that counteracts the body's bioelectric signals. For satisfied users, the result is what scientists had hoped for - the impulses block or disrupt the discomfort signal.

Solitens uses lithium batteries to provide extended reliability, and an extra set of batteries is included with each unit.

In the U.S., Solitens is available only with a prescription from a health professional.

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Call 1-866-761-4165 today to ask questions or place your order. That's the Nikken Independent Consultant hotline for the Solitens.

To find out more information about the Solitens contact your local Nikken Independent Consultant toll free at 1-866-761-4165.