A study with 40 women who had very painful menstrual cramps (dysmenorrhea) found that TENS was effective at reducing cramp-related pain, and led to improvements in these patients’ quality of life. The patients used a portable TENS units, which was particularly helpful in maintaining their treatment effectively [30].

In another study with 134 women with painful menstrual cramps, TENS reduced both the intensity and duration of pain more than a placebo treatment [31].

TENS was also useful for quickly relieving menstrual pain in a study with 40 women. Three months after the study, 70% of the women were still using the TENS unit regularly with no adverse side effects [30].

The TENS unit may relieve pain associated with giving birth. A study found that women who used a TENS unit during their stay at the hospital experienced less labor pain, suggesting that TENS may be helpful both during and after labor [32].