There are pros and cons to using TENS for VNS, but here are some of the major differences between TENS and VeRelief.
The first and most important thing that differentiates VeRelief from a TENS for VNS is VeRelief is more effective at calming the nervous system. This is because a TENS for VNS only targets a very small branch of the vagus nerve in the ear, which means it takes up to 10x longer to get the same effect. VeRelief targets a much larger branch right under the ear, which effectively activates every branch in the ear at once, leading to much faster calming effects than a typical TENS for VNS.
Check out this youtube video review that compares VeRelief to a TENS for VNS.
Other differences are primarily related to user experience. TENS use wires while VeRelief is wireless. This means TENS for VNS will limit you to home-use only as it is very difficult to travel with and use while on the go. VeRelief was designed for high stress professionals to use quickly and easily while on the go, or in any environment.
TENS for VNS when applied to the neck can be dangerous. TENS uses sticky pads that cause significant muscle contraction when applied to the neck, and cardiac risk if applied too close to the carotid artery in the front side of the neck. VeRelief uses small non-stick gel tips that cause little to no muscle contraction when applied to the vagus nerve. It is much safer than TENS.
TENS units that use use ear clip electrodes for VNS attach to the ear lobe or tragus, but they cause mechanical pinching that is uncomfortable and requires the electrodes to be soaked in a gel or saline solution before use. VeRelief has no mechanical pinching and uses proprietary dry, no-mess gel tips. It has a significantly better user experience than a TENS unit.
TENs units are also notoriously cheap, break easily, and the manufacturers offer little to no customer support. Hoolest is committed to building the highest quality products as possible and while perfection is impossible, we do offer the best customer service in the electrical nerve stimulation industry. If you ever have issues with your product, we will service or replace your product free of charge under our 1-year warranty, and we offer excellent technical support if you ever have questions.