Within transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), sensory stimulation compared to motor stimulation requires:

In transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), sensory stimulation is designed to activate peripheral sensory nerves primarily to relieve pain. To achieve this, sensory stimulation typically requires a greater frequency of electrical impulses compared to motor stimulation.

Higher frequencies, often ranging from 80 to 120 Hz, elevate sensory nerve firing without recruiting motor fibers, providing an analgesic effect through the gate control theory of pain. This theory posits that stimulating sensory fibers can inhibit the transmission of pain signals to the brain.

In contrast, motor stimulation is often applied at lower frequencies, around 1 to 10 Hz, which are more effective at recruiting motor fibers to provoke muscle contractions. Therefore, the emphasis on greater frequency for sensory transcutaneous stimulation is essential for achieving the intended therapeutic effect with minimal muscle involvement.

The other options, while relevant to different aspects of electrical stimulation, do not specifically highlight the necessity of frequency in sensory stimulation within TENS. For instance, phase duration and amplitude adjustments might be more relevant to ensure effective motor stimulation or to modify the intensity of stimulation, but they do not define the primary differences between sensory and motor applications in TENS. Shorter treatment times might occur but are not a requirement tied to the differences in sensory versus motor stimulation effectiveness.