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Home › Physical Therapy CE Courses › Physical Therapy 202: TENS for Pain Management
At a Glance
| Course: | Physical Therapy 202: TENS for Pain Management · 1 CE hour · Free |
| Faculty: | Howard Benedikt, DC, DCBCN |
| Format: | Online, on-demand — start immediately |
| Pricing: | Free — no purchase required · 1 CE hour |
| Approval: | PACE Provider #34015544 · TCC co-sponsored |
PACE Provider #34015544 · Co-sponsored by Texas Chiropractic College · Completions reported to CE Broker
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation — TENS — is the pain-management modality most chiropractic offices already own, and this is the free one-hour course that puts the evidence behind it. Physical Therapy 202 covers the fundamentals and mechanisms of TENS therapy, the Melzack–Wall gate control theory of pain in clinical practice, treatment protocols for specific musculoskeletal conditions, and the benefits of vagus nerve stimulation as an advanced pain-management technique.
Howard Benedikt, DC, DCBCN — Diplomate of the Chiropractic Board of Clinical Nutrition and the faculty behind the CCEDseminars Nutrition series — teaches it as a complimentary course: no purchase, no hidden fees, 1 full CE credit hour, and your certificate downloads the moment you pass the test. It is the natural companion to his Physical Therapy 203: Ultrasound and sits with Dr. Yeomans' Physical Therapy 201: Laser Therapy in the modality lane of the series.
Where This Course Fits — The Physical Therapy Series
The CCEDseminars Physical Therapy series runs 201–205: three modality courses and two regional rehabilitation courses. There is no bundle in this category — each course is taken on its own, and the multi-course discount applies automatically in the cart when the hours add up.
Modalities (201–203) — you are here
Physical Therapy 201: Laser Therapy (Steve Yeomans, DC, FACO · 2 CE · $40) · Physical Therapy 202: TENS for Pain Management — this course (Howard Benedikt, DC, DCBCN · 1 CE · free) · Physical Therapy 203: Ultrasound (Howard Benedikt, DC, DCBCN · 1 CE · $20)
Regional Rehabilitation (204–205)
Physical Therapy 204: Physical Therapy for the Lower Extremity (Dennis O'Hara, DC, DACBSP · 2 CE · $40) · Physical Therapy 205: Lumbar Spine, Hip and Pelvis (Dennis O'Hara, DC, DACBSP · 2 CE · $40)
The full series, with pricing, lives on the Physical Therapy category page.
What You'll Learn
On completing Physical Therapy 202 you will be able to:
- Describe the core principles and mechanisms of TENS therapy
- Apply the Melzack–Wall gate control theory of pain in clinical TENS practice
- Select TENS treatment approaches for specific musculoskeletal conditions
- Explain the benefits of vagus nerve stimulation as an advanced pain-management technique
Course Outline
- TENS Therapy Fundamentals — core principles and mechanisms
- Gate Control Theory Applications — Melzack–Wall theory in practice
- Musculoskeletal Condition Protocols — specific treatment approaches
- Vagus Nerve Stimulation Benefits — advanced pain management techniques
Your Physical Therapy Faculty
Howard Benedikt, DC, DCBCN — instructor of this course — is a Diplomate of the Chiropractic Board of Clinical Nutrition and the faculty behind the CCEDseminars Nutrition series. In this series he also teaches Physical Therapy 203: Ultrasound. Faculty profile »
Steve Yeomans, DC, FACO — board-certified chiropractic orthopedist — teaches Physical Therapy 201: Laser Therapy. Faculty profile »
Dennis O'Hara, DC, DACBSP — Diplomate of the American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians — teaches Physical Therapy 204: Physical Therapy for the Lower Extremity and Physical Therapy 205: Lumbar Spine, Hip and Pelvis. Faculty profile »
Credit, Reporting & State Rules
Physical Therapy 202 is a free 1-hour on-demand course. Your completion is recorded electronically when you pass the post-course assessment, and your certificate is issued immediately. Completions are reported to CE Broker for the states CCEDseminars serves.
Boards set their own caps on online hours, and some limit hours by category. Before you plan a block of online hours, confirm your board's current rules on the State/Region CEU Approvals page. Texas licensees can verify provider status through the Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners.
Approved states for this course are listed at the bottom of this page.
What It Costs — and How to Pay Less
Physical Therapy 202 is free — 1 CE hour at no cost, with no purchase requirement and no hidden fees. There is nothing to discount here; the automatic multi-course discount — 10% on 6–9 hours and 20% on 10 or more, no promo code — applies to the paid courses in your cart.
The whole Physical Therapy series is 8 CE hours: 202 pairs most directly with Dr. Benedikt's 203 Ultrasound (1 CE · $20) — the two together are 2 hours of electrophysical-agent CE for $20 — and with Dr. Yeomans' 201 Laser Therapy (2 CE · $40) to complete the modality lane. Dr. O'Hara's 204 Lower Extremity (2 CE · $40) and 205 Lumbar Spine, Hip and Pelvis (2 CE · $40) cover the regional rehabilitation these modalities support.
References
- Paley CA, et al. Using TENS for pain control: update on the state of the evidence. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022. PMC9611192
- Melzack R, Wall PD. Constructing and deconstructing the gate theory of pain. Pain Medicine. 2013. PMC4009371
- Gibson W, et al. Efficacy and safety of TENS for relief of pain in adults. BMJ Open. 2022. bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e051073
- Efficacy of myofascial release with TENS. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2024. sciencedirect.com S0161475424000083
- TENS for chronic neck pain. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2019. PMC6953309
- StatPearls. Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation — clinical protocols. NCBI Bookshelf NBK537188
- Cleveland Clinic. Gate control theory of pain explained. health.clevelandclinic.org
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Physical Therapy 202 cover?
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation — TENS, or TENS unit therapy — for pain management in a chiropractic office: the fundamentals and mechanisms of TENS therapy, the Melzack–Wall gate control theory of pain and how it applies in practice, treatment protocols for specific musculoskeletal conditions, and the benefits of vagus nerve stimulation as an advanced pain-management technique.
Who teaches the course, and who is it for?
Howard Benedikt, DC, DCBCN — Diplomate of the Chiropractic Board of Clinical Nutrition and the faculty behind the CCEDseminars Nutrition series — teaches the 1-hour course. It is written for Doctors of Chiropractic who use TENS in the office, or are adding it, and want the evidence base and the protocols in a single free hour.
How does a TENS unit work, and what does gate control theory have to do with it?
A TENS unit delivers low-voltage electrical current through electrodes on the skin. The course explains the mechanisms, and the Melzack–Wall gate control theory is the model it uses for why stimulation of non-painful nerve fibers can close the spinal "gate" to pain signals. The course then moves from theory to protocols for specific musculoskeletal conditions.
Is the course really free, and how do I earn the CE credit?
Yes. Physical Therapy 202 is complimentary — no purchase requirement and no hidden fees — and earns 1 full CE credit hour. It is online and on-demand: add it to your cart at no charge, work at your own pace, pass the post-course test, and your certificate downloads immediately. CCEDseminars is PACE Provider #34015544 and the course is co-sponsored by Texas Chiropractic College; completions are reported to CE Broker for the states served. Approved states are listed at the bottom of this page, and confirming your own board's requirements remains your responsibility.
What pairs well with Physical Therapy 202?
Dr. Benedikt's Physical Therapy 203: Ultrasound is the natural companion — 1 CE for $20, so the two together are 2 hours of electrophysical-agent CE for $20. Dr. Yeomans' Physical Therapy 201: Laser Therapy completes the modality lane, and Dr. O'Hara's 204 Lower Extremity and 205 Lumbar Spine, Hip and Pelvis cover the regional rehabilitation these modalities support. The whole series is 8 CE hours, and the multi-course discount applies automatically to the paid courses when the hours add up.
State approval and licensing reminder. CCEDseminars is PACE Provider #34015544. Approved states for this course are listed at the bottom of this page, and board rules on online hours change — confirming your own board's current requirements before you enroll is your responsibility.
Physical Therapy 202: TENS for Pain Management
1 CE hour · Free · online, on demand · Howard Benedikt, DC, DCBCN
Enroll Free — Add to Cart » Browse All Physical Therapy Courses
CCEDseminars · PACE Provider #34015544 · Reviewed by Monte Horne, DC · Last updated October 21, 2026 (CT)