The HealthmateForever YK15AB TENS Unit Electronic Pulse Massager is a superior quality TENS unit that meets our standards so perfectly that it is our #1 choice of TENS units on the market.
With the HealthmateForever, you’ll get a pluripotent TENS machine that can run a handful of FDA-validated protocols to achieve superior pain reduction no matter where you have pain.
In this article, we’ll do a deep review of the Healthmate so that you can judge whether it is the right unit for your home. You’ll learn all about the ups and downs of this TENS unit and come to understand why it’s so powerful.
Features Of The HealthmateForever YK15AB TENS Unit Electronic Pulse Massager
The Healthmate has a handful of the best features that a TENS unit can offer. These features include:
Each of these features contributes heavily to the HealthMate’s power. Because there are 15 different protocols, you will be able to find the right pain relief strategy for every part of your musculoskeletal system.
Likewise, there are eight electrodes, which means that you can get very creative -- or very simplistic -- with your electrode placement. People who have uncommon body types will not find it difficult to set up their electrodes with this unit.
The electrodes themselves are of high quality, which helps because there is a much smaller chance of needing replacements after extensive use. The other beneficial thing is that the electrodes are bunched into groups of two which are activated by separate outputs.
Activating the groups of electrodes with separate outputs ensures that there is an even amount of current between each set of electrodes. If there is an uneven current, it could potentially make your pain relief equally uneven which would be difficult.
The other amazing feature of this TENS unit is its interface and protocol guide. The interface on the Healthmate is substantially more advanced than other TENS units. Aside from the battery indicator, you will also get a rough guideline for electrode placement as well as several statistics regarding the system itself.
You can tell how much longer you need to use the electrodes before your session is complete. You will also see the intensity and whether that intensity is in-line with what is expected for the protocol. These features will help you to achieve ideal pain remission while ensuring your safety.
Unlike many other TENS units, the Healthmate has a built-in acupuncture TENS functionality. While many people find that acupuncture TENS is helpful too, people may want to make use of this unit to take greater advantage of acupuncture TENS.
You will need the help of a licensed acupuncturist to use the unit’s acupuncture TENS function, but the fact that there is a built-in protocol will make the entire process much easier. Your acupuncturist will activate the protocol then go about their normal routine. You will experience greater pain relief as a result.
There are also several massage-oriented features of the Healthmate. If you are interested in getting a cupping Thai-style massage, the TENS unit can work with you to maximize the pain relief potential of the cupping.
While there aren’t any figures published on how much cupping will reduce pain when used alongside TENS, many users will find it to be advantageous. You may even consider taking advantage of cupping massage for the first time with the help of this TENS unit.
What Others Say About The HealthmateForever TENS Unit
Users are raving about the power and quality of the HealthmateForever TENS unit. While they praise its pain relief in a wide variety of contexts, most users also claim that the unit’s build quality and versatility are major draws.
Most users seem to be using the HealthmateForever for their chronic back pain. Furthermore, most of these users use the unit without any outside assistance. So, if you are looking for a TENS unit that you can use independently from healthcare professionals, this seems to be the right one.
The other major point that reviewers emphasize is that you will need to follow the instructions carefully to get the most out of this TENS unit. While this is true with any TENS unit, they seem especially adamant that the HealthmateForever requires careful attention to the details of electrode placement and also protocol choice.
Users have claimed that the massage and acupuncture features of the unit are effective, but that they needed to coach their masseuse and acupuncturist regarding how to use the unit before they could reap the largest benefits.
Thankfully, users are also clear that the instruction package of the unit is excellent and unambiguous regarding proper operating procedures and best practices. This is probably a great TENS unit to pick up as your first if you have never experienced TENS before.
Users seeking a first TENS unit will find that the Healthmate is an ideal choice owing to its low price and excellent instruction set.
The unit itself has a graphical advisory which helps you place electrodes, but the real value is in the manual. The manual’s highly detailed electrode placement guide will make sure you get the optimal therapeutic relief.
What’s more, the unit has electronic methods of ensuring that you have placed the electrodes in the right locations. After you have confirmed with the machine that the electrodes are in position, the machine will run a small test current to see if the resistance is as expected from the areas that the electrodes should be.
If it finds that there is higher or lower resistance than expected, it will indicate to you that you have either placed the electrodes improperly or that one area is of different moisture content than another in a way which would impede the therapy’s effectiveness.
While the electrode-placement aid may be a bit over-sensitive about the moisture content of your skin, its understanding of where the electrodes are is spot-on. It won’t catch millimeter-scale deviations from the intended electrode locations, but it will catch major issues which would cause you a problem.
You’ll still need to tweak your electrode placement each time to make sure you find the optimal spot.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Cons
The Verdict
At the end of the day, we have to agree with users and say that the HealthmateForever deserves 5 / 5 stars. The unit’s great ease-of-use, build quality, and plurality of protocols make it nearly unparalleled in the TENS machine market.
The only issues with the unit appear to be largely irrelevant to using it properly, safely, and effectively. If anything, the fact that the unit does not support protocols which target areas other than the musculoskeletal systems is a way of protecting users from unproven therapies.
There were no major issues that held this unit back in the eyes of users, nor in our careful examination of its features and its benefits. Other TENS units may cause users undue pain or fail to relieve their pain as quickly as possible, but the HealthmateForever is nearly perfect in this regard.
Our Rating