Which statement correctly compares IFC and TENS lead configurations?

Which statement correctly compares IFC and TENS lead configurations?

• A. TENS requires four leads; IFC uses two.
• B. IFC requires four leads; TENS may use two or four leads.
• C. IFC uses pulsed current; TENS uses continuous current.
• D. Both modalities require identical lead configurations.

Answer: (B)

The main idea is how the two therapies deliver electricity through the skin with different lead setups. IFC uses two separate current paths that intersect inside the tissue to create an interference beat; to establish those two distinct paths, you need two pairs of electrodes, i.e., four leads. TENS, on the other hand, is delivered through a single circuit with one pair of electrodes, though clinicians can add a second pair for broader coverage, making it two or four leads. So describing IFC as needing four leads and TENS as potentially using two or four leads correctly captures how their configurations differ.

The main idea is how the two therapies deliver electricity through the skin with different lead setups. IFC uses two separate current paths that intersect inside the tissue to create an interference beat; to establish those two distinct paths, you need two pairs of electrodes, i.e., four leads. TENS, on the other hand, is delivered through a single circuit with one pair of electrodes, though clinicians can add a second pair for broader coverage, making it two or four leads. So describing IFC as needing four leads and TENS as potentially using two or four leads correctly captures how their configurations differ.