A wireless TENS machine offers portable, discreet pain relief on the move

Cur is a wearable band that promises to actively relieve pain using electrical stimulation. Those who have visited a physiotherapist in order to treat an aching knee or a bad back may be familiar with a TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) machine, which sends electrical impulses to the muscles via a collection of electrodes.
Cur is essentially a highly portable version of the TENS machine that attaches directly to the skin using adhesive pads. Onboard sensors regulate the modulation of the electrical impulses provided to the target muscles, meaning that the device is entirely wireless and discreet enough to be worn underneath normal clothes.

As part of an ongoing fundraising campaign, Cur is available to buy for $149. Its price will rise to $299 assuming that it receives regulatory approval. As a medical device, Cur must undergo rigorous testing, and it is predicted that a future legal battle will pitch the company against prosecutors who claim that fundraising without approval breaks regulatory rules.

The device promises to use technology to relieve pain, reducing patients’ reliance on prescription drugs and providing evidence for the progression of health tech from monitoring to the active improvement of symptoms. Fitness monitoring devices, as well as other wearables such as Olive that are aimed at those who suffer from a particular condition, are becoming increasingly common. While projects such as Medical Pharmacy provide preventative medicine to high-risk patients, Cur may herald the advent of a new generation of wearables that attempt to actively improve the health of those who already present symptoms.