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Video showing English physiotherapist treating patient with interferential therapy for pain control and muscle rehabilitation. Comments follow on using Infrex Plus portable interferential tens unit at home.

The above video was filmed in an English physiotherapy dept. and has some very good comments about how to use interferential therapy and what the theories are behind using for pain and muscle stimulation. The below comments are intended to fill in some additional information about the video to better understand the application and tools available.
Comments on Video:

The original treatment using an applicator and gel seems to be ultrasound therapy which is a separate treatment. You see this on the first patient in the video. Ultrasound units can also be rented or purchased for home use.

keep the electrodes on
actually bring blood to the area which helps conduct the interferential current
can increase "current density" which may be uncomfortable and is not for people with sensitive skin

As sponge dries out the current is "pin pointed" only to area where moisture is so patient gets "pin prick" uncomfortable sensation. Electricty follows moisture but air is an insulator so lose points of contact during the treatment. To stop this from happening one should use reusable, self adhering tens type electrodes. Generally for interferential this will be a 3" round, or strip type electrode.
Unless cleaned very well between patients higher incidence of cross contamination is possible.

4. With the Infrex Plus unit, due to "pre modulation", it's not necessary for the electrodes to be arranged for a criss-cross pattern however that is generally a desirable electrode set up.

The purpose of muscle stimulation in most instances is to help a patient relearn how to move muscles to restore function, such as the simple process of picking up a cup of coffee. The correct term for this type of function restoration is to use a "Functional Electrical Stimulator" or F.E.S. unit. Most FES units are prescribed by a physician to be used following a stroke, or in some situations an injury that resulted in partial denervation, some nerves destroyed or damaged but not all and some have remained intact.

When there are surviving intact nerves then our body, through a process known as "muscle reeducation" , learns how to use the surviving nerves to accomplish tasks that formerly were easy to do. The brain, with the use of the FES unit, is taught how to use the nerves to be able to pick up and drink a cup of coffee for an example. The stimulator actually stimulates the nerves which in turn is also teaching the brain what impulses to send to the surviving nerves so the task can be accomplished.
Most "muscle stimulation" is for the purpose of reducing swelling or in the case of a casted patient, to retard some of the disuse atrophy. The stimulation of muscle nerves for the edematous patient causes the muscles to "pump" and that action restricts the area of the swelling and the fluid is physically pumped out of the area quicker than the normal process would be.
This video explains the functions of muscle stimulators and functional electrical stimulators:

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