Muscle Stimulator and Tens Unit for Pain

[DoobieDuck]

I have chronic pain from two spinal surgeries with hardware, along with Fybro. I have Sleep Apnea and a Siezure disorder. Just to name a couple of my issues. My pain is un-bearable in my joints, neck and back with out narcotics but I have had some great relief with two electrical devices, the muscle stimulator and a tens unit. Both of these seem to block the pain from regestering with my brain somehow. Sometimes I have to use them all day and some days not at all.
One great thing for me is sleeping with the muscle stimulator working, I think it is helping mostly with my fybro symptoms. It has a 40 minute timer and shuts of so there doesn't seem to be a problem with things going wrong if I fall asleap while it is working and I do quite often. I also often have a restless leg RLS type issue and squirm and figit till the wifey punches me or asks, tells, me to take a pill. The stimulator works better than narcotics for relief of this for me and if I'm able to hook it up before I start figiting it saves me from the wifeys punches! Both have helped reduce my narcotic intake and I have been able recently to quit Oxy completely.
You can adjust the amount of stimulation, (SHOCK!) you give your self and there are several settings for pulse etc. They work with stick on pads that apply the stimulation to your muscles not really to your skin. I recommend these but please research them, lots of info if Googled, and see your physician for getting a script for these, don't buy one of eBay and start treating yourself, please get pro advice and recomendation. I'm a long time user..5 years with the stimulator and 6 months with the Tens unit. If you need more info friends PM me or ask here in this thread and I'll try and point you in the right direction..have a pain free weekend...DD

 

[Mr. Bongjangles]

That's really interesting Doobieduck... Glad you've found some relief for your pain.

I'm going to share this info with some people who deal with similar issues - thanks man!

 

[dman16]

im only 21 but ive had a tens unit for almost three yrs and its pretty nice. it helps but doesn't really satisfy everything i need for management.

 

[DoobieDuck]

Thank you Mr Bo..please do pass it on. Dman..yes, of course, it doesn't work for every thing and I still do have to use narcotics, but in my shape any relief is welcomed as you must know if you have been using one for five years! Good luck with your issues and thanks for posting Bro..DD

 

[Marywanna]

Doob are you talking about the external units or the implanted ones? Checking into this for my daughters degereative disc disease. MW

 

[DoobieDuck]

Mary these work with the stick on pads. I am looking into the implant as well...good luck with your daughter..DD

 

[SeniorBuzz]

Tens never really did much for me..

Tens tries to address the symptoms, rather than the cause.

for me, it works better to address the cause using meditation/bio-feedback,
and very controlled, measured, stretching

maintaining a very fragile balance, that's constantly under attack
becomes an art form

using the keyboard feeds back into my problem neck
so I'm very limited in how much I can do
arm/shoulder fatigue, hand cramps,

and this immense muscle clump in my upper back
that has existed over a long period of time,
immobilizing my spine, creating really nasty arthritis

 

[kmk420kali]

Doobie, I also use a Tens Unit...a friend of mine is a DO, and he hooked me up with it years ago--
It is great for back pain due to muscle spasms!!
A li'l Tip....apply a small amount of Vaseline to the contact in the center of each pad...just in the center tho, or it wont stick--
You get a lot better conductivity that way--

 

[dman16]

KMK my doc says not to use anything to increase conductivity because he has seen burns form.

seniorbuzz-i agree wholeheartedly with your post it does only treat the symptoms. for me it is a lifesaver though for back spasms. since im only 21 my doctors and I agree that daily narcotics are not the solution for me at this time. I have tried them and they work amazingly but being dependent at my age is unacceptable for me at this time. working out i have found has greatly increased my ability to function with pain, also im getting ripped! trying to bench 300 before the summer is over.

 

[kmk420kali]

KMK my doc says not to use anything to increase conductivity because he has seen burns form.

Yes, that can happen-- That is why you should never use it for more than 15 mins at a time--
But you should also be able to feel if it is burning-- Remember, with a Tens, more power is not always better...so better conductivity at a lower intensity may be a good thing-- It depends on why you are using it, and how it works best for each individual--

 

[dman16]

hahah very true. I like to crank mine way up and "wear out" my lower back muscles so thats probably why i was warned. could never imagine using that much juice on my neck or something. Cheers!

 

[big mike]

never heard of these units. They are just for muscles or joints(ankles,knees,elbows) as well?

 

[SeniorBuzz]

KMK my doc says not to use anything to increase conductivity because he has seen burns form.

seniorbuzz-i agree wholeheartedly with your post it does only treat the symptoms. for me it is a lifesaver though for back spasms. since im only 21 my doctors and I agree that daily narcotics are not the solution for me at this time. I have tried them and they work amazingly but being dependent at my age is unacceptable for me at this time. working out i have found has greatly increased my ability to function with pain, also im getting ripped! trying to bench 300 before the summer is over.

dman, be good if you forgot about the ego,
and started treating your pain.
otherwise, when you become my age
you will realize that maintaining peak physique
is a complete waste of what's good for you
I have a right to say that
my two older brothers were in the Charles Atlas class
and I was a chip off of the old block
and thought I was invincible
otherwise I wouldn't have done what I did
at the ripe old age of 12
of course I was ripped most of my life

 

[HASH GORDON]

With regards to just treating "symptoms" and these electrical T.E.N.S./E.M.S. units: That's not entirely accurate.

The longer people suffer from chronic pain, the more their central nervous system "remodels" to effectively decrease the threshold at which a person feels pain, and modifies their ability to perceive pain from other stimuli which were previously not painful.

The terminology specifically is called Allodynia. So, whereas it's always best to treat the "core" problems that are facilitating and/or creating pain.......there's alot that can be done in terms of preventation and progression by just "managing" the pain aspect.

 

[SeniorBuzz]

pain is not your enemy
learn to treat pain as a friend
it's telling you something
so you can better understand where, and how,
the pain is originating and take steps to address it
every muscle in the body is physically intertwined
know and understand the central nervous system
which muscles are controlled by which nerves

with disk problems, controlled gentle stretching/yoga
for pain, ice at the enflamed nerve root area
anti-inflammatory, when needed

if that doesn't work, get loaded and call me in the morning

 

[dman16]

@ seniorbuzz
ha i appreciate the concern but that is not me at all. im far from a peak physique i hate doing cardio and only go to the gym 3-4 times a week. Also i assume your ego comment was in reference to my weight goal, 300 is not much at all. im a tall guy (almost 6'4) and weigh 210 i know people who actually fit the "charles atlas" model who can lift 100's more then me and they are only 5'8! I know which exercises i can and cannot do for my condition and i have learned to adapt. If anything strength training 3-4 times a week has made the pain far more manageable.

if your comment would have been about my skiing then i would have to agree with you however

 

[SeniorBuzz]

@ seniorbuzz
ha i appreciate the concern but that is not me at all. im far from a peak physique i hate doing cardio and only go to the gym 3-4 times a week. Also i assume your ego comment was in reference to my weight goal, 300 is not much at all. im a tall guy (almost 6'4) and weigh 210 i know people who actually fit the "charles atlas" model who can lift 100's more then me and they are only 5'8! I know which exercises i can and cannot do for my condition and i have learned to adapt. If anything strength training 3-4 times a week has made the pain far more manageable.

if your comment would have been about my skiing then i would have to agree with you however

I managed to keep going strong until the age of 42
and then after spreading 9 yards of wet, and heavy manure,
into my garden area, with a pitchfork
that was the end of my life as I knew it

 

[DIGITALHIPPY]

i had some additional pain afterwards different then the pain being treated, not to mention the twitching when you turn the juice up.
i found it a bad solution only needed by certin people with degraded nerves, and other sever pain.
foy my fuzed spinal cord though, too much wierdness/aching/twitching.

plus its a bad spot to be juicing(for me)

how is it working for u doobie?

 

[DoobieDuck]

DH these have worked well for me. I have some pain near my cord in my neck but I don't use mine close to the cord or near my heart. DD

 

[DoobieDuck]

Bump: I have posted a new thread about the Spinal Cord Stimulator. Anyone following this thread might want to look there..I continue to use my muscle stimulator and tens unit daily and at night. I feel they have both improved my quality of life greatly. DD