Re: Tens Unit Revlelation Today

[Guest guest]

>Rich wrote: Does anyone have experience with the implantable stimulator and or

the Tens Units for long term use?

 

 

Rich,

 

Kaylene supplied some really good links to learn more about a T.E.N.S. unit so

definitely check those out, they will give you some good information.

 

In the mean time, here is my experience.  I have both a T.E.N.S. and a Muscle

Stimulator Unit that I use quite often.  Daily in fact and between the two, I

find this to be the difference: 

 

The T.E.N.S. unit is a pain blocker, meaning, it blocks the pain message to my

brain through the electrical impulses that are sent into my body.  It kind of

" fakes out the brain " to the actual pain that I am feeling.  I keep it on for

long periods of time, about 3 hours, and use it as often as needed during that

time. 

I take it off for about 3 hours and then start again if needed.  I feel the

tingle after shutting it off for a short bit but find that I do not get a huge

change in pain level unless it is on. 

Do not sleep with it on and please don't keep using the alcohol pads. Go to a

Medical Supply store and purchase the pads that will work with your unit

instead.  Most are reauseable and they are much safer.

 

The Muscle Stimulator is a wonderful piece of machinery!  It actually provides a

mini muscle massage by electrical impulse - this helps with my muscle spasms. It

contracts the muscle on electrical impulse, holds it for a few seconds (what

ever the contraction time is set at) then relaxes the muscle for a bit and

continues over and over for a timed period of 40 minutes.  That one, I use up to

3 times per day.  Too much of that one and you will make yourself sore thus

zeroing out its benefit for you.

 

My insurance covered all but 10% of the cost for both of these units because my

doctor wrote out a script for it and said I needed it for lifetime use.  These

can be purchased but you still need to have a doctor write out a script for

them. 

 

Hopefully your friend doesn't have yours now because, it will help you through

some of your pain and maybe he could sell you the pads he bought for them so you

can use it properly.  I generally wouldn't suggest sharing pads but, concidering

your circumstances, sometimes you gotta do what you have to in order to make it

through each day.

 

A positive attitude helps you to keep an upper hand on you pain level too. 

There are times that I insist on having a " mental wellness " day and that means

to me, that no matter how bad my level of pain is, I will not let it interfere

with my life. 

It is a good excerise for both my mental and emotional body and I love it.  I

only have enough " energy " to do it maybe once a month though.  With that being

said, I am not stupid in my activity level. 

One time I was so stubborn about it that I decided to go out and do transplants

all day, dumb, dumb, dumb!  I was down for 3 days, I still smiled when I thought

about what I had accomplished but it was definitely bittersweet.  Since then, I

keep my times like that on a down low.

 

Just a thought. :-)

 

Sincerely,

Janeene

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

I can't tell you I have any experience with it, but my mom was pushing me to try

the TENS unit. The thing is, the narcotic meds are the most effective on my

pain, so I stick to taking those and just deal with sleeping 14 hours a day

because of them.

However, as for the nerve stimulator, I was told by my Dr. that if you have even

the slightest chance of getting an infection from the implant surgery, they

won't do it, because infection would make your situation a hundred times worse.

I know from experience. I have had staph infection, bacterial meningitis, and

infected fluid left in my back, all causing severe pain and weeks of follow-up

procedures and IV anti-biotics afterwords. Not to mention I could have died a

few times.

I hope you have good luck with finding a solution to your pain!

~*Kris

>Rich wrote:

>Can anybody tell me if there is a limit to how long you can ware these and have

it running? Will my body get used to it and stop working. Hmmmmmmmm. I am

intrigued truly.

>Does anyone have experience with the implantable stimulator and or

the Tens Units for long term use?

[Guest guest]

Janeene McGrandy wrote:

> Jannene ,Rich,

>

> The T.E.N.S. unit is a pain blocker, meaning, it blocks the pain

> message to my brain through the electrical impulses that are sent into

> my body.  It kind of " fakes out the brain " to the actual pain that I

> am feeling.  I keep it on for long periods of time, about 3 hours, and

> use it as often as needed during that time. 

>

Rich, Janeene

The tens unit did not work for me, I have nerve root pain and all it

did was stimulate the pain rather than block it.

I have tried to use this unit two times in ten years. The new ones are

great that are programmable or manual.

I wish they would have worked, but no. I am not going to do the

implantable stimulator either as I do not want

to take the chance of what Janeene states. Bennie

,