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Thread: Tens machines. Any good?

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    Dickie Davies' love-child Cruella's Avatar
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    Tens machines. Any good?

    OK I'm in my 6th week of having a prolapsed disc, I am desperate to find a way of getting off the pain killers or at least cutting them down. At present I find a hot wheatbag brilliant but not exactly practical unless I'm near a microwave! I have looked for a heatpad that is battery operated so I can use it for long car journeys etc. But no joy. So failing that I thought about trying a Tens machine. Has anyone used them, worth the money?

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    Re: Tens machines. Any good?

    My aunt had one for a chronic back problem but she didn't seem to rate it - on the other hand, she didn't really rate any "solution" so it might work for you.

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    Re: Tens machines. Any good?

    my mum has a tens machine - which she loves - takes it everywhere with her just in case. gives her some release for pain connected to fibromialga(sp?)

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    Re: Tens machines. Any good?

    Quote Originally Posted by Cruella View Post
    OK I'm in my 6th week of having a prolapsed disc, I am desperate to find a way of getting off the pain killers or at least cutting them down. At present I find a hot wheatbag brilliant but not exactly practical unless I'm near a microwave! I have looked for a heatpad that is battery operated so I can use it for long car journeys etc. But no joy. So failing that I thought about trying a Tens machine. Has anyone used them, worth the money?
    Tens machines do work for some people. Part one of my advice is see if you can find someone who will let you try one.

    Part two of my advice is to return to your doctor and ask for painkillers you are not "desperate to find a way of getting off". Painkillers do their job really well, they kill pain. They do have a variety of side effects and I'm guessing this is why you're "desperate". Your doctor might also have some other treatment options for you to explore - possibly a TENS machine for you to try, you never know!

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    Registered User Tiger Pants's Avatar
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    Re: Tens machines. Any good?

    I suffer from periodical pains in my neck, job related!

    I sometimes visit an ostopath when things get really bad, usually when I can't turn round.

    I've used a TENS machine a few times too. I bought one from the local chemist and it cost less than £20 and must say it was a good buy, however, there were some shocked faces at work as people saw me jolt from the shocks going through my body.

    My father tried one too and had no luck at all.

    If you can get your hands on one of the cheaper ones I'd say definately give it a bash.

    Hope you get better soon X

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    Dickie Davies' love-child Cruella's Avatar
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    Re: Tens machines. Any good?

    Quote Originally Posted by Andy McGregor View Post
    Tens machines do work for some people. Part one of my advice is see if you can find someone who will let you try one.

    Part two of my advice is to return to your doctor and ask for painkillers you are not "desperate to find a way of getting off". Painkillers do their job really well, they kill pain. They do have a variety of side effects and I'm guessing this is why you're "desperate". Your doctor might also have some other treatment options for you to explore - possibly a TENS machine for you to try, you never know!
    Bought one today for £15, did some research and from what I could see price didn't reflect quality as long as it went from 2 to 150mhz. can't say as it's working for me yet but that might be due to me not knowing the best place to put the pads. Trial and error and a chat to the physio on Thursday will help. It feels very much like the slendertone I had years ago (which is probably still in the bottom of a cupboard somewhere) or like having 2 mobile phones on vibrate and stuck to your back!
    The painkillers have only had one side effect which I won't go in to details about as you might be eating, and that's been dealt with. It's more that I don't like popping pills, I rarely use them, I try to work through such things as a headache. I always feel that there must be some long term effect with taking all these tablets over a long period of time, hence why I want to stop them. In fact at present they don't seem to be touching much of the pain anyway!

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    Dickie Davies' love-child Cruella's Avatar
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    Re: Tens machines. Any good?

    Quote Originally Posted by Tiger Pants View Post
    I suffer from periodical pains in my neck, job related!
    I have one of those too but I've lived with him long enough to be used to it.
    I sometimes visit an ostopath when things get really bad, usually when I can't turn round.
    I went to a chiropratctor for 3 visits before I ended up in hospital, it got worse each visit!
    I've used a TENS machine a few times too. I bought one from the local chemist and it cost less than £20 and must say it was a good buy, however, there were some shocked faces at work as people saw me jolt from the shocks going through my body.
    It did make me sound a bit like something from Harry met Sally when it decided to go from tapping to vibrate suddenly on one of the programs I tried! lol


    Hope you get better soon X
    Thanks hun xx

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    Re: Tens machines. Any good?

    Quote Originally Posted by Cruella View Post
    At present I find a hot wheatbag brilliant but not exactly practical unless I'm near a microwave!
    Search for 're-useable handwarmer' on Amazon. There's a range of sizes available. To recharge you just put them in boiling water. They don't last long, but you could buy several. Recharging 5-6 would hardly be any more trouble than recharging one (you're going to need a pan of boiling water how ever many you recharge).

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    Re: Tens machines. Any good?

    Quote Originally Posted by Bubble View Post
    Search for 're-useable handwarmer' on Amazon. There's a range of sizes available. To recharge you just put them in boiling water. They don't last long, but you could buy several. Recharging 5-6 would hardly be any more trouble than recharging one (you're going to need a pan of boiling water how ever many you recharge).
    Good plan, I am thinking about this weekend as i am supposed to be on a course (they have been warned I will need to lay on the floor!) and staying in a travelodge, i guess i could put them in the kettle!

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    Registered User gamebird's Avatar
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    Re: Tens machines. Any good?

    Quote Originally Posted by Cruella View Post
    Good plan, I am thinking about this weekend as i am supposed to be on a course (they have been warned I will need to lay on the floor!) and staying in a travelodge, i guess i could put them in the kettle!
    If you're that near a kettle, would a hot water bottle not be just as good?

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    Re: Tens machines. Any good?

    Have you tried the stick on heat pads you can get from Boots? They may not be warm enough for you, but they do last 6-8 hours. Could be good to keep one in your bag in case of emergency.

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    Re: Tens machines. Any good?

    Quote Originally Posted by gamebird View Post
    If you're that near a kettle, would a hot water bottle not be just as good?
    yes and i have been searching for mini ones, i need ones i can put into my leggings! So I can get on with the course.

    Quote Originally Posted by Twirly View Post
    Have you tried the stick on heat pads you can get from Boots? They may not be warm enough for you, but they do last 6-8 hours. Could be good to keep one in your bag in case of emergency.
    I have tried them and I might as well have worn it on my head as a decoration. Needless to say I couldn't even feel it! I have a lot of numbness in the nerves in places and pain in others! I managed to find a battery operated backwarmer today, just praying it is hot enough, but unfortunately is unlikely to be here in time for this weekend. At least it might help me get back to work though!

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    Re: Tens machines. Any good?

    Quote Originally Posted by Cruella View Post
    i guess i could put them in the kettle!


    I think you're supposed to wrap them in a tea-towel or similar to prevent them from touching the pan. Don't let them touch the element in a kettle (it probably gets much hotter than the water it is heating).

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    Re: Tens machines. Any good?

    Quote Originally Posted by Bubble View Post


    I think you're supposed to wrap them in a tea-towel or similar to prevent them from touching the pan. Don't let them touch the element in a kettle (it probably gets much hotter than the water it is heating).
    Oh! That could've been interesting! Managed to get a mini hot water bottle today and the battery back warmer is on it's way, plus new pain killers, if none of those work, I'm going for amputation to kill the pain!

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    Re: Tens machines. Any good?

    Quote Originally Posted by Cruella View Post
    yes and i have been searching for mini ones, i need ones i can put into my leggings! So I can get on with the course.
    Quote Originally Posted by Cruella View Post
    Oh! That could've been interesting! Managed to get a mini hot water bottle today and the battery back warmer is on it's way, plus new pain killers, if none of those work, I'm going for amputation to kill the pain!
    Glad you managed to find one. They did have some heart shaped ones in a shop near me (not that that would've helped you much) around valentines day. I'm not sure where you need the heat but if it was the small of your back a heart shaped one could've been just the thing

    Hope it does some good.

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