Tens muscle thing?

[Dirtman]

Anyone ever use one of them "tens unit" things? Some kind of Ipod that electrocutes your muscles?

I get bad back pain from stiff muscles and my vet recommended I get one. (No I didnt go see the vet as my doctor, I just happened to be talking to the vet about my back pain while I was picking up a pig).

Do they work?

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

The physiotherapist I went to thinks so. Of course the ones they use are a few orders of magnitude more expensive than what I see for sale to consumers.
I'm picking up a used one when one comes up cheap enough for me.

 

[Dirtman]

I've found them all over amazon for under 50 bucks. I'm wondering if the ones this cheap do anything at all?

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

For that cheap I'm planning on testing it out.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Also I don't think its an instant relief type of thing. More like use it daily and it helps over time.

 

[PetroleumJunkie412]

I've used one since I was 16. Have one of the medical ones. They help tremendously.

 

[Dirtman]

Well I bought one for less than 40 bucks. Itll be here this afternoon so we'll see what it does.

I got this one since it seemed to have good reviews.

Amazon.com: Tens Unit Machine Pulse Massager 24 Massage Modes Rechargeable Muscle Stimulator Device with 6 Large Pads for Pain Relief, Body Building Neck Back Pain Relief: Health & Personal Care

Buy Tens Unit Machine Pulse Massager 24 Massage Modes Rechargeable Muscle Stimulator Device with 6 Large Pads for Pain Relief, Body Building Neck Back Pain Relief on Amazon.com ✓ FREE SHIPPING on qualified orders

www.amazon.com

I'm usually not one for crap like this but I'm desperate.

 

[19Walt93]

I've got the one Aleve sells, it's a stand alone unit that doesn't need a smart phone. It works best if the power is set low to calm the nerves, I used to crank it up as high as I could stand until the batteries got weak and I saw better results with a weaker jolt. I tweaked my back last spring so I couldn't sit for more than a few minutes. I drove to and from Carlisle with it stuck to my back and I'd turn it on whenever the pain got too much.

 

[scrapper]

My father in law gave me his from when he was in the air force. Heavy duty but I loaned it to someone and so I bought a 20 dollar one from china. Its hard to get the electrical contacts to stick good so they come loose and start burning instead of just providing electrical stimulation to the muscle. You have to use a contact goo that conducts the electricity with a patch that sticks to it then the wires plug in to the patch. If the patch isnt on correct it will start to burn. I know the one I had was cheap because it was not as good as the one my father in law gave me. I would try trigger point injections or steroid shots if you have good insurance. They gave me more relief than the machine and they last. The best was getting a nerve released by surgery. Sucked after waiting to be completely released to go back to normal work, but best thing I ever did 30 years of back pain gone. I have gotten some relief from "real time pain relief", its about 3 creams you rub on the area. The first is hemp oil, then pain relief, then foot cream. Sounds odd but it works. I would use it a couple of days then use icy hott or ben gay. I was at the state fair and a lady had a booth and she rubbed it on for free. I walked around and went back and bought about 50. worth. lol first time I ever did that. Its got to be put on in order and wait between each cream about 90 seconds. Foot cream is thick and helps hold the first two on. Good luck with your pain it will make you a grumpy old man if you dont get rid of it.

 

[scrapper]

The physiotherapist I went to thinks so. Of course the ones they use are a few orders of magnitude more expensive than what I see for sale to consumers.
I'm picking up a used one when one comes up cheap enough for me.

The good ones are around 2-300 new. They work a lot better than the cheap china ones do.

 

[Dirtman]

Welp its here. I got it on my back at about medium power. Its a weird sensation and no idea how this relieves pain but I'll see...

 

[4.0blue98]

Get a vid if you hook it up to a pig for testing.






I'm kidding, don't do that!

 

[Dirtman]

It's much smaller than I thought. Kinda shocking how powerful it is for something so small though. (See what I did there).

I cant turn it up all the way, too intense. At medium power it's kinda a pleasant "shivering" sensation.

 

[PetroleumJunkie412]

Let it do its job, and be careful about using it too much. You'll wind up in more trouble from overuse, or at least that's what I was told.

 

[Dirtman]

Ok lesson of the day... do not put the pads over an open wound.

I have a little welding splatter burn on my back. Moved the pad and put it over the burn and holy crap did that hurt.