tens machine

has anybody tried a tens machine for back pain. I am in so much pain at the minute will try anything. any advise would be appreciated

Yes I have one and used it for quite a few months. It definitely eased my sciatica but as I have other complications my legs became hyper sensitive and felt scalded, I couldn’t even wear normal trousers only soft pyjama pants and the vibrations started making it worse but I won’t part with my tens machine, for radiating pain they’re very good. They’re not too expensive and the gel pads are cheap on e bay.

Cath xx

Hi Mdicker5 I can recommend tiger balm medicated plasters, I get mine on line they are a god send for my back and my hips. Put one on as and when I need something other than pain tablets, tens machines are great as well. Good luck Deborah

I used a TENS machine on abdominal pain some years ago and it was very good. On bad days I still needed painkillers but usually at a lower dose than if I hadn’t had the TENS machine; on good days I didn’t need any painkillers, the TENS was enough on its own to keep me comfortable.

They don’t work for everyone, but the only way to find out if it will help is to try it. Don’t be afraid to play with the settings, I found that which setting worked best varied from day to day. I hope it helps you - mine was an absolute godsend to me.

Some gp surgeries loan them out for people to try before they buy them, mine did, I just had to replace the pads.

My mate had one for back pain and worked fine he was a big woose but now he has been on a diet he is smaller so just a woose now

thanks for all your comments I will invest in one I will let you know how I get on. I am a big Woose hoppity at the minute

thanks for all your comments I will invest in one I will let you know how I get on. I am a big Woose hoppity at the minute

I need to investigate these- no-one has ever mentioned them to me, and I haven’t stumbled on them myself, so thanks for the heads-up. Also the tiger balm. Presume ‘no tigers were harmed in the preparation of this product’? :slight_smile: Kev

TENS machines work on muscular pain. They deliver electrical tingling type sensations through sticky pads on the skin, connected to a control unit - I wore mine on my waistband under my top and it was not usually noticeable. My TENS machine has variety of settings, both level of intensity and they type of sensation (tingle, prickle, pulsing etc). I used different settings according to how I felt each day and even through the day.

Wearing the machine didn’t stop me doing any of my normal activities and I have a friend who uses hers while camping. Obviously you can’t use them in the bath or shower and you also can’t use them on broken skin.

Definitely try to borrow one to try before you buy. They aren’t cheap and they don’t suit everyone, but if TENS works for you, it will be a worthwhile investment.

Thanks Mitzi. Kx

got a machine and used it twice not noticed anything yet but early days

I think my back feels abit better for about 30 mins and then back to normal but will keep on trying.

I noticed the difference with my TENS machine as soon as I found the right settings. Some days I could tell from the way I felt which settings I needed, other days it was a case of try this, no not making any difference, try that, yes, that’s better.

Have you tried playing with the settings? Try the different sensations out, try putting it to a higher level. I often used to have to put mine fairly high to start with, then reduce the amount of stimulation once it had got things under control. Once I’d got the right settings (which varied day to day, such was the nature of my pain), I kept the machine going as long as necessary - some days, that was all day.

If you’ve tried out all the different settings and a TENS machine still doesn’t help, it may be that you are one of those for whom they don’t make any difference. It’s like with any other form of pain relief, it doesn’t suit everybody. Sadly.