UPDATE Looking for TENS Unit Recommendations

[kteague]

My once trusty Empi Select TENS Unit is begging to be retired. I've used it almost every night since late 2010, and it was my salvation from the torment of this malady of PLMD. Battery cover pegs broken, metal battery contacts repeatedly reglued into place, intermittent loss of connection. One of my worst fears is it will finally die before I can afford to replace it, and I shudder at the thought of returning to the hell that used to be my every night with my jumpy legs. Looked at some online but was quickly overwhelmed by the choices. Looking for something basic, don't need bells and whistles that add to the cost. Any recommendations (or warnings) from other TENS users?

[Madalot]

http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D ... UTF8&psc=1

I bought this one a few months ago.

[Pugsy]

I bought this one a few months ago.

How do you like it? I have been mulling over getting a TENS to maybe help with my neck and SI joint pain. Been getting worse lately and slowing me down. I have never used a TENS unit.

[Madalot]

I bought this one a few months ago.

How do you like it? I have been mulling over getting a TENS to maybe help with my neck and SI joint pain. Been getting worse lately and slowing me down. I have never used a TENS unit.

I'd never used one either, but it feels the same as the therapy I got when I saw a chiropractor. The unit is small and has enough features for my use. The pads that come with it are small so I ordered a package of larger size that are compatible with the unit.

I'll be honest and say mine is in a drawer right now. It's not that I don't like it (or don't want it) but it's hard for me to place the pads myself (Muscular Dystrophy is a bitch). But I want it for those times that I have a horrible muscle pull/pain.

I feel that for $40, it's a nice little unit. If you order it and aren't happy with it, Amazon is really good about returns.

[BlackSpinner]

I just got a new one for my sister as her older (and very expensive) one was dying too. They have really come down in price (she was totally shocked I could get one for under $1000). I looked at that one but went for a simpler one that she is very happy with. It is in her room and she is asleep so I can't check the brand name.

[avi123]

In my (and others) opinion a TENS unit is a hoax. It does nothing physiologically or medically in our bodies to reduce pain. It just causes another pain somewhere else in our body to take our minds off the original pain, by deception. So essentially you end up with two sources of pains. You could achieve the same effect by pinching, pricking, burning, stabbing, yourself somewhere on your body or applying electric voltage on your skin.

Example from NEJM:

A Controlled Trial of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) and Exercise for Chronic Low Back Pain

Richard A. Deyo, M.D., M.P.H., Nicolas E. Walsh, M.D., Donald C. Martin, Ph.D., Lawrence S. Schoenfeld, Ph.D., and Somayaji Ramamurthy, M.D.

N Engl J Med 1990; 322:1627-1634June 7, 1990DOI: 10.1056/NEJM199006073222303


"We conclude that for patients with chronic low back pain, treatment with TENS is no more effective than treatment with a placebo, and TENS adds no apparent benefit to that of exercise alone. (N Engl J Med 1990; 322: 1627–34.)"

[BlackSpinner]

In my (and others) opinion a TENS unit is a hoax. It does nothing physiologically or medically in our bodies to reduce pain. It just causes another pain somewhere else in our body to take our minds off the original pain, by deception. So essentially you end up with two sources of pains. You could achieve the same effect by pinching, pricking, burning, stabbing, yourself somewhere on your body or applying electric voltage on your skin.

Lots of people benefit from it, it is well researched - your opinion is worthless.

[squid13]

My wife and I both have an Empi Select. If your on Medicare get a prescription from your Doctor and they'll pay for it and your supply's. If you have a supplemental they'll pay the difference and it won't cost you anything. As usual Avi your full of BS.

[avi123]

The Truth about Back Pain

[JDS74]

Without making a recommendation of these units Omron makes two different models that are available at Walmart.
My other devices from Omron have all performed well.

[avi123]

My wife and I both have an Empi Select. If your on Medicare get a prescription from your Doctor and they'll pay for it and your supply's. If you have a supplemental they'll pay the difference and it won't cost you anything. As usual Avi your full of BS.

Reply,

Squid, you're most likely full of BS thinking that your neuropathic legs come from nowhere while the truth is that you are obese and probably diabetic, and suffer from PAD (Peripheral Arterial Disease) and if you don't do something soon about it you'll come down with blocked coronaries and/or face amputations of extremities. It is the lack of oxygen as a result of reduced blood circulation in your legs that killed the nerves there. Seek Vascular Physicians over there in Fl to check your legs blood circulation.

[squid13]

Squid, you're most likely full of BS thinking that your neuropathic legs come from nowhere while the truth is that you are obese and probably diabetic, and suffer from PAD (Peripheral Arterial Disease) and if you don't do something soon about it you'll come down with blocked coronaries and/or face amputations of extremities. It is the lack of oxygen as a result of reduced blood circulation in your legs that killed the nerves there. Seek Vascular Physicians over there in Fl to check your legs blood circulation.

Well where do I start 1. I'm not obese and I'm not a diabetic. I have a complete physical every May with a complete blood work up and everything is OK. My neuropathy is in my feet not my legs and is coming from my lower back which has had 3 surgery's on it. I had a blood pressure problem this last January and had a complete cardiology work up stress test, echo graham, tilt table and carotid arteries checked and everything was way above average, in fact she said I was exceptional for my age. The cause was my CPAP was working so good that I was taking to much blood pressure medications so I went from 20 MG Vasotec twice a day to 5 MG twice a day. So don't worry about me, worry about yourself.

[kteague]

Thanks for the replies.

Avi, I don't really care how it works if it gives my legs relief - a fact documented by several sleep studies over the years with the one utilizing the TENS Unit before bedtime showing a mere 1/3 of the movements on previous studies. Placebo effect cannot be claimed when one is asleep during the testing. No treatment will work for every problem for every person. That does not negate when someone is helped with their particular problem. One of life's most resisted lessons for me was accepting that in most situations my experience and opinion (which I have a lot of) have little bearing on the validity of another person's experience. Just because it isn't my experience does not mean it isn't theirs. Living with a disorder others can't understand has helped me be less judgmental and open to things I don't personally understand. The flip side is that I feel no need for everyone to agree with me. You don't have to understand it for my experience to be real, and we can agree to disagree. Not a big deal.

[palerider]

In my (and others) opinion a TENS unit is a hoax.

Lots of people benefit from it, it is well researched - your opinion is worthless.

as are most of avi's ravings.

respectfully, your reply to avi is like saying that water is wet, fire is hot, etc.

[palerider]

Squid, you're most likely full of BS thinking that your neuropathic legs come from nowhere while the truth is that you are obese and probably diabetic, and suffer from PAD (Peripheral Arterial Disease) (ramble ramble rant deleted).

Well where do I start 1. I'm not obese and I'm not a diabetic. ... don't worry about me, worry about yourself.

I'm starting to think that avi is obese, diabetetic, has PAD and possibly an amputation or two, so he projects his problems on everybody else.... I think accusing people that they're ODP is becomming one of his favorite things.

I bet you're not senile either, squid13, eh?