I HAVE JUST BOUGHT A TENS MACHINE. Can you tell me if you have one ? And how affective is it .Ibought mine for low back pain .Thanks in ad vance .
Answer:
What is TENS?
TENS stands for Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation. A TENS machine consists of a small box, about the size of an audio-cassette case with a clip on the back so you can attach it to the belt of your dressing gown (or whatever you are wearing in labour). The machine gives out little pulses of electrical energy. Leading out of the box are four wires connected to sticky pads. You place the pads on your back - get your midwife or birth companion to do this for you. If your birth companion is helping you, he or she should follow the instructions which you will have received with the TENS machine. Two of the pads are placed on either side of your spine at about bra-strap level. The other two go lower down, at about the level of the dimples in your bottom. The pads are covered in a gel to help the electrical pulses pass through your skin more easily. The TENS machine has dials that you can adjust to control the frequency and strength of the pulses. There's also a boost button for you to hold in your hand and press when you want maximum output from the machine to help you with a difficult contraction. What are the advantages?
鈥?Portable, non-invasive and entirely under your control 鈥?Easy to use 鈥?Doesn't stop you being mobile 鈥?Use it for as long as you want and then take it off - no lasting side-effects 鈥?Not thought to have any effect on babies 鈥?Can be used for a home birth
What are the disadvantages?
鈥?May only help in the first half of labour and become rather irritating when contractions get really strong 鈥?Costs between 拢20 and 拢30 to hire for a month 鈥?May have to be removed for electronic monitoring of your baby's heart, although the risk of TENS interfering with a fetal heart monitor has been described by one midwifery textbook as only 'slight'. Taking the machine off interrupts the release of endorphins 鈥?If you want to use a birthing pool, you can use TENS before you get in the water, but not when you are in the pool 鈥?Makes it more difficult for your birth companion to massage your back, which is a really excellent form of pain relief.
Any useful tips?
鈥?There are lots and lots of different TENS units available for hire. Ask your friends or your midwife (even better, an obstetric physiotherapist) to help you choose. 鈥?Start with the controls at their lowest settings and turn them up gradually as your contractions get stronger. 鈥?Take the pads off every three hours and smear them again with gel before reapplying them. This ensures that the contact with your back is really good. 鈥?Keep mobile. Being mobile during labour helps women feel more in control and should therefore enhance the effect of TENS. 鈥?If you don't think it's helping you, take it off and don't feel bad. You've lost nothing (except your hire fee). All other forms of pain-relief, both medical and non-medical, are still open to you.
My Mum had one and found it effective in helping her deal with chronic pain. I had a 'Pain Gone' pen which helped me endure the pain of a frozen shoulder for some months when previously I had been at the end of my endurance.
It`s an excellent machine. I`ve been using one for a number of years now, Anytime I get pain in the lower back, I use the Tens and it works perfectly.
:-)
A TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator) unit is a device that is thought to somehow block nerve pathways that may submit pain impulses. It can be used as an alternative to or in conjunction with medication. As a nurse, I have seen about 50% success rate in the patients I have encountered who have used these machines. There seems to be a correlation beetween a person's prescription narcotic use and the pain relief they would get from a TENS unit. It seems that the more medications a person was taking, the less effective the TENS unit would be in aiding to relieve their pain. If you have more questions, I've always found that webmd.com has accurate and up-to-date information on a variety of health-related topics. Good luck!
Tens works really well, just have to find the right settings. Remember that Tens only treats the symptom (the pain) not the cause - if you have symptoms for longer that a week or two see a Dr - lower back pain could just be a strain but it could also be a prolapsed disc.
And keep up gentle exercise - rest a back for 24hrs only then get it moving or you'll make it worse!!
My mother has had metal rods operated into her back and down both legs. There is a battery under the skin on her back. She uses a battery wand to turn the machine on and off. She cannot use it when sleeping or driving. She says that it works very well in relieving pain. Many people have to use the TENS machine first before being approved for this operation. For many people the TENS machine affects their nervous system and they cannot use it. If you can use the TENS machine, then you can have the surgery and appliance my mother uses.NB! You cannot go through airport screening devises with the appliance my mother has, also the batteries do die and more surgery is needed to replace the battery and to clean the rods once every 5 years or so.
I have one and mine was for the same as you, low back pain. It is really good as you can adjust it accordingly. As long as you use it sensibly its fab!Hope you get some relief soon.
I have a Boots TENs machine - I use it for neck and shoulder pain, last year when I first damaged my shoulder and broke my collar bone the TENs machine was the only thing that made work bearable - I found using painkillers all the time was tiring and affected my ability to think on the job. My shoulder and neck have recently begun aching again and I use the machine to help me settle at night - It has a time setting so I leave it on for an hour and find that I can get off to sleep with no problems. It did take me a while to find the correct setting - I use a variable pulse now and that suits me fine
I have on and I would recommend it for your back pain, my tens machine helps when all other forms of pain relief fail.
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