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TENS unit, anyone?

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Fibromyalgia
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Posted 5/29/2014 4:07 AM (GMT 0)
I'm borrowing one from my pain doc and I just can't jive with it yet. It feels 'creepy' when it's on (I think partially because I can't see the location it's attached to, and I just don't like something else controlling my muscles), and it feels like the pain is worse when I'm done. Is it possible it's over working my shoulder? I only had it on for a minute. That minute, though creepy, was pain free. But the rest of the day sucked when it wasn't on because it felt like the muscles were intensely cramping.

Anybody have any advice?
Posted 5/29/2014 5:10 AM (GMT 0)
I was never able to stand the tens unit...are you setting way low?
It hurt me too, so i bought one thats is referred to as mens..is a microcurrent unit..much more gentle..and even then they have you set it very low...it reduces my pain...i have many kinds of units that all help in some way... I use the light relief unit, a home laser, moist heat pads

I am not sure how low they go woth tens...
Posted 5/29/2014 7:06 AM (GMT 0)
I bought an over the counter one recently. It has 12 settings. It advises to set it just below uncomfortable and if it starts hurting to stop immediately.
Posted 5/29/2014 7:21 AM (GMT 0)
Glad it's not just me! Yep, using the lowest settings. And again, it relieves pain DURING, I'm just concerned that it's making those fibers too active and therefore increasing pain after. Maybe I should look into 'mens unit', although the name gives me the giggles...
Posted 5/29/2014 9:57 AM (GMT 0)
I bought one but then read not to use it if you have an irregular heartbeat which I have so gave it away 😟
Posted 5/29/2014 12:20 PM (GMT 0)
Just the word "TENS" makes me clench my teeth. They did that in my first 6 weeks of physical therapy after I was diagnosed and the third visit when they tried to put it on, I said, "If you touch me with that, I will weakly punch you in the arm and it might be kind of annoying." Even at the lowest setting, it was like getting electroshock! It's weird -- I had a minor back problem about 20 years ago and the TENS unit was the thing (other than traction) that helped me the most -- I wore a unit around for a week and it was great. But now? No way, Jose.
Posted 5/29/2014 10:09 PM (GMT 0)
I moved and went to a new pain management office. They said no pain meds for fibro patients. (grrr-never mind that my back and feet grew wrong). I had been on 20 mg. oxycontin CR. OK, I'll try this their way, which was with a tens unit.

My back muscles were completely wrecked by the tens, & the 20 mgs dose of oxy CR that had worked fine for me for years, would not work for my back anymore, and I had to go up to 30 mgs to calm those muscle spasms down.

I can only theorize that for some fibro patients, the signals from the tens end up at an escalated pain "volume", just like any other pain or sensory signals (like smells, noise) do for us.

Post Edited (Rockon) : 5/29/2014 4:12:31 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 5/30/2014 6:53 PM (GMT 0)
I have tried it too, but only to cause more pain. I hear that many fibromites dont like it either. It amazes me what we have to go through.
Hope you feel better.
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