TENS machine for Rheumatoid Arthritis?

philgee

Hi,

Does anyone use a TENS machine for pain relief from RA?

Do they work, and are they worth the outlay?

Thanks

somebody_else

I may be wrong, but I was under the impression that they were mainly only effective on muscle pain rather than joint pain.

I would advise talking to you Rheumatologist before buying one - it's a lot of money to pay out for little or no benefit.

tenacioust123

One of my conditions is arthritis in my spine, I was given a tens machine by the Pain Management Clinic free to try out, as it does help some people. Sadly it did not work for me.

Why don't you ask your GP to be referred to a pain management clinic, I have found them excellant.

allydowd

My partner, who is a senior sports and holistic therapist, and has undertaken over 8 years of training tells me that theoretically TENS machines can help all types of pain if used correctly since they close the 'pain gate' regardless of the cause of pain and can cause the body to make it's own painkillers regardless of cause. The difficulty comes with getting the machine in just the right position for it to work properly and for it to be set at the right frequencies and so on.

You can read more about this at Patient UK.

Patient UK link

I would ask for a referral to your local pain clinic.

(Since I am not a doctor this post cannot be considered to be medical advice.)

tenacioust123

allydowd wrote: »

My partner, who is a senior sports and holistic therapist, and has undertaken over 8 years of training tells me that theoretically TENS machines can help all types of pain if used correctly since they close the 'pain gate' regardless of the cause of pain and can cause the body to make it's own painkillers regardless of cause. The difficulty comes with getting the machine in just the right position for it to work properly and for it to be set at the right frequencies and so on.

You can read more about this at Patient UK.

Patient UK link

I would ask for a referral to your local pain clinic.

(Since I am not a doctor this post cannot be considered to be medical advice.)

I was told that the Tens probably didn't work for me because I could not place it where I needed to. I have metal plates and rods in my back so the tens can not be placed over these. Unless I want a perm :eek:

candyfloss333

Hi, I have used a tens machine, on and off for twenty years, I have arthritis in my spine, and nerve/muscle pain. YES, please try one. They do help a lot, but take a while to get used to. They can help with any kind of pain, you're pain clinic should supply a free one, if not, Lloyds chemists do one for about £9.99. Please feel free to PM me, if you need any more info on electrodes etc. Will gladly help.

LittleTinker

I dont think it is something you can ask about on here because half the people it would be useful for and the other half it wouldnt. (Im one of the "doesnt work for me" ones)

If you go to your local pain management clinic, they might let you try one out before you buy.