Tens machine for back pain

missmontana

My doc has suggested I try one of these to ease my back pain, can anyone recommend one and tell me the cheapest place to get one? Many thanks!

Skymist

I bought one fromm Lloyds Pharmacy a few years back, and find it does relieve any niggling pains I get. It was on offer at the time, about £15.99, if my memory serves me well. I've just looked at their site:-

http://www.lloydspharmacy.com/en/electrical-health/tens-pain-relief/

Depends wher you have pain, but for general pain relief, you could have a look at this one:-

http://www.lloydspharmacy.com/en/lloydspharmacy-tens-dual-channel-digital-pain-reliever-130645

which is £19.99.

HTH.

S

missmontana

Thanks for that, I didn't think to search for the pharmacy online

Felicity

Sorry but not for me, I hired one from the Internet for a while (might be an idea if you dont want to try without buying) but it was totally ineffective.

I tried so many things including back clinics, painkillers etc but the only thing that worked for me was accupuncture via my GP. I was sceptical but after literally crawling onto the couch I walked out pain free. The results only last a week or so at a time but gives you time to do excercises to help youself and the pain free time is bliss!

Good luck!

Pixiegill

Skymist wrote: »

I bought one fromm Lloyds Pharmacy a few years back, and find it does relieve any niggling pains I get. It was on offer at the time, about £15.99, if my memory serves me well. I've just looked at their site:-

http://www.lloydspharmacy.com/en/electrical-health/tens-pain-relief/

Depends wher you have pain, but for general pain relief, you could have a look at this one:-

http://www.lloydspharmacy.com/en/lloydspharmacy-tens-dual-channel-digital-pain-reliever-130645

which is £19.99.

HTH.

S

I suffer from neck/shoulder/higher back pain and use this one from Lloyds Pharmacy

http://www.lloydspharmacy.com/en/tens-machine-digital-pain-reliever-35300

I find if I use it twice daily for 15mins if gives me alot of relief.
HTH

atrixblue.-MFR-.

its not for me, and i find its not for those that have nerve problems as suppoesed muscular.

i have a curved spine and in pain everyday mostly, the bones grind together in my lower and upper back often trapping nurves tens make this 100% worse for me and was recomended by my GP to possibly help me its not for all so if you could "rent one" with purchase of new electrode pads only for health hygene then thats the way i'd do it if i could flash back to the past and not waist £40.00 of my money.

jenniewb

atrixblue.-MFR-. wrote: »

its not for me, and i find its not for those that have nerve problems as suppoesed muscular.

i have a curved spine and in pain everyday mostly, the bones grind together in my lower and upper back often trapping nurves tens make this 100% worse for me and was recomended by my GP to possibly help me its not for all so if you could "rent one" with purchase of new electrode pads only for health hygene then thats the way i'd do it if i could flash back to the past and not waist £40.00 of my money.

Thanks- thats really helpful! I have knee pain (slightly, not crippling but enough to bother me at night and remind me its there and so worry me!) its due to osteoarthritis, my bones are jarring/grinding together because the cartiligde has worn away. I've been told a replacement would not be possible as they are too risky (said by specialist) and so its just a case of pain management and pills. I also have pain in my back/hip and am having tests to see if its the same thing.

I had heard about the Tens machine being useful for this but no money to afford one and worried about the risk of paying for a cheaper version and it not working as well and so had been considering one.

If they are best used for those with neurological problems rather then osteoarthritis and so on then I know not to bother! I'd prefer not to take the pills as I worry about doing this every day at an increasing rates for the rest of my life and the effects on my liver, I can't though find anything that really makes any difference. It would seem the worst thing to do is to remain still for too long, or to walk for too long, or to be too cold, or to exercise too much.....so just about everything makes this worse! I'd be interested if anyone else has any reviews on how this works with Osteoarthritis and if there is anything else helpful.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

jenniewb wrote: »

Thanks- thats really helpful! I have knee pain (slightly, not crippling but enough to bother me at night and remind me its there and so worry me!) its due to osteoarthritis, my bones are jarring/grinding together because the cartiligde has worn away. I've been told a replacement would not be possible as they are too risky (said by specialist) and so its just a case of pain management and pills. I also have pain in my back/hip and am having tests to see if its the same thing.

I had heard about the Tens machine being useful for this but no money to afford one and worried about the risk of paying for a cheaper version and it not working as well and so had been considering one.

If they are best used for those with neurological problems rather then osteoarthritis and so on then I know not to bother! I'd prefer not to take the pills as I worry about doing this every day at an increasing rates for the rest of my life and the effects on my liver, I can't though find anything that really makes any difference. It would seem the worst thing to do is to remain still for too long, or to walk for too long, or to be too cold, or to exercise too much.....so just about everything makes this worse! I'd be interested if anyone else has any reviews on how this works with Osteoarthritis and if there is anything else helpful.

it helps my mum who has arthritis and degenerative discs in her back, everyone is different and every machine has different setting like pulse, massage,tingle or all three in rythem. i gave my mum my tens, as hers is now old. the pads are cheap enough for them and many come with 2 pads or the full four pad setups.

with knee problems, deep freeze is soothing (but stinks) and one of those gel freeze wraps you can get to put in the freezer, its important to distinguish what type of pain your knee is giving you, muscular nerve or bone as the treatment varies, if muscular or bone then use heat wraps you get for back pain and wrap it around your knee if nerve pain freezing it is better as suppose to heating it as heat applied to aggrevated nerves makes them more sensitive and pain increases, can also get deep heat rub spray or pads for muscle carteladge and bone pains.

if you take alot of pain killers, your GP should be taking blood periodically for liver function and cell count. have you tried accupuncture , reiki, also hypnosis is supposed to help with pain managemment also (but im rather sceptical and not tried it) have tried reiki mums qualified give you good feeling of well being and relaxation wich is good for the swelling and muscle pain, and a good pain management therapy,

missmontana

A few people have suggested acupuncture, is it available on the NHS? The only thing that has worked so far is having bilateral facet joint injections, I had them last Oct and they have only recently worn off, which means I am now back on the pain killers, not been asked for blood tests yet, been on meds nearly 3 months now.
Just looking for alternatives while I'm waiting to be referred again!

jenniewb

missmontana wrote: »

A few people have suggested acupuncture, is it available on the NHS? The only thing that has worked so far is having bilateral facet joint injections, I had them last Oct and they have only recently worn off, which means I am now back on the pain killers, not been asked for blood tests yet, been on meds nearly 3 months now.
Just looking for alternatives while I'm waiting to be referred again!

In regards to accupuncture I think its available but very much PCT based (ie where you live makes a difference). You could try asking in another thread but be careful: about 18 months ago I asked about alternative therapies and if they were available on the NHS as I had been diagnosed with 4 skin conditions and 2 of them "very rare" and told "nothing we can do but wait for 3 years for it to pass", I asked on these boards and had so many people give their own opinions of alternative therapy whilst hinting at me being stupid for even considering it. Did put me off posting anything again and I tend to worry when I do! As long as your fairly thick skinned it should be fine but for me at least (unless it was, as it had felt, personal) I found alternative therapy is a bit of a marmite issue on here!

Skymist

A few years back I had acupuncture for a frozen sholder and it worked a treat. I was able to have it on the NHS, but I'm in Edinburgh, so agree with jenniewb that GP and area as to whether it is offered or not. By the way, mine was given by a regular NHS physiotherapist, who had gone on a course as part of her ongoing NHS training.

S