I am currently on my second pstim. I have no pain at all when it is attached to my ear. I fell the first pulses right when it is attached and then nothing after that. Feeling no pulses always concerns me. How am I supposed to know it is actually functioning? What if it stopped working? I was told by the doctor that some people don't feel the pulses. I have also been told that it takes several applications to see the pain go away. It was described as a kind of retraining of the nerves. I hope this works. I am a college professor and have not worked in a year now due to grogginess from pain meds. I have a 2 level fusion at L3,L4 and L5. I am currently at the very start of transfer lesions below and above the fusion. I have times when a wrong move will squeeze the nerves and cause horrible debilitating pain. Other times, I just have low back pain when I stand up, sit down or stand for more than a few minutes. I have horrible painful numbness in my right leg when I stand and when I walk more than just a ver short distance.
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Originally Posted by KatG!
IS ANYONE USING THE P-STIM currently or recently?
Hi, this is my first post and I found this forum while searching for anyone discussing the P-STIM besides the providers and the manufacturer/company...I have lower back pain caused by disc and degenerative changes from arthritis and autoimmune mixed connective tissue with hypermobility of joints...
I do not see any current posts of people who are using it - with or without success. I just started the treatment series with the P-STIM. Up front I will say it is a very uncomfortable and even painful experience when the three needles attached to the three contact wires are put in the ear. In fact, the pain of the needles is fairly constant but lessens a bit when it is not pulsing - but it never goes away much whether it is in the pulsing cycle or not. It is a constant deep pinching/stinging/ burning feeling where the needles are embedded in the ear. I am willing to put up with that if there is no alternative because the back pain is more widespread, immobilizing, and severe. In other words, I would rather ignore the smaller surface ear pain in exchange for broader pain relief and more opportunity to be productive and mobile...My first treatment I got a lot of relief from back pain. The relief started almost immediately. BUT when I removed it myself as instructed 4 days later the pain was back again by the end of the day. It seemed as if my pain had actually worsened and I was wondering if it was because I had been able to cut down on the pain relieving supplements (I take an herbal supplement called D-Flame by NOW) and the small amount of anti-inflammatory meds I had been taking when I had some relief from the P-STIM...SO maybe when the cycle finished, maybe there was not as much in my system as usual...?
Then ten days later, I had the second P-STIM applied and again, I felt a lot of pain relief quickly-just as before. BUT the problem was that it stopped pulsing on that first day after the initial 3-4 hr cycle. I called the office on the second day when it never started again. I was told that was a normal thing with some people and the cycles would be individual to me. I waited the next two days and still nothing. My pain had returned by the end of the second day I was wearing it. I still waited and removed it because the cycle would have been complete anyway by the 4th day. BUT it never pulsed again after the first cycle. I am going in tomorrow to the pain center and I am bringing the spent device with me. My insurance (Medicare and supplement ChampVA) pay for it 100% BUT will not allow the less than 10 days between applications. I am supposed to have 6 applications total placed 10 days (or more) apart. I don't know if the one where I think it stopped working will count.
SINCE there are no posts on the P-STIM for such a long time AND no conclusions retrospectively - have you moved on to something better? Or just gave up on this option? PLEASE feel free to mention anything that is helping you! Thank you!
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