Some of the differences--
 

--in reports about the Rebuilder over the years may stem from the fact that its design has been tweaked at least several times, partly due to company having undergone reorganization on at least one occasion. It's my understanding (through contacts at the Neuropathy Association and some first hand reports of users) that the people who originally developed it no longer have the exclusive rights to it, and that there have been some contentious battles over the years over that group and other groups' rights to produce/market the "original Rebuilder" versus similar copycat devices.

Yes, I have noticed that a certain chiropractic connection is selling them that way, to those for whom it "works".

The fact remains that refunds are not given to Medicare patients if the gov't is footing that high price!

People still interested in this device should keep watching Ebay... the Rebuilder does turn up there for very low prices. These would be the other incarnations of it, before the spiffy conductive socks and gloves replaced the water bath version.

I just checked the site and couldn't believe how much it's gone up in price. I have to wonder how much of the price increase is the result of insurance companies now paying for a portion of it. Seems like anytime insurance or medicare covers something, prices go up. I've seen in the past where companies will give you lower price on lab test and medical devices if your insurance doesn't cover it.

It would be worth asking them for a discount. Something close to what the out of pocket difference would be.

revisiting electricity
 

It's great to see how much more investigation into the company has gone on since the Rebuilder first appeared a decade ago. I had begun to wonder about it because this winter I had the return of some of some numbness in my feet which had totally resolved with treatment for lyme six months earlier, and it's still not back to it's newer normal. I was running through the list of possibilities for what I could add to my regimen to help with it, and thought about revisiting that idea.

Also, I'd received an email from a friend asking me about another device called the Calmare. It didn't take much investigation to see that the guy who developed that was a total rip-off artist. I just wasn't sure if he was ripping off Rebuilder or TENS.

So now I have another question. Can anybody help me understand the difference between:

1. TENS
2. Rebuilder
3. Inferential current units
4. EMS or electrical muscle stimulator units

I have a combined TENS/EMS unit. I used it on my feet directly last night and fell asleep with it, and it went on all night. I have no idea if it was on TENS or EMS. I don't know how to set it up to do one or the other.

I have a pure TENS unit, and this I use purely for pain. Usually I use it on my arthritic neck. It works like a dream. In the bad old days, I used it on my feet and it gave relief, but I have to say, in the bad old days, substituting any sensation worked. Massaging my feet, soaking them, frozen green peas, or paraffin wax, depending on the pain du jour.

I had a Rebuilder. But I can't find it. Okay, I know it's got to be somewhere, but I don't know where...and I need more motivation than I've gotten to make myself go look. :)

So, can anybody help me understand the different units. In English? Not in pure physics or engineering terms?

Thank you.


I like the idea of the sock, but not at a high cost.

REbuilder
 

I have idiopathic neuropathy in my feet. I tried the rebuilder and was even given an extension to their performance guarantee of 45 days. It never did anything for me so I returned it for my money back as stated in their website. Well lo and behold, they are appear to be broke and couldn't make good on the money back guarantee. So now they have the Rebuilder they sent me AND my money. They offered to send the Rebuilder back but that wouldn't do me any good. They seem to be sincere about wanting to return my money but who knows. I've been in business for a long time and can see the handwriting on the wall. I suspect they will close their doors soon unless some angel investor comes to their rescue.

I asked about Calmare (a.k.a. scrambler therapy) in the Medications & Treatments forum a while back after searching for it in the archives. Here's that thread:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread145682.html

Most of the posts about it are in the RSD/CRPS forum; seems it's had some potential for some RSD sufferers, but I've not seen anything (yet) about its efficacy with PN.

Doc

I bought one back in 06 and it helped a while too until it gave me tinnitus so I stopped.

Is this newer version supposed to be better in terms of offering relief or just more tweaks to make you think it is , when its really just the same ol thing ?

m

if i were you i would contact the attorney generals office in west virgina as soon as possible. here is their link. otherwise the rebuilder people will string you along until they go belly up if that is the direction they are going in. either way they arent honoring their guarantee and i would contact the attorney general in the state they are located in which according to their site you order it from west virginia.

http://www.wvago.gov/contact.cfm

My husband had an injury to his neck. He has severe pain in his left arm and back do to nerve damage in his neck.

It did not work for him. His pain went down while he was having the treatment, but as soon as he walked out the door it was back to the same old stuff.

Hello,
I got the ReBuilder out the other day(don't use it anymore) and tried it out, on the 4 setting use to be the limit, took it up to 9 and just felt a slight zipping. My feet and legs are gone and the powerchair has been a blessing for mobility.