Mel,
I had the TENS treatments before, for a fractured finger
(that never healed right & is still 'bent').
You use the lowest settings for pulse and intensity, then gradually increase them until you feel a 'tingle' & is not uncomfortable.
Stay at those settings - or back off 1 setting.
You may want to play around at the pulse rate, but never more than is comfortable. Keep it going for anywhere from 5-10 mins to 1 hour and see if you get relief.
The pads have 'sticky-backs' gel is not necessary.
Hairy areas should be shaved for best stick/contact.

Nide44:

Thanks much. Now here's my question. Alan has PN pain between certain toes of his left foot and certain toes of his right foot.

Both feet are completely numb (he never knows if he has his socks on).
And his feet burn (before a rain, THEY REALLY BURN),

So where do we place the electrodes? Anyplace on the underside of his feet? On the tops of his feet?? Or because there are 4 pads, do I just take the pads and place them between the toes and then turn on the juice (at the lowest thing, I read what you said)?

Or does it matter where you place the pad. For example, if we put the pad on the top of one of the toes and turn it on, does the zapping thing only affect the area that it is zapping, or will it zap the whole foot (even though it's on low). See, Alan won't feel anything, so how do we know it's helping him??

I think I need to take a video course on Tens Units. As a matter of fact, I'm going to do a search on the internet. They have videos on everything, and if I could find a video of my Vidalia smart chopper, I most certainly should find a video of a Tens unit and how one uses it.

I remember, when I was prescribed Lantus (I had never given myself an injection before in my life), well before i even had the syringes in my house, I went to the Lantus website and I watched how to give oneself an injection. I must have watched that video a hundred times. I can now give myself an injection blindfolded (lol), but the first time was a doozy.

So before I go and plug Alan in, I want to see how others plug themselves in (if you get my drift).

Thanks so much.

Melody
P.S. What would I do without you guys on this forum??

Being that his PN is in his feet you can also get a divided foot bath or two buckets, put water and epsom salts in each side or each bucket and place one lead on one side or one bucket and the other lead on the other side or other bucket. This will make the tens more effective. It is how the rebuilder works basically, and it is totally safe. When you feel the tingle it is set high enough.

Hi Mel, i have a machine that is very similar to a T.E.N.S, it was really made for use on acupuncture points but it does the exact same thing as a T.E.N.S machine, runs on 4 small batteries, no gel with this one, but i just wet the skin with a tiny bit of water were the electrode was going under the electrode then secured it on with some adhesive tape, it made the pulse a lot stronger.
I used it on my feet, it helped me with the burning feeling whilst i had it on and for a while after too and i agree with Bob 100 % in that starting on a very low setting is only and safest way to go, i think its sorta trial and error until you get the right strength for the individual.
I hope it helps him.
all the best,
Brian

Brian:

Since this is not my machine, I'm not using it with any water. I have read about the rebuilder and all that is, is a TENS unit that you use with water.

We can't afford that either.

But the thing I simply wanted to do was find a video online to see exactly how a person would set up this thing. Attach the electrodes, where to place it, etc. etc.


Well, since I couldn't find it by typing into yahoo. "instructional video on the use of a TENS unit". I figured I would go to youtube. Now youtube.com has videos on absolutely anything. If you want to see a person eating a grasshopper I know you can find it on youtube.

So I typed in TENS unit and you would not believe what came up. There's a guy who has a tens unit on his arm and everyone is laughing as his hand contracts. They are having a ball just watching his hand contract and they are daring him to turn up the voltage.

But the thing that really freaked me out is that some guy attached his TENS unit (to a certain part of his anatomy) to see what would happen.

I didn't have the guts to watch this video.

Some people are absolutely nuts on this planet.

I will continue to search on the net. There has to be a instructional video somewhere on the internet.

If anyone knows where it, please post a link, okay??

Thanks.

and if I can't find any videos, I gather I will just read the manual and Alan and I will figure something out.

Good Lord

I have read about what Joe was talking about with the buckets of water a while back, apparently it does work, i haven't tried it myself so Joe is the best one to explain the buckets of water method,

With the one i have, its in the manual itself that you must wet the skin or the electrode before actually placing the electrodes on a person, i have tried it without and it doesn't work any were near as good.

here is a link were they use water on the contacts instead of gel, with a TENS machine.
http://www.sportstek.net/wireless-tens.htm

I can understand and respect you for being extra careful seeing its not your machine.

Brian, I clicked on the sportek link. Fascinating stuff.

And what made it even more fascinating is that this machine uses CUPPING also.

Now, I don't know if this is the same CUPPING that my italian grandmother used to do 40 years ago. Let me explain. Oh, the CUPPING used back then was to get pnemonia, bronchitis, or a simple cold, out of your lungs.

Here's what she did to me. I must have been 10 years old, with a bad congestion. My grandmother's little old lady friend came into my house and she took a candle, a clear wine glass and a quarter.

Oh, in italian, they used to call this PICCERADA. Do not ask me why, that's what they called this in my house.

So I lay on my stomach and my mother exposed my back. This little old lady took the quarter, put it in a piece of cloth, and took the lit candle, put the candle to the cloth and it went on fire, and immediately put the lit cloth containing the quarter on my back. Then she immediately put the wine class out of it. The CUPPING happened when the wine glass made a whoosh sound and pulled part of my skin up into the wine glass. Everybody stood around me going "ooh, look, the cold is leaving her lungs and coming out of her body. She did this 10 times on my back, and when she removed the wine glass, it made a popping sound. It also left rings on my back.

Well, (and I don't remember if I got better or whatever), but I DO REMEMBER what happened the next day when my mother took me to the family doctor and he decided to take his stethiscope and examine my lungs. When he raised my blouse and saw all the rings on my back, he stood back and said "what the hel* are these rings all over Melody's back??" My mother proceeded to explain that this was the italian way to take a cold out of the body.

That doctor gave it in spades to my mother. He made her promise (and I will never forget his words). "Please, no more voodoo"

So I have no idea if the CUPPING that is mentioned in this TENS UNIT thing, is what they are talking about. But boy, did it bring back memories.

Melody

I Have Had One For 15yrs, My Nuero Gave It Me & Showed Me How It Worked [ Easy For Her ]
I Had Back Pain Due To Laminectomy 35 Yrs Ago,
Try Placing Those Electrodes On Your Own Back By Yourself
{ Not Easy For Me ] I Soon Gave Up On That One, Got More Pain Using The Things.
Sophia Uk

Melody - I have no knowledge of a tens unit but I wanted to say that if you have a choice, don't put the electrodes on top of the foot. I had some pain treatment from a podiatrist several years ago and he was adamant about not applying this gel on top of my foot near the base of the toes which is where I was then having the most problems. (I think it was associated with ultrasound but it WAS for pain relief, strange I know)

Try the "toughest" part first, what about his heel or the ball of his foot?

Good luck and keep us posted. I was also interested in a tens unit and wondering if there was any long lasting benefits. Seems like it might "reprogram" the pain paths that I read about occasionally which say that once you have the pain, your memory of the pain may keep it going even if the source of the pain is removed.

Texas Geek:

you wrote: "don't put the electrodes on top of the foot. I had some pain treatment from a podiatrist several years ago and he was adamant about not applying this gel on top of my foot near the base of the toes which is where I was then having the most problems."

Now that's exactly where Alan has the pain. So why would I put the electrodes on the hardest part of the foot? Like the heel??

I am thoroughly confused now!!!!

Anybody????

Melody