New kind of rebuilder????
 

Hi all!!!

Just came back from Alan's podiatrist and the other doctor in the practice told us he has neuropathy. We spoke about B-12, and then he said:

"have you heard about the nerve rebuilder socks?"

I said "Well, I've heard about the Rebuilder, but not anything about socks"

Just looked it up. Here's the link. The inventor of this gadget also invented the first in the ear thermometer.

http://www.rebuildermedical.com/

Please someone take a look and tell me if any of you have used this sock thing.

Also, it says it's contraindicated for people with implanted devices (and other stuff too).

Alan has a stent. Does this mean he can't use it. He is seeing Dr. Fred for a special VNG test on Friday. I'll bring this up to his doctor.

Alan's other doctor said that insurance covers this in full. NOW IF THEY WON'T PAY FOR A PAIR OF SHOES!!!, I mean, really!!!

Any comments??

P.S. About Alan getting a new pair of shoes from his HMO (as well as getting them to pay for last year's orthotic), well, I contacted Rep McMahon's office, and guess what? THEY GOT BACK TO ME.

We just filled out some form and are mailing it back to their office.

They will try and help.

Who knew???

Melody

I think for the implanted devices they mean any implanted electrical device.
Pacemakers, SCS, etc.

I have no idea....if this is effective.

But implantable devices means electrical ones. The stent is not electrical.

Oh geez -- 800.00 for only the socks!

you have to buy the actual ReBuilder gizmo separately!!

I was thinking the socks came with the whole set up at the 800.00 price tag.

I wonder if there are quality knock offs that "do" the same thing.:confused:
{ but I have no idea if they really work or not...}

[
ReBuilder 300

The ReBuilder 300 Standard Model includes;
# The ReBuilder® 300
# 1 lead set
# 2 Adhesive Pad for direct application
# 5 year replacement warranty. If anything goes wrong with your unit, we will fix it or replace it.

Comes with everything you need!

Our Price: $499.00 ]


[
Accessory Conductive socks (pair) for the ReBuilder with conductive gel
Our Conductive garments are woven with a special conductive thread for maximum comfort and efficiency.

These conductive garments are Medicare approved.

*Does not include The ReBuilder.

Our Price: $800.00]
http://shop.rebuildermedical.com/category_s/28.htm

Has Alan ever tried a TENS ?
I know they state that they work differently but if a TENS helps then then more likely the ReBuilder might help also.

I would try some low level laser therapy and/or some far infrared therapy before spending the big bucks on a Rebuilder.
Some PTs or chiros usually have those and you could try it a few sessions to see if they help.

Laser/ Infrared/ far infrared info
http://laser.nu/
http://www.firheals.com/catalog/faq.php

Yeah, he tried the TENS. Did nothing for him.
so I gather if the TENS didn't do anyting, then the Rebuilder won't either???:confused:

sounds like a racket to me! I agree with Jo.... the prices are eyepopping! (they are hoping insurance will pay for it).

I also wonder how the pads "sense" your nerves. I wonder if that is even possible?

I read it on the internet too. I was going to bring this to our appt tomorrow. It sounds hopeful.

Here is the explanation of FDA approved 501 devices:

http://www.dansdata.com/danletters189b.htm

I clicked on the link, read all about how the Rebuildery is quackery, then scrolled down for Dr. Phillips home page, and

HOLY COW!!

This guy invents A LOT OF STUFF.

Good Lord!!!

Melody

informative explanation of 501 devices and fda "approval"

Get an interferential therapy unit, a divided foot bath, put water with epson salts in each side of the foot bath, put one lead from the interferential therapy unit in one side of the divided foot bath and the other lead in the other side of the foot bath. Your feet will be encapsulated in water rather than socks but same effect, and much less than $800 for the socks alone.
its a shame how desperate people are preyed upon by these blood suckers.

this is the cheapest i have seen these. it runs on 9 volt battery as well as off an outlet.
http://www.medicalproductsonline.org...ential-if.html

Thanks Echoes:

The cost IS WAY TOO MUCH FOR US.
I did tell Alan what you all said. He said "Tell them thank you very much for their input, I knew it was too good to be true".

We are seeing his podiatrist next week for his regular foot exam.

Oh, he got his blood work back.

He has high triglycerides. Now how can someone who is a vegan have high anything. I feed him those Gardein meals and once in a while some pasta. While I eat my sprouts daily he does not. He DOES INDULGE IN COOKIES, CAKES and other stuff with sugar.

I have told him "too many carbs". Wait until Dr. Fred gets a hold of him.
Oh, forgot to tell you, Alan is going for a VNG at his primary care guy's office on Friday. It's a new kind of test that you put on goggles, and they put some kind of headgear and show you images. It is supposed to test his reactions and his balance. It's a long test, but it's supposed to be state of the art.

Alan feels that his balance is a bit off since he went off of IVIG, so his doctor ordered this test for him.

I'll update you all after it's done.

Take care and thanks much

Melody

VNG seems to test the inner ear and to see if that is affecting balance.

A lot of people with PN have bad balance because we cannot feel our feet and have no feedback as to where our feet are and thus use our eyes to balance. If i close my eyes i start to sway.

The explanation of triglycerides is in the video I recently put up in the Diabetes forum.

Sugar (which contains fructose), cannot be metabolized by the liver properly.

High triglycerides are a major factor in heart disease. They also thicken the blood and make it more viscous and hence the circulation to the feet becomes impaired.

Hey,
 

Look at this: He cures lung cancer too! cough cough

http://www.davidbphillips.com/

I told you that sometimes it helps! Now put him on speed dial!

Yeah !
He's a regular Ron Popeil of the high end market.
(Didn't he try to re-invent another artificial heart - or some organ,?)
His unit has been around for years. Most users say temporary relief for an hour or so, some for a day or 2 - but a cure? I don't think so!
This is a slick, fast-talking, snake-oil outfit that is getting more high tech looking every year (I remember the first jury-rigged units and the sales promo tape they sent me- it was made in a club basement with a home VCR recorder/camera that was very careful not to show a close-up of the product), but it still is the basic wet or dry leads, with a tens type unit..... for BIG bucks.
He's ready to cash in on anything he can.
I've never liked his marketing attitude or his claims.

Yes YOU DID!!!!

lol

I'll let you know what happens.

Thanks much

Melody

But wait, there's more! Call within the next 5 minutes, and we'll throw in one of these, absolutely FREE!

i heard last night about a biologic agent, ( sounds like something out of a spy movie) called tanezumab that is an monoclonal antibody against nerve growth factor which is being developed by Pfizer to treat pain. You would get one shot every 4 weeks. So 13 shots a year. By the way the shots cost $10,000 each. Im sure most of us could swing an extra $130,000 a year to treat our pain.

If you ask for this under the new health care plan im pretty sure this is where the death panels come in. :p

It's got a code name!!!!

codenamed RN624
And it's for Osteoarthritis, Interstitial Cystitis (god knows I know what THAT feels like), and lower back pain (right now I am having an attack of Sciatica but because I was at Dr. Fred's office for Alan's VNG test and my urine UTI test, I FORGET TO MENTION that I was in agony with my sciactica today.

Two days ago the weather was 85, today it's in the 40's and horrible.

My back knew it.

ugh.
But if they lower the price of this pain med to a reasonable $5000 a shot, I just might go for it.

lol

Not unless its distilled in Ireland :cool::rolleyes::D !~!

Bob:

Right now, I AM IN PAIN from sciatica. BAD PAIN. I don't so much as take an aspirin for my arthritis because I've learned to live with it for over 20 years. But when I get this sciatica flare-up (last one was YEARS AGO), and it's usually triggered by severe weather changes, and two days ago it was over 85 and yesterday it was WINTER, I thought I would die. I did the heating pad (and oddly enough I was in Dr. Fred's office with Alan for his VNG test and I took a UTI test because last week I had a UTI, but all was well yesterday, no more UTI, and because I was standing up for one hour and observing Alan's VNG test, my mind was not on my sciatica and I wasn't going nuts.

Well!!! last night and this morning, I feel like I weigh 500 lbs. The last time this happened was in 1995 and I was laid up for 2 weeks, and the doctor had given me vicodin and while that takes the pain away, I didn't go to the bathroom AND I DON'T LIKE THAT. While I don't like pain, I more than don't like NOT GOING TO THE BATHROOM.

So my question is. "What the heck can I do to alleviate this pain in my lower back". It came on when the weather went down 25 degrees. Alan had told me two days ago "Melody, you are going to go nuts because the weather is going to drop" He knows that this is what always happens to me. I have no idea why this is so, but since I don't live in the Sahara Desert, I gather this will happen whenever we get this 25 degree drop (which thankfully does not happen very often).

And also, when I walk a few blocks, I straighten up more. But I just came back from Dunkin Donuts and I'm sitting down typing, but right now I want to go lie down with a hot pack on my lower back. I have this microwavable hot pack. It's not a wet thing. Do you think a hot wet thing is better than a dry microwavable hot pack?

I haven't had this kind of flare-up for so long. I eat low-inflammatory foods, etc. I drink PLENTY OF WATER. So why, when the weather drops 25 degrees, my poor back goes crazy, I have no idea.

When I walked into the Dunkin Donuts, my friend behind the counter, Misha, said to me "Oh Melody, you are not the only one, everyone is coming in saying "my back my back".

so I know it's not just me.

So any advice would be welcome. I took two aspirin last night. Did nothing. I slept good for 8 hours (I take melatonin and a small amount of alprazolam). So I sleep just fine.

I know that a sciatica flare up can take either no time to get over or months to get over. I've never had it more than two weeks. Right now, It's two days.

Is there anything I can do to 1. ease it now, and 2. PREVENT IT FROM COMING BACK.

I know, I'm expecting miracles, but geez. First I get rid of a UTI using Silver Biotics, and taking Dmannose for 7 days, and BINGO, I get this sciatica.

I wish I had asked Dr. Fred yesterday for SOMETHING.

Do you think a muscle relaxer would help me? I can call their office on Monday if a muscle relaxer would quite the back spasms. I don't like pain meds so unless I'm dropping dead on the floor, I don't do the oxy or vicodin thing. And I'm afraid of Tylenol and what they say it does to one's liver.

I remember YEARS AGO, when I first got diagnosed with degenerative joint disease and my back was killing me, the doctor at the hospital told me "oh, take 600 mgs of tylenol every 4 hours." I remember doing this, totalling up the amount in my brain after a few days and remarking "what the heck, was this doctor out of her mind, having me take all that tylenol?"

Never took it again. I do mild exercises and stretching, but today, that is not going to happen. At least I don't think so. lol

So any input is appreciated.
Thanks much

Melody

Mel...I am suffering too with the weather changes.

The best thing you can try now, easy, is an ice pack back there on that side. Over the lumbar area. 20 min at a time, 3 times a day may help.

Ice??? I have never used ice in my life on my back. I hate the cold, I hate ice. You mean heat won't help? (maybe that's why I am still in pain).

Good Lord, the very thought of putting anything cold on my side is unthinkable. but I'll try.

Because I listen to everything you say.
Mrs. D. did you see my latest post on UTI's on the diabetes forum.

I'd love your input on that one.

Thanks much

Melody

You don't ice the bare skin. You have some thin towel or flannel between the ice pack and the skin. Ice turns down the nerves which are overfiring.

Heat make it worse as a rule. You don't leave the ice on long...too long and it impairs the circulation. Just enough cold to quiet the nerve.

I read the other thread, and it seems like you figured it all out?
If you do cranberry, don't do the juice. Buy the concentrated capsules. They don't have sugar in them.

mel,
did you look at any sciatica videos? maybe something in those will help.
http://www.google.com/search?q=sciat...N&hl=en&tab=wv

Hi Mrs. D.

I've never done cranberry juice in my life. I take the capsules (besides the dmannose). and get this. that THING came back today (down there). I have no infection, I'm under a lot of stress, and the pressure came back.

Well, at least I know I don't have an infection. Didn't have one 15 years ago either, and I went to every specialist I knew. Everything was negative, so I'm not doing all that again. It's my body, it's my reaction to what I'm going through with my son (or actually, what I'm not going through, because we have NO relationship whatsoever). Who knew that this kind of stuff could bring on spasms in specific parts of one's body.

Biology is amazing. I'm still flushing with water and peeing just fine. So I know I'm okay. I'll probably lose my mind, but I'll be okay. Infection wise I mean.

And I've still got my sprouts!!!! lol

Melody

Not Quackery at ALL! It's working so far for me!! YIPEEE!
 

I don't think that anyone said it was a quack device. It is a modified type of TENS unit, and is registered as such. We know that TENS units have been helping people.
Its just the way the company does business that is in question. They do guarantee the product. IMHO They just sell it like a slippery used car salesman. They have a 'pitch' and a 'slip-slide' attitude in answering direct questions.
Their videos are, just so slightly, not too revealing.
The literature is all done by their PR dept,
and the medical reviews are on their payroll too.
A lot like the drug companies' way of doing things.
Just IMHO

Thanks for share!
 

wow!! for real you agree to use Rebuilder?? it's better the foot bath or socks??
I just bought it .. will arrive tomorrow home.. so let's see ..
I have a lot of faith on it! also I'll be taking b12 and vitamin D..

how many days did you felt better?? now you keep using it? in some time you stop using it?

[QUOTE=MelodyL;642792]Ice??? I have never used ice in my life on my back. I hate the cold, I hate ice. You mean heat won't help? (maybe that's why I am still in pain).

Good Lord, the very thought of putting anything cold on my side is unthinkable. but I'll try.

Because I listen to everything you say.
Mrs. D. did you see my latest post on UTI's on the diabetes forum.

I'd love your input on that one.

Thanks much

Melody[/QUOTE

Hi Mel,
sorry to hear about your sciatica. I get it too. I had it very bad just a few months ago and had to hire crutches to walk. I did take the pain pills. Anyhow, here in Oz when the rugby players injure their backs or have scoatica the physios ice them. Never heat. Ice packs every hour for 20 minutes at a time. I decided that ice was probably the answer since the top sports doctors and physios are doing it. Heat packs make us feel better but heat causes inflammation. As far as muscle relaxers, if you are having back spasms, that's your back trying to create a brace for stability. You may indeed need them if the muscle is contorting your posture. When my back goes out I swear I walk like a duck from muscle tightness/spasms.

Good luck Mel.

I'm curious how did you get on with the ReBuilder?

Tens hasn’t been of Any use to me. My PN has got worse and is driving me a bit crazy, don’t really know what is coming first , death or whatever! Lyrica and the foot cream capascian or whatever it’s called seems not to help! What is one to do?

EdmundUK
 

Can I butt in please. My PN is getting worse beyond description. I am on Lyrica and if I miss a tablet in the evening I have a terrible night. As I am getting pretty old 85+ , forgetful . Are there any fellow sufferers out there that have tried any other treatment that has helped ease the pain?

I used the Rebuilder with socks and gloves. It didn't help me, but the company honored the money-back guarantee for the main unit. Socks, gloves, and solution were not included in the refund. The customer service was excellent in providing guidance, and there were no questions when I contacted them about returning it. Supposedly, it's different from TENS, but I don't understand the differences. It might be worth a try...

Rebuilder 2407
 

:Hi, I am new here. I have the rebuilder 2407. I use it in the divided bath. My question is can I use fragrances epson salts? I left foot seems to get swollen from using the bath. Thanks for any help