TENS machine agony
 

Hello everybody, i broke my ankle around April 2011,the bone healed perfectly however i was still in agony,i was diagnosed with CRPS and started physiotherapy and medication,im on the maximum dosage of Pregablin 600mg per day,Fentanyl 50mcg transdermal patches,Dhc continus 120mg,Temazepam 20mg at night,i think you would agree that is alot of medication,however my life started to change for the better,i started sleeping well and became able to walk with one crutch and could feel less pain,life became bearable,then 2 weeks ago i came across an unused TENS machine that i was given by the pain clinic16 months earlier,i put it on my ankle for 10 minutes,now im back to the beginning again,cant stop crying,feels like a horror film,whats happening to me?

My crps started in my foot. I asked my PM about a TENS unit and he told me that TENS units don't work so well on foot/ankles. They work much better for the upper extremity crps cases. Good luck.

I tried a tens unit..... felt really good at first but after a few days it made the pain in my foot waaaaaaaay worse!!!!! I had to stop using it and havn't used it since. It's not worth the pain!!!!!

It took a long time for the pain to ease.

I wish you the best!!
Abbie

I use a TENS unit on my ankle and it helps the pain a lot. Everyone is different. My first encounters with stim were at physical therapy sessions where they used the stim in combination with heat at the end of out sessions and it helped a lot. It's definitely something that I think I benefited from because my first uses were under the direction of someone who knew what they were doing. I know the right placements for the electrodes and I know at what settings and for what lengths of time to use them.

I have definitely found that the TENS unit helps if I can surround the area of pain with the electrodes which works usually when I have certain areas that flare up worse than others. It does not help in RSD areas where the pain is more generalized or covers a larger area. It helps with certain kinds of RSD pain (namely the flare ups and the bone crunching pain) but less with others (like the wide spread burning or hypersensitivity).

I'm sorry that you are suffering right now and hope you find some relief soon.

I've had a tens unit for a few years. I got it prior to any of my surgeries for my nerve entrapment... prior to the RSD diagnosis. Mine is in my arm. I have also used it for my shoulder and neck which gets tight and painful. I find it has helped to a degree when it is on, but when I stop it the area feels weird. I wish I could come up with a better description than weird!

I rarely use mine. To me it ends up being more trouble than it is worth and has no lasting relief.

Im glad i read this because i was looking at buying one but wanted a little info on them first. I might run it by my pt before rushing out to buy one.
Im in the Ill do anything stage. I did just buy a hand warmer that plugs into my computer
Thanks again :grouphug:

I have never been able to tolerate a TENS unit on any of my affected areas, it actually made me worse as did the physical therapy...but that's just me.