Hey there!

This could have been me- I was a crazy gymnast and was injured when I was 11/12 yrs old. One icky knee surgery later on my left knee, and I've been dealing with this for a while.

I personally was not offended at all by the suggestion of using a TENS unit and think that it is a great idea. It is not like sharing medications, and you really can't have side effects from it. If you start at a level of low stimulation and increase it slowly, there isn't much that can go wrong. Some people don't like it, true, but it won't injure you. You can get a brief bit of random muscle twitching if you have it up to high, but I think that it can definitely do more good than harm. I started using one when I was 13 I think, and I know that it is not contraindicated for someone this age. One of the beauties of a TENS is that you can play around with lead placement and stimulation level to figure out what works and feels good- it's not as fixed as a SCS. And wetting the sticky leads a bit (after they are disconnected!) helps to take them off of sensitive skin a bit easier.

It's also kind of implied that something that works for one person may not work for another- this is all about advice and support, and we need to make newer people feel welcome. I used to stop coming to this site at times because I felt looked down on or attacked sometimes, and I really don't want anyone else to feel that way.

And heat pad! That's one of my favorite things ever, and I totally agree with learning how to meditate by listening to CDs. Mindfulness helps with the stress of this and I wish I found it earlier. Especially while dealing with RSD and puberty at the same time!

Lynn