I've heard a little bit during my research that electric stim and TENs units can help with RSD. What do you guys think? Have you tried it? How much difference do you notice? I'm just wondering if I should invest in a TENs, but didn't want to until I know if it's worth doing.

Thanks for your thoughts!

Some people get could relief. For me it was unbearable. the wires touched my foot and It drove me crazy just because of this.

The pads with the electrodes are kind of sticky.
A lot would depend on how sensitive your skin is to touch or if you have a smaller area and could place the pads around the area.

Most PT places have a TENS or some sort of E-stim equipment, I'd ask about trying one there before buying.

I think a lot of therapies are trial & error, what might help or not...
I don't recall e stim mentioned too much for RSD, but I may have missed it also.

My PM told me that the tens units help if rsd/crps is in one's upper body. He told me that many people don't find relief with the tens if they have rsd in the foot. So I didn't try one myself.

I've had mine for about 8 months. I saw some relief within a week of getting it. And to the people that have it in their foot/leg; put two electrodes behind your knee (one above the other) and two where your leg and hip meet (same way). This way, they're over the major artery in our legs and that will help stimulate the blood flow. I know it's uncomfortable because our legs are so sensitive, but it should eventually help.

Love &hugs.

I have RSD in my left hand/arm. i had a Tens Unit and it did help but again, depends on sensitivity. There were days where i just couldn't put the pads on. I have a spinal cord stimulator now and it has helped a great deal. This summer has been so hot and humid (NJ) so far and the heat & humiditity raise my pain. The stim helped about 25-50% on bad days but ussually i get about 50-70% relief. It has helpe me keep my hand moving and functioning enough.

I get relief from mine...it's one of the few things that has a significant impact on my pain in my ankle. My RSD in my ankle is pretty localized to that one area and I surround it with the TENS electrodes. When I get flares in my upper body I will use it there too...always surrounding whatever area the pain is the worst.

Seems like the TENS is hit or miss when it comes to RSD. I set mine on a constant setting and run it for 30-60 minutes at a stretch usually. I bump up the power on it when the pain starts to rise during the treatments. I have a portable unit that I actually wear all day and just turn on and do a treatment when the pain levels get too high.

I've had mine a few years.

I was interested because I had had acupuncture and a couple of the electrode placements had seemed like they could have helped. It was very difficult to use initially because it would cause my tremor to worsen and then I couldn't sleep. Using it earlier in the day helked a little but the "exercise" generated by too large a pulse would lead to pain. I didn't know what was going on at the time but I was overusing the electrodes and it was actually making the treatment more effective. Recently the thing's been getting a bit of a workout and I try to use it half hour every day. Using it late at night actually helps. It gives me a half hour of something like relief and it might be helping at a more basic level. At the very least I'm no longer doing less and less all the time.

I also find it very uncomfortable, then it got unbearable. But I have heard others who get relief.