tens machine for myofascial/fibromalgia pain?

Has anyone found relief from pain by using a TENS machine? My pain management doc has recommended it yet I'm skeptical of it's effectiveness in relieving my never-ending pain.

Hi withit.

Lots of people find the TENS unit to be a lifesaver, but I have trouble finding relief from it because I can't stand the "electric" tingling sensation. It makes my skin crawl.

i use it for nerve pain in my feet, but i put each lead into a divided bucket of water with epsom salts which increases the intensity......Interferential therapy which is a type of tens actually got my pain under control. It was a professional unit at a podiatrists office but i think that some physical therapy places have them also.

Thanks for your reply, Petunia. I miss browsing your fun threads....too busy with other things....but hopefully will make the time to get back to them...as I truly enjoy them...you still doing those guessing games?.....

Glad to hear it's a lifesaver for some. I do understand the crawly feeling you talk of.

The folks who find it a lifesaver, what kind of condition is it being used for: fibro and myofascial?

I'm curious about nerve pain, as a patient mentioned it the other time I was at the pain doc, and you mention it here too. How would you describe nerve pain, and how did you figure out it's nerve pain? How is it different from myofascial pain?

I know its nerve pain because i have peripheral neuropathy which is a degeneration in my case of the sensory and motor nerves in my feet ,legs and hands.......Nerve pain is varied but includes, burning, throbbing,stabbing, aching, tingling. and also in my case feeling like you are walking on broken bones. I have no idea what myofacial pain feels like

I was given the TENS unit for CMP although I do have Fibro overlap.

For me, the CMP is much more painful. Just a light touch on a trigger point hurts. Ouch. So sore. My muscles also get so tight they "shorten up" but to stretch them is also painful. I'm supposed to be doing PT but I can't afford it.

I have myofacial pain in my shoulder blade - from an injury where my arm was jerked behind me and up... there was alot of scar tissue around the scapula from it not healing correctly..

so where the scar tissue is where there is a trigger point - so if it in any way gets "tiggered" it then starts off an inflamation type effect.. like even with a massage, if it is pressed on too hard that will actually trigger it..

It is my understanding that myfascial is based on trigger points.. The physical therapy for it thru the years has been massage that is a very gentle streching of the area...
Little by litle so that it is not triggered..

I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia a few years ago. I also have degenerative disc disease in my back. I was prescribed a TENS unit and have found it helpful. For the past few months I haven't been using it because I needed to replace the electrodes but I've done that now and the unit is back in business. The neagtive I would say about it (at least for me) is that as soon as I turn the unit off the pain comes back. I feel pretty good when it is on but I've never experienced lasting relief. I think it's definitely worth a try.

One of the best things given to me when I was first injured was a TENS. Back then the electrodes were spongy and white! I didn't care, it made life bearable. My jaw was off it's hinges and the only thing that kept the pain at bay was the TENS. I still use it for jaw when I'm stressed and clenching and the muscles are spasming... etc etc

I also use it for my chronic myofascial pain throughout my body... sometimes it doesn't work as well as it could because I can't get the electrodes onto the right nerve points. Once I take it to my PT, and he places them in the right spots, it's wonderful again. I don't use it all the time, I should use it more often.

Sometimes when the neuropathy in my feet and ankles cause the spasming (like in the middle of the night) the only thing to stop the contracturing is the TENS! I thank God, literally, for my TENS unit.

TC

So the tens machine helps put a stop to the spasms? I have spasms all over my body, in my ear, on legs, soles, even lips and eyelids.

I know this is an old thread but I would like to ask chronic pain users of TENS a question. I've had Fibro for nearly 40yrs, I'm nearly 60yrs now. I also have TMJ and now Arthritis . I started using a TENS machine a few yrs ago to supplement my opioid medication and all was well for a while. Then one day I had the most enormous electric shock up my back and decided to stop using it. Nothing is wrong with the machine as others have used it since and its been checked out by a qualified electrician.

I continued to get the electric shocks up my spine even without using it so I discussed this with a friend. She is my meditation teacher and said I may have set off my Kundalini energy?

Have others had this 'shock' or been told this?