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A friend of mine who is having knee pain has asked me to research and pick out a good Tens Unit for her to try......she does not have a computer.
She was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago and will have to be on chemo for the rest of her life.....so...... she wants to avoid taking any drugs at all for her knee pain.
So far she is doing very well.....she eats right and likes to walk for exercise......but her knee pain is starting to make that difficult.
I have found that there is more to Tens Units now than in the old days.
Specifically.......units that are capable of Interferential stimulation....and those that have Micro current.....and muscle stimulation.
Is it worth the extra money to get a unit that has these other modes of stimulation? The Interferential and muscle stimulations sound important to me and worth the extra cost.....but....are they?
Also, is there a specific brand that is best?
I would really appreciate any advice.....I want to pick out the best unit for her.
I would have her ask her Doctor to suggest the best unit for her. The good ones usually have modes that are set to the standards of the medical professional's requirement.
The ones that usually available without an RX do more of an disservice to the consumer. If she goes the route of the DME (durable medical equipment) many insurances will cover a significant portion of the cost; there is also the added benefit of repairs as well as the ability to order replacement pads.
She is tapped out financially just dealing with her cancer treatments.....she does not have the best insurance.
She has mentioned it to both her Oncologist and GP.....both told her that if it gets any worse she should see an Orthopedic doctor......which means more expensive office calls that her insurance does not cover.....and her insurance would only cover the barest minimum of physical therapy. As it is, she could use more physical therapy for the lymphedema in her arm and she just can't afford it.
From what I have read....you can get a decent Tens Unit for the cost of one office call to see an Orthopedic doctor, that is why she wants to try and figure something out on her own. That and the fact that her husband used a tens unit for shoulder pain many, many years ago with good results.
I am sorry that she is in a bad situation. I am just concerned that she have the proper unit for her needs; she also has to place it in the proper position in order to receive the needed relief.
I would go ahead and get the unit with the different modes to see which one would work the best for her; I would certainly buy the best that she can afford since the more inexpensive ones tend to break more easily. I would also make certain that she can purchase the replacement pads needed for the unit to work efficiently.
I have priced the pads and I don't think that will be too much of a problem.....they seem to last a good while if you are careful with them.
That leads to another question I have. Is the lotion you can buy to prepare the area to receive the pad worth it? They say the pads will last longer and adhere/work better it you use it. But.....some sites say it isn't necessary. Lots of stuff to decide on.
I was given a Tens Unit for back pain many years ago......the doctor just told me to try putting the pads in different spots until I found what worked best....he told me to experiment. So.....you can't always count on the doctor in that regard. In my case it didn't help at all.....I ended up needing surgery.
And, I agree with you on buying the best unit she can afford and am thinking the interferential and muscle modes could be worth it.....like you said....a better chance that one of the modes will do the trick.
I have found that the lotion is not truly needed; for the most part just using rubbing alcohol works really well (just make certain that it is dried well before placing the pad).
She is lucky to have you as a friend (as I am just as certain that she is a good friend to you).
I have found that the lotion is not truly needed; for the most part just using rubbing alcohol works really well (just make certain that it is dried well before placing the pad).
She is lucky to have you as a friend (as I am just as certain that she is a good friend to you).
Thanks.....that is so good to know.....one less expense.
Yes, she is a wonderful friend, I am lucky she is in my life.
I just talked to her earlier this evening, er last night, LOL.
Anyway, she said she tried a new exercise move using a weight on her ankle and slowly lifting her leg straight out while sitting down and holding it for a few seconds, relax and repeat. She had never tried this with a weight before.....and that made a big difference.
She said that really seems to have done something good, the achiness has subsided quite a bit.....she said that tension/tight feeling has loosened up some......she is all excited.
She is going to cut back on how far she walks for a awhile and keep doing this exercise and see what happens before she jumps into a Tens Unit.
Maybe she won't need to try one at all. In the meantime, I will still try to narrow down my search for the best unit, just in case.
Anybody else have raves or rants on TENS/EMS units?
I'm looking into getting one and curious as to both the short term and long term results. Is it worth it? I don't want to buy a new gadget that might be exciting for 5 seconds only to end up as clutter in a drawer! lol
I sold TENS units for years. I was National Sales Manager of one large company and International Sales and Marketing VP of another. But that was 30 years ago. None of the companies exist today because the units sold for 3-600.00 and reimbursement was almost non existant
I don't know anything about the units that are available today
That said, when they work, they work extremely well. We even used them for post operative pain (with little or no pain meds after major surgeries)
I sold TENS units for years. I was National Sales Manager of one large company and International Sales and Marketing VP of another. But that was 30 years ago. None of the companies exist today because the units sold for 3-600.00 and reimbursement was almost non existant
I don't know anything about the units that are available today
That said, when they work, they work extremely well. We even used them for post operative pain (with little or no pain meds after major surgeries)
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