All about TENS Machines

[Retro]

Hi Lynda,

The best thing you can do is ask your GP or Physio if they have a TENS machine they can lend you. Then they can advise you on where best to put the pads and you get to try before you buy . Never heard of an Interferrential TENS machine to be honest and standard TENS seems to do the job for many of us (see the TENS thread).

Lindsey

[naama]

I used to have interferential on my SI joints after they'd been manipulated (don't go there!) so I can't really say how much they worked or didn't because they were always in tandem with something else. As far as I can remember the pads were put directly on my SI joints, one on each side. I haven't used a home interferential machine, so have no experience. When I went to the pain management nurse with my regular TENS machine she told me I could put one pad on the SI joint and one on the hip where the referred pain was. I'm not sure how much use the second pad was because it was always used in conjunction with the first one which did improve my SI pain - which then improved my hip pain! It's why my GP always tells me to try one thing at a time! Most of the time I throw more than one solution at a pain and don't know which one worked or if it was a combination of the two.

[Fiona-Jane]

hi all,

just a quick message to let anyone with a lloyds pharmacy tens machine know that you can fit other electrodes/pads to the machine, not just the ones sold by lloyds pharmacy.

i just found this out this week. my electrodes died (fell apart.... ) so i went to lloyds pharmacy online to get more and they wanted over £8 for the 2 electrodes and delivery . my nearest lloyds pharmacy is in a different town and is teeny so they dont stock tens machines and pads so online is my only option. methinks £8 is a bit too expensive! so i went on ebay and bought a set of 4 tens electrodes for about £5 including postage! and they fit and i dont feel any difference when i use the machine. i saw on ebay these really big electrodes that might be great for my upper back and abdomen.....


i always assumed that i had to buy the lloyds ones.... i'll buy mine from ebay from now on (although make sure you buy from a reputable seller- one that has loads of positive feedback...) as they are soo much cheaper. and the ones i bought came in a sealed bag (sealed during manufacture- i had to tear it open) and made by Physio-med, the same people that made my brace so i knew they were safe.


fi xx

[Helly Welly]

How effective is the Tens machine?

[Wowie]

Hi aquamarine water nymph! I switched from the Lloyds tens to the Boots one and it does have a lot more programmes available, so although it is more expensive I think its worth it. I can't use it everywhere affected - my upper back and ribs get more painful but my lower back and shoulders definately like it!

[Jess]

If you join the boots pain club before buying a Boots TENS then it is half price!!

[sarahh]

Hi Jess Thanks for that I belong to there health club but I didn't know about that I might just get one of those.

Thanks

Sarah x

[rubygloom]

i have had 2 tens machines 1 of the usual type with wires attached to pads that i got from lloyds chemist cost about £10 i diddnt like it much found it fiddly i gave it away to a friend with a bad back
i now have this http://stores.channeladvisor.com/LimeMa ... mid=194994 (i got it elsewhere but that shop dosent seem to exist anymore so please treat this link as info only)
according to my recipt i got it for 11.39 due to no vat and was free delivery so a bargain
it works wonders even on fairly large areas i only really use it on my back
i ordered some replacment pads also they last a long time at least 20 goes id say (havent had to replace them due to wear yet only from forgetting i had moisturised recently and that kills the pads!)
the batteries last well and can be got for pennies if you search online too
so all in a thumbs up
i saw this one and replacment pads listed in ebay shops when i was looking for it

[cally6008]

I saw advert on TV last night. Llyods are doing a "double tens machine" worth £39-99 for only £19-99. Don't know how good it is but may be useful information for someone

[Tabi]

I saw that ad just after spending £50 on a Boots one (OK so I got £10 off but still...)
I love mine though, it looks like a mobile phone... just with lots of wires...

[lil_miffy]

had first appt with pain management today and learnt about tens for first time even thoug i been using one for months. was shocked whe he told me how long to use it for. id been using it for the 1o min cylcle the machine gets but he said i need to have it on for an hour and a half four times a day! today has been a bad SI pain day so have been using it as instructed and i must say the pain between the sessions of using it is less severe.

he told me to nick my dads tens as it has 4 pads where as mine has 2 and he said for the SI joint i need 4 pads but when i used dads it must have aloose wire becuase i was geting zapped everytime i moved. just read on here about the pain club discount at boots so going to have a look . not sure if i have my oringianl club pack so will look online see if i can still get the discount.

1 question. for people who use tens for similar amount as ive been instructed...does this cause anyproblems feeling like your hooked up most the day? or do you get any side effects like numbness etc?

[Helly Welly]

I've always overused my tens machine and have never had any unwanted side effects because of it apart from running out the batteries quicker!! I got a four pad one from Lloyds pharmacy, it's fab.

[lil_miffy]

just seen the 4 pad lloyds on online. going to be really sad and ask for it for my birthday for satureday so i have a decent one now that i need to use itso much. going to see if they have any in my area and get the money off mam in morning to go and get it. my back is killing meso much this week and amd pretty miffed that my portable tens seems to have lost its flair.

[Helly Welly]

Get some extra pads as well as they are on offer at the same time if you buy the machine so it's worth stocking up for the future.

[lil_miffy]

i got my birthday tens from lloyds today. its great. so much better than the one i was using. iv used it 3 time today and the pain in between has been must easier to put up with. becuase im small the four pads fill most of my lower back so it helped all over.

i got the extra pads but turned out to be lucky cos i stuck the first lot onto a sheet of paper thinking the plastic sheet was on top so have lost half the sticky stuff when i peeled them off grrr.

the unit is real eaiy to use and feels much more like a pain releif unit than other tens that call teh different effects things like 'massage/accupncture/rub'etc. this one has the same things but then says next to it in teh book 'for pain' 'pain/massage''

people will think im strange when they ask what i got for my birthday 'i got a tens machine and a bag of clay!!'