Migraine

Hei.

I curious. Does using a TENS Unit helps anyone's migraines? I has seen posts here that says it helps wit neck and shoulders and back pain but how abouts migraines pain?

I learns how to uses one next week and wery curious to hear what others does feel abouts using one.

Takk.

Solveig

I use mine for my upper back and shoulders. I was warned not to stick the pads any higher up than my shoulders by the physical therapist. For me, a TENS unit is a wonderful thing. When I use it, I seem to be in less pain for a good long time afterward.

I don't get tension headaches any more, but I have a feeling if I had had a TENS unit to use back when I was having muscle spams and tension-migraine combinations that it would have helped me a lot. If I could have relieved the tension and pain from the spasms, perhaps it would have stopped them from triggering the migraine half of the combination.

I have a TENS unit that I use when I feel a tension headache start in my shoulders or neck. It will often stop that headache without any meds, which is good because tension headaches can trigger my Migraines.

It's no use to me during a Migraine though because once a Migraine starts, I usually don't have any neck or shoulder pain, and you can't use them anywhere on the head.

I just bought one, with a doctors prescription of course, and I love it. It is very easy to use and I get a lot of relief from my neck and shoulder pain I suffer on a daily basis. I can honestly say that my pain levels haven't been this low in a long time. Except when I have my period then all bets are off!

Just wanted to ask. What is a TENS unit?

TENS unit = Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation.. Small, battery operated non-invasive unit that sends electrical impulses to the effected area via your skin.

Thank you Nancy!

Where did you guys get them - do you recommend one specifically?

I was telling my mother-in-law about them today and briefly googled it. Thought I'd get recommendations before searching.

Thanks! Karrie.

Karrie,

I think TENS units are sold by prescription only. Since my doctor recommended and prescribed mine, it was covered by my medical insurance.

Don't know who made this one. It has the name of the equipment company that sold it rather than the manufacturer on it. The model is called ProMax. It has some different pulsing modes.

You really do need to have a doctor or therapist show you where to place the pads and how to use it, especially if using it for headaches. It can be dangerous if applied to the face or head.

quote:

Originally posted by ksikelly:
Where did you guys get them - do you recommend one specifically?

I was telling my mother-in-law about them today and briefly googled it. Thought I'd get recommendations before searching.

Thanks! Karrie.

Hi ladies,

My physical therapist discovered a big change in my neck. I could only tribute it to my TENS unit use at the time. I would say my intensity went down 50%.

I have seen them demonstrated and for sale at the state fair. I have also found them on the internet. I tried the demo at the fair. It felt just like my medical unit, but I certainly have to be skeptical about the quality and safety of it and the internet models.

Take care, Bob

Thanks guys. I did a search on the internet quickly and a ton of hits came back. One was "from 29$" so I knew that I'd best get feedback first.

My husbands benefits plan sucks so I would probably have to pay out of pocket. I'm up to researching it and bringing it to my doctors attention. I'll post more info in my original post in the general section.

My PT told me when I got mine that the only legit way to get a good TENS was to go through proper channels and have it prescribed. She also said that to get a really good one, you have to be prepared for a pricey model, because the more modulation settings the better. If your unit has only a couple of settings, you can acclimate to them and you'll find less relief over time. Being able to switch things up helps a lot. You also really need to go through the docs' office/PT so that they can tailor the placement for you. This is for personal safety. I wouldn't trust an internet TENS sold without a prescription (and don't think they should be allowed to sell them). To me it's as risky as foreign internet drugs.

I just happend to think the first one I had was tailored to what they thought I should be getting. It's cycle ran through 2 phases for 30 minutes.

The one I have now has about 10 or 12 different settings. They gave me a limit on the timne, but I don't remember exactly what it is. More than the 1/2 hour I usually run it. The PT recommended 3 or 4 of the settings for me to use.

Hope that helps, take care, Bob

I forgot to mention TENS is not approved for migraine treatment by insurance companies. It is approved to treat muscle tension by ins co.

A friend's husband is a phsical therapist and gave us an extra one he has. It has really helped Chuckie when he has a mild migraine. He says the pulsing feeling distracts him from the head/eye pain. I only use it on his neck and shoulders. It seems to relax him.

Yvonne-MigrainMom