Any other treatments?

[17firefly]

I have had a worsening pain for the last 3 years which caused me to leave work 8 months ago. I have had acupuncture, injections into the nerve about 6 times and a couple of nerve blocking injections, my medication keeps going up so that I take 110mg MST, Pregabalin both twice a day, paracetamol 4 times and break through pain killer up to 4 times a day. I have also tried a tense machine. Is there anything else that has helped others.

Cheers Mark...

[teadrinker]

Mark, I've just replied to your other post. Sounds like I've had similar treatments to you in Nottingham! I didn't find acupuncture helpful. Was using a TENs but found it a problem to put on. The only other thing I've found helps is a bit of regular exercise. This sounds a bit batty when you're in pain, I know. I was doing a class every week for years and gave it up when my pain was really bad because it seemed to make it worse, but I've started again in the past 6 months, and although I often go with some pain it seems to losen things up and eases it. I am rubbish at coordination so find I have to concentrate so hard that it distracts me from the pain for a bit. Any relief, however short-lived, is a bonus. I'm not a very sporty person but even having a little walk can help.

I also tried osteopathy (didn't help at the time but I'm thinking about having another go) and physio, which did help,again in loosening things up.

[missrat]

Is there any chance of having advice on your TENS from a pain clinic or physio? There are so many combinations of electrode placements and programs that it sometimes needs a bit of help to sort out.

Good luck.

[Hidden]

Hello

Are you wanting help with your TENS, most models from pain control are now twin channel with continious, burst 1, burst 2 and basic pulse, they also have a timer and changes in frequency, one variable standard and high frequency that are mixed with the different programs, generally you can also use them as an EMS, for nerves after sport injuries, these settings are located at the lower rate of amplification.

When useing the tens try the different settings, keeping in mind that you are in the first instant just keeping just below any real pain threshold, This is dome at the lower amplification and frequency. After say 15 mins increase the range as the body gets used to the pulses.

Recommendations of pain clinics and phsios these days say a treatment should or can last for three or four hours depending on severity of pain.

The continuose normally last for one hour, you should change to burst 1 burst 2 pulse.

So every hour you change the these controls so that the body deos not get used to the modulation, You can continue that way for say three hours then switch off for say 11/2 hours

If you are using a battery you will need to watch that the battery does not get low, all you will do by increasing the settingsyou will get TENS BURN on your skin

Some tens manufactures now sell a mains adapter fot these machines, this can prevent TENS

BURN. although if you use it too high the same will happen

It is very important that you keep changeing the modulations so that the body does not get used to the treatment. If you use the high frequncy settings it really goes through the batteries

I hope this information is ok I may be preaching to the converted if that is the case. do not shoot the messenger. Anorther point do not drive with the thing on it can cause accidents

if controls are caught, Also some people with thse can get hooked to the beat, they keep increasing the amplifications, This happened to me many years ago due to missuse, its crazey I know, I must be a little strange, I was useing it for up to 8 hours a day and used to miss the pulsing, I do not know if anyone else has found that, it may just be me.

All the best

[Hidden]

Hello again

FORGOT TO TELL.

When placeing the electrods the pads generall y need to be place around the area that needs to be treated say four inches apart, in the direction of the pain, you should have a white strip on one of the leads this is the high lead, that should be placed above the other, this can in certain istances give a better treatment, A nerve block can be done also where the pads are placesd above and below were treatment is given so the spine If you are doing say a shoulder/arm set the electrodes on shoulder blade and on arm, on a joint around the joint effecte is the problem is sciatic problems you can utilize the four in a line that follows the siatic nerve, the lead need to be set as before, White, black white black yOU ACTUALLY SHOULD HAVE THIS WITH THE MACHINE, THEY MAY HAVE FORGOT.

cherrio

[Incartek]

Pain cannot be generalised. I attended a Pain Management Clinic run by the NHS (Chelsea and Westmisnter Hosp) - 13 sessions I think. The more you understand pain the more you can work with it. You will know more than your GP!

[KittyGalore in reply to Incartek]

I did one of these in Portsmouth, was interesting, its just always hard putting what you learn into practice!

[KittyGalore]

Massage is always a big help to me, relieves all the tensions that build up. But it needs to be a proper sports/deep tissue.

And ask if you can be referred to Pain Management Clinic if you haven't before, mine offers physio etc as aftercare.