Tens machines RSL

Back on the RSL with the talk of tens machines for pain I wonder if you could use one on your head to try and scramble the signals as when it’s bad I go under the shower as hot as pos and as forceful it helps quite a lot but staying in there all night isn’t fun always think it’s just my brain not wired right and on that just a question does any other sufferers have problems with electrical devices ie battery watches I pads ? Be nice to get some feed back

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TENS machines work by stimulating superficial nerves, the current they produce isn't strong enough to penetrate into deeper nerves or the brain.

This stimulation blocks pain nerves, so TENS is useful for pain, but not RLS.

If they were strong enough to penetrate deeper and you put one on your head, it could be dangerous.

It could still be dangerous, e.g. if you place the pads near your eyes.

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I realise what you are saying but it’s back to the fact that extreme hot powerful showers have a big impact just feel like the wiring in my brain is not right because of the cronic pain I’ve bean in over the years I’ve bean on opioids that also help control the rsl the strange thing is when I’ve not taken them I don’t get withdrawal just the pain and rsl

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I'm glad that the showers work for you, and if they do, then they do. That's fine.

However TENS machines, when they work at all, only really work for pain and only in a small area. As I wrote previously they work by blocking pain signals coming into the spinal cord. This is explained by the "gate control theory".

I'm sorry if you get pain with your RLS, not everybody does, but the cause of the pain is different to the type of pain TENS can deal with.

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I definitely get relief from a hot bath. Sometimes I have 3 per night! In theory I always imagine a TENS should work but I’ve read it doesn’t - maybe it’s because it only covers a small area?

[Trembly]

I use a tens machine for RLS. It doesn't always work but when it does, I think it's through distraction. A large 50x100mm (2"x4") electrode on each buttock using burst mode at 25 tp 35 Hz seems to do the trick. I've tried using TENS on the affected legs but the muscles of the legs seem susceptible to cramping and the electrodes can come off if you move about. My experience is based only on experimentation and might be mine alone. I would be very careful about placing electrodes anywhere on the head.

I still rely on pramipexole.