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Fibromyalgia is a hard condition to treat. Most of the methods currently used involve things like opioid painkillers that, while often effective for treating the pain, also come with a lot of side effects. Patients who take these kinds of drugs often complain about mental fogginess or physical dependency. So, with that in mind, it makes sense that a lot of people would want to find a way to treat their fibromyalgia with an alternative, non-drug therapy, like a TENS machine.
A TENS machine is a device that many people turn to in order to treat their chronic pain. And according to a lot of users, it can be quite effective. But when you look at some of the scientific research on the subject, the idea that it’s an effective treatment for fibromyalgia is a little bit less convincing. So what exactly is a TENS machine? And is it an effective treatment for fibromyalgia.
What Is A Tens Machine?
TENS stands for “transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation.” And it works by sending a light current of electricity from the machine across your skin. The idea is that the electricity stimulates the nerve, crowding out the pain signals and reducing the amount of pain the patient experiences.
TENS machines are quite commonly used by athletes, who frequently experience strained or pulled muscles. Sports therapists often use TENS machines to help with the healing process and reduce pain. In addition, many people who suffer from chronic pain conditions like arthritis will turn to a TENS machine at some point.
Most machines are very portable and battery powered. That means that you can attach them to a belt and use them throughout the day. You use a TENs machine by placing two adhesive patches directly onto the area you want to treat and slowly adjusting the voltage. You should stop if it becomes painful at any point. The relief that a TENS machine provides is often very temporary, so you’ll need to turn it off and on several times throughout the day if you want the best results.
There are many places that you can get a TENS machine. Many drugstores sell them and a lot of physical therapist offices will have one on location that you can try if you are interested. You can also check online. Many sell for less than $100 and you can read reviews to make sure you get the best one.
Is It Effective for Fibromyalgia?
At first glance, it’s easy to imagine why this a TENs machine might be effective for treating fibromyalgia.
Pain comes from the interaction between your nerves and the brain. Your muscles send signals along the nerves in response to damage. Your brain then interprets these signals and makes you feel what we call pain. In fibromyalgia, these signals are sent to the brain even without any actual damage. So, something that disrupts the flow of pain signals, like a TENS machine is supposed to, could easily help provide some relief.
But most of the studies that have been done on the subject suggest that how useful a TENS machine might be for you varies widely. There are certain conditions that seem to benefit from TENS units, like peripheral neuropathy, which is a chronic pain condition caused by damage to the nerves. And this seems to be the key to determining if a certain condition will benefit from TENS therapy. Conditions that are caused by nerve interactions seem to benefit, which suggests that the basic principle behind TENS is effective.
But for other conditions, like chronic lower back pain as a result of injury, TENs doesn’t seem to be as effective. And to complicate matters even more, the results that any individual patient gets from TENS therapy seems to depend on the person being treated and the amount of voltage being used.
With that being said, there’s evidence that some Fibromyalgia patients might actually benefit from TENS unit. And as long as you go into the therapy knowing that your results might be a little less than stellar, there’s really no harm in trying it.
The only real risk is if you have an implantable medical device like a pacemaker. The electric currents can interfere with the normal operation of such devices. So, it’s important to speak to a doctor to make sure that TENs therapy is safe for you before trying it.
But let us know, do you use a TENS machine for your fibromyalgia? Does it work for you? Tell us in the comments below.
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