I’ve decided to give one a go.
Can anybody please recommend a TENS machine?
I get jammed and locked leg muscles ( glutes , quads , hamstrings ) every other day.
Thanks, Roland
1 Like
i have one but cant use it as the feel of it on arm i dont like, the electric pulse
point taken, but I am in pain, so a little discomfort would be acceptable
Med Fit 4 channel multi stim which includes both TENS and EMS. I use the tens daily for pain relief and the stimulator on my locked thigh muscle. I ride my horse a few times a week so use the stim afterwards. It is by far the most useful bit of kit I’ve bought for my stroke recovery.
2 Likes
Great, i appreciate the advice, clibbers
I’ve ordered it
1 Like
sorry to hear this, i have achy leg at night dont like taking pills, i am tryi ng something fromhealth shop , but only taken about four as yet, i have arthritus in leg,boron
Thanks for letting me know about the Saebo, Simon,
For now I’ve got the Med Fit 4 Ch arriving later today
ciao, Roland
4 Likes
I have the Auvon TENS/EMS and I don’t go gentle with it or gently build myself up. Because when I have a pain I want it gone now, if I have muscle tension I want it softened now not next week. So if you set it to fairly intense it’s going to have you twitching about in your seat…but bear with it for at least an hour. 
1 Like
A bit of discomfort is not a problem.
Thx for the tip
ciao, Roland
2 Likes
I have a REVITIVE device, I use it daily connected to mains and my wife uses it in the evenings on its battery charge. I’m not quite sure what it does but I know that if I miss it out I will know as soon as I start my daily walks because the tight calf muscles are extra tight.
This is just a part of the exercises I undertake to try and get my leg muscles working properly.
Deigh
2 Likes
I have used with my clients and it works, hence, I agree. When using the machine- please look at contraindications e.g. pacemaker, seizures etc. to be safe. I would advice seek professional guidance before using this.
Kind regards
Kusal, Stroke OT
1 Like
@SimonInEdinburgh
I agree with the points you make here. In this day and age expressing your opinion somehow immediately positions you in a mine field and quite likely soon to be under fire. I think the choice is, be brave or crumble.
I feel wary about our OT friend, assuming his intentions are philanthropic might be a step too far. I will say no more about this for now.
I was thinking about Andrew Marr whose case was discussed here recently. He has had opportunity, a large budget, good support, a desire to try any means available to deal with his disability and as far as I understand has tried it all with oodles of professional advice thrown in.
After something in the region of ten years the reports I have read suggest an outcome with only a very minor success or improvement. I think he has settled into a comfortable relationship with his condition and maybe sees no point in making any further effort to change things.
So is it the will to recover something of one’s previous life that produces results? Or is it throwing money at it, buying one’s way out in effect?
Answer is I dunno, but I have my suspicions.
Well done @SimonInEdinburgh for attempting to tackle this thorny question, maybe we will all be wiser down the road apiece. Take care, be brave
Keep on keepin’ on
4 Likes
Hi Deigh,
Am I right in saying that’s an ultrasound device ?
Can you very briefly describe how it helps your calf muscles ?
(in terms of what you feel before/after)
Thanks for pointing it out,
ciao, Roland
I fully agree with what Simon has said.
But out of curiosity, who would you recommend seeking professional guidance from, a GP or other NHS department perhaps, that could take anything from weeks, to a month, to a year to get an appointment depending.
Time + pain do not make very good bed fellows I’m afraid. And not everyone on the forum has a shed load of money to go anywhere private. Hence the reason for these types of forums for many people seeking self help options. Chances are they’ve already exhausted all other options the NHS had on offer. When it gets to the point where anything more tried by the NHS is purely trial and error or “experimental” anyway, that’s when folk start venturing down this particular road. And there’s no queue or waiting list
3 Likes
I acted fast, bought the Med Fit 4Ch, and used it on TENS 02 program this morning, and now am using Program 32 EMS mode. In short, I could tell straight away it works. It is alleviating my locked muscle… immediate relief. I chose Mode 32, but in time I am sure I will tweak it so that it is even more effective.
This tells me a few things straight away. My Radiologist friend who follows me weekly said I shoud give it a go. So here I am cross that I didn’t discover this sooner. I wonder what else I will stumble across? I doubt I have hit the sweet spot, but it’s keeping the muscle busy, and talking to it.
Anyway thanks to all who recommended this and other devices. Now this has helped I am even more hopeful about finding my solution. Tomorrow is my birthday and this is already my favourite device so far…hooray
Thanks, good luck all, Roland
3 Likes
It’s good to play around with the programs and levels of intensity and figure out your max levels…which vary depending on where you place the electrodes.
But just I love it for the pain relief it gives me from the arthritis in my thumbs.
And Happy Birthday for tomorrow 
1 Like
Not sure what you mean by ultrasound! This device sends minor electric shocks through the muscles of the feet. You set the power of them using a remote, my wife uses number 60, I use the top number 99. If you set it too high for for your body then the shocks make you jump!
It exercises all the muscles in the feet without leaving the house. Its value is that I’m using it now while writing this reply. If I fail to use it my muscles feel extra tight when I’m walking.
You can plug in gloves to do the same for your wrists and there are also plug in sticky patches that allow you to apply the treatment to a knee or elbow.
Deigh
1 Like
Thanks for your message. People are sharing their stories as a stroke survivors and I am sharing my stories as a professional. I have read lots of post here, some people are new to the condition and they have lots of questions, while others had a stroke a long time ago and they had varied experiences that they can reflect on. Due to my training and experiences I alwyas view the strength and weakness in anything - as a highly experienced clinician I have a duty to care which dictates my responses, whenever I recommend anything I would also have to highlight contraindications and if there are chances of harm, I would have to advice people to seek guidance from a professional who is aware of their medical history and so on. It may not go down well with everyone, but that is the my professional responsibility. I can assure you that I am giving you best advice possible which is same as NHS philosophy. I am not asking for money for my input - but I do have a professional responsibility. I can easily make suggestions of what to do, but admin has warned me against doing this, hence, I can only provide unbiased opinion.
I understand it won’t satisfy everyone, but my choices are limited.
I hope this answers your question.
Kind regards
Kusal - Stroke OT
1 Like
Would you please inform us of in which part of the world you are based. It would also be interesting to learn what your professional qualifications consist of and where they were obtained.
I appreciate that you might not wish to divulge this on a public forum, but I think it might be worth mentioning that claiming to have professional qualifications is no guarantee of the veracity of any advice. This is the internet after all, even if a rather specialised corner.
Nevertheless you have given us an interesting read and I thank you for that.
Keep on keepin’ on
2 Likes
oh okay Deigh,
I probably just looked up the wrong machine there’s one on Amazon called
REVITIVE Personal Ultrasound Therapy