Isobel has been getting a lot of neck pain recently most of which could be caused by the horrid desk she has to work at. I'm pretty sure that a proper health and safety survey would fail it for some many reasons. Pain and anti-inflammatory tablets help and things like gel rubs, etc. ease it but don't do that much to alleviate the pain.
When I was doing some searching I came across TENS machines and thought that may be worth trying. A friend of mine years ago had one for back pain and it cost a lot of money. May have been about £500 (or €500
). I was surprised how cheap they are now. After looking I got one for £27. Suggested Isobel give it a try and got THAT look that suggested I was stupid and that there was no way I was going to stick electrodes on her!
I saw that you can use it for osteoarthritis pain so thought I would give it a go. Tried it on the minimum setting for about half an hour. And was surprised that it did mask the pain when walking. I've since tried slightly higher settings for about an hour and it really does make a difference. The knee is still stiff but I have been able to walk without the usual discomfort. Such is the difference that I was also able to use the rowing machine for 15 minutes! Being able to exercise it without pain will help it in the long run as it should strengthen the muscles and also help the joint to wear away which should become a bit more comfortable.
Still trying to get Iz to try it on her neck but hopefully seeing how it is helping me will encourage her to at least give it a try. So far it has been worth the £27. Also wondering if you can attach paddles and ramp up the voltage to use it as a defibrillator.
When I was doing some searching I came across TENS machines and thought that may be worth trying. A friend of mine years ago had one for back pain and it cost a lot of money. May have been about £500 (or €500
). I was surprised how cheap they are now. After looking I got one for £27. Suggested Isobel give it a try and got THAT look that suggested I was stupid and that there was no way I was going to stick electrodes on her!I saw that you can use it for osteoarthritis pain so thought I would give it a go. Tried it on the minimum setting for about half an hour. And was surprised that it did mask the pain when walking. I've since tried slightly higher settings for about an hour and it really does make a difference. The knee is still stiff but I have been able to walk without the usual discomfort. Such is the difference that I was also able to use the rowing machine for 15 minutes! Being able to exercise it without pain will help it in the long run as it should strengthen the muscles and also help the joint to wear away which should become a bit more comfortable.
Still trying to get Iz to try it on her neck but hopefully seeing how it is helping me will encourage her to at least give it a try. So far it has been worth the £27. Also wondering if you can attach paddles and ramp up the voltage to use it as a defibrillator.