TENS

So tonight I tried out a TENS unit (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator). At first glance the unit is a lot smaller than I thought, and as it has a slider mechanism it looks like an oversized mobile phone. The electrodes are really easy to place and its very easy to just plug-n-go. I placed the electrodes as suggested for hip pain in the booklet, one over the greater trochanter region and one down on the side of the buttock. Pick a programme and go!

Well, it goes and you slowly increase the intensity of the pulse - otherwise it would be a bit of a shock! I found it seriously tickly for the first 5 minutes, but that subsided. I tried out a few of the different programmes and quite liked the sensation of increasing waves of intensity, this setting actually soothed away some of the muscle ache I'd been having all day in the glutes. So first try and I like it.

I wouldn't swap it for the analgesics but as I still get breakthrough pain with the painkillers anyways I thought it was worth a go to ease the extra aches and pains. I need to play around and customise the settings for me, along with better placement of the electrodes. But I like it, lets see what its like after a week.