Anyone with lower back pain? TENS stimulation

[scubascuba3]

I've been trialing TENS stimulation using a device i bought on Shopee for 650 baht, used it every day for 9 days and it definitely reduces pain, noticed it first time using it, i didn't expect it to be that good so soon. Won't be the same for everyone.

 

Can by Omron ones for 1800 baht, worth a try.

 

Anybody tried it?

[bkk6060]

Sounds interesting.   The only thing that helps me is Chiropractor adjustment.

That will align the discs.  For muscle a good massage professional for a deep massage.

[scubascuba3]

23 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

Sounds interesting.   The only thing that helps me is Chiropractor adjustment.

That will align the discs.  For muscle a good massage professional for a deep massage.

Lower back stretching was also a game changer equalling this TENS, i reckon it's blocking the pain signals rather than endorphins as i get those after cycling and still feel the pain

[Moonlover]

2 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Lower back stretching was also a game changer equalling this TENS, i reckon it's blocking the pain signals rather than endorphins as i get those after cycling and still feel the pain

Personally I don't go for such gimmicks as this. TENS is the lazy person's approach to curing back pain.' Curing' being a misnomer IMO. But each to is own and I do know that acupuncturists our now using electrical impulses in addition to the needles, so there may be some merit to TEMS.

 

I had severe back ache in my 40s and cured it myself using exercises prescribed by Dr. Leon Root in his amazing book 'Oh my Aching Back'. It's almost 40 years on and I can still remember the 15 minute routine and use it regularly to prevent any reoccurrence.

 

The updated version of the book is called 'No more Aching Back' and is available from Amazon. Well worth the money for back pain sufferers.

[scubascuba3]

1 hour ago, Moonlover said:

Personally I don't go for such gimmicks as this. TENS is the lazy person's approach to curing back pain

Don't be silly, no reason not to try different approaches 

[Will B Good]

Do you think it might work on the sacroiliac joint?.......tweaked mine labouring years ago.

[CharlieH]

7 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

Do you think it might work on the sacroiliac joint?.......tweaked mine labouring years ago.

There are some very easy and simply stretches etc that when performed regularly and correctly will ease and probably stop that issue, assuming it has been correctly diagnosed,

[Will B Good]

2 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

There are some very easy and simply stretches etc that when performed regularly and correctly will ease and probably stop that issue, assuming it has been correctly diagnosed,

 

Stupidly self-diagnosed!!!

 

Just catch it once or twice a year......agony for a day or two then tends to sort itself out.

[CharlieH]

TENS  , be careful.

 

Incorrect placement: May reduce effectiveness or cause discomfort.

 

Temporary relief: Does not address underlying causes.

 

Safety risks: Improper use or if contraindicated (e.g., pregnancy, pacemakers And others)
 

[save the frogs]

6 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

endorphins as i get those after cycling and still feel the pain

cycling is probably causing your lower back pain.

you're probably hunched over too much.

maybe get an upright bike like they use in amsterdam. 

you can even do your groceries with this thing. 

 

(mods, how come I cannot copy and paste images into here anymore like I used to?)

 

[save the frogs]

walking daily alleviates lower back pain. 

not sure how long you need to walk.

I only get lower back pain when I stop going for walks. 

 

[scubascuba3]

7 hours ago, save the frogs said:

cycling is probably causing your lower back pain.

you're probably hunched over too much.

maybe get an upright bike like they use in amsterdam. 

you can even do your groceries with this thing. 

 

(mods, how come I cannot copy and paste images into here anymore like I used to?)

 

It's not the cycling, as long as seat is correct position, i also play golf, the reason is degenerated discs which is surprisingly common

[scubascuba3]

8 hours ago, Will B Good said:

Do you think it might work on the sacroiliac joint?.......tweaked mine labouring years ago.

Maybe, try it, it's not expensive, stretching can also be very good, look on YouTube, helped me

[Moonlover]

12 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

13 hours ago, Moonlover said:

Personally I don't go for such gimmicks as this. TENS is the lazy person's approach to curing back pain

 

12 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Don't be silly, no reason not to try different approaches 

I used the word 'personally' and I added 'each to his own'. Please don't half quote me!

 

[Moonlover]

10 hours ago, save the frogs said:

walking daily alleviates lower back pain. 

not sure how long you need to walk.

I only get lower back pain when I stop going for walks. 

 

Sure works for me. 1 hour every day at least.

 

Smart watch is my best ever cheap investment.

[G_Money]

Been reading some on “Spinal Decompression “

 

It’s a machine that has proven effective for many.

 

Not sure if available in Thailand.

[Moonlover]

28 minutes ago, G_Money said:

Been reading some on “Spinal Decompression “

 

It’s a machine that has proven effective for many.

 

Not sure if available in Thailand.

With the right exercises you can 'decompress' your spine yourself, for free.

 

I do so twice a day and not any back ache in 40 years.

[Sheryl]

Back pain can have many different causes so there is no "one size fits all" solution.

 

Pain from nerve compression is different both in origin and quality from myofascial  pain but only those who have suffered both can subjectively differentiate and even then it's not certain. Myofascial pain can arise from issues in different muscles, ligaments and tissues so even that is not the same across individuals. 

 

And in some cases - of which there was recently one in this forum -- what seems like a back problem can actually be something altogether different like shingles.

 

Exercises and stretches will certainly help pain of muscular origin and may, to an extent, sometimes help with nerve compression issues. But it needs to be the right sort of exerciser/stretch according to which muscles/ligaments etc are involved, and that varies.

 

Minor aches and pains that come and go can be managed by oneself with simple analgesics, trial-and-error exercises/stretches, weight loss (if needed) and sometimes mattress/pillow adjustments,  but chronic or severe pain needs to be professionally evaluated.  The best way to go about that is to start with an ortho doctor specializing in spine then, if no clinically significant issues found, proceed to a physical therapist. 

[actonion]

Nigel Kelsey was the man for back / joint problems, if u were in Pattaya, he fixed many  aches and pains,  but sadly he's now Retired I hear 

[scubascuba3]

6 hours ago, Moonlover said:

 

I used the word 'personally' and I added 'each to his own'. Please don't half quote me!

 

Don't be so sensitive, that's the whole point of a quote otherwise we'd all just use reply

[StreetCowboy]

23 hours ago, save the frogs said:

cycling is probably causing your lower back pain.

you're probably hunched over too much.

maybe get an upright bike like they use in amsterdam. 

you can even do your groceries with this thing. 

 

(mods, how come I cannot copy and paste images into here anymore like I used to?)

 

I was crippled with sciatic nerve impairment on Wednesday 18th December.  It more or less cleared within a few days.  I occasionally had mild lower back pain after cycling on my road bike, never on the shopping bike, but I don’t go so far on that, and I do get sore shoulders after 50 or 60 km.  The physio gives me twenty minutes on the TENS machine, which may or may not do some good.

[scubascuba3]

7 hours ago, StreetCowboy said:

I was crippled with sciatic nerve impairment on Wednesday 18th December.  It more or less cleared within a few days.  I occasionally had mild lower back pain after cycling on my road bike, never on the shopping bike, but I don’t go so far on that, and I do get sore shoulders after 50 or 60 km.  The physio gives me twenty minutes on the TENS machine, which may or may not do some good.

If you are reaching too much with the seat too far away it can cause lower back and/or shoulder pain, try 1cm further forward, might need more or less

[Rimmer]

7 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

If you are reaching too much with the seat too far away it can cause lower back and/or shoulder pain, try 1cm further forward, might need more or less

 

That is so, move the saddle closer to the bars so some of your weight is shifted a little more on the bars.

 

I had a very bad sciatic nerve episode from bicycles many years back, but not riding them, I imported and re exported bicycles into Singapore also had five retail shops on the island, at weekends I would help out in one or other of the shops, customers would always want to try a bike which was usually the one at the back behind the ones at the front, so lots of reaching over and lifting whilst bent over, not good!!

 

My doctor and chiropractor wanted to refer me to surgeon, I was not keen and borrowed a two channel tens, the first day I used it was the first time I was able to sleep without pain.

 

If used correctly you put one pad on the damaged area and one pad on to an accupoint, the pad on the damaged area helps regenerates tissue and promotes healing, the pad on the accupoint blocks the pain receptors.

 

I have a couple of tens machines my original four channel from China and a more modern one from Lazada.

 

 

 

[cdemundo]

On 1/1/2025 at 7:55 PM, scubascuba3 said:

Don't be silly, no reason not to try different approaches 

Scuba is right, TENS is not a gimmick, it relieves pain.

No drugs, no downside.

I have used it for back pain as well, used to allow me to work when I couldn't stand up straight due to pain.

Put the electrodes on, put the TENS unit in my pocket, pain under control.

 

No reason to exclude it, it provides immediate relief.

 

Using it doesn't prevent you from doing exercises.

 

[PeterA]

They used a tens unit on me in   hospital during rehab. So I bought one, and have used them now for 15 years when the back pain flares up. 

[jas007]

On 1/1/2025 at 6:31 PM, Moonlover said:

Personally I don't go for such gimmicks as this. TENS is the lazy person's approach to curing back pain.' Curing' being a misnomer IMO. But each to is own and I do know that acupuncturists our now using electrical impulses in addition to the needles, so there may be some merit to TEMS.

 

I had severe back ache in my 40s and cured it myself using exercises prescribed by Dr. Leon Root in his amazing book 'Oh my Aching Back'. It's almost 40 years on and I can still remember the 15 minute routine and use it regularly to prevent any reoccurrence.

 

The updated version of the book is called 'No more Aching Back' and is available from Amazon. Well worth the money for back pain sufferers.

 When I was in the Army back in the early 70s, I developed severe lower back pain.  It was so bad I was having trouble sleeping.  Anyway, I went to the Army hospital and they took some X-rays.  They diagnosed "bilateral spondylosis at L-4" and referred me to physical therapy.  The therapist recommended exercises called the "Williams" back exercises.  That's easy to look up.  I also had a series of treatments that warmed up my lower back.  I forget what they called it, but it really helped.  Some sort of diathermy, as I recall?  

 

In any event, I followed up with this treatments over the next month or so, and did the back exercises religiously.  The entire problem cleared up in about three months and to this day, I haven't been bothered by it since. That all took place 50 years ago.  Supposedly, the back exercises were to strengthen your abdominal muscles which, if you do it right, takes the strain off of your lower back. 

 

That was all a conservative approach.  I think a TENS unit is for people with a bigger problem and pain that won't quit. 

[AustinRacing]

On 1/1/2025 at 2:23 PM, bkk6060 said:

Sounds interesting.   The only thing that helps me is Chiropractor adjustment.

That will align the discs.  For muscle a good massage professional for a deep massage.

I’m interested in trying chiropractor adjustment all around. Any recommendations in around BKK? Thanks. 

[ignore it]

My 200 bhat tens from lazaday has worked well for years.

Save a penny by taping the pads on after the stickum on the pads gives out.

[In Full Agreement]

On 1/1/2025 at 2:14 PM, scubascuba3 said:

I've been trialing TENS stimulation using a device i bought on Shopee for 650 baht, used it every day for 9 days and it definitely reduces pain, noticed it first time using it, i didn't expect it to be that good so soon. Won't be the same for everyone.

 

Can by Omron ones for 1800 baht, worth a try.

 

Anybody tried it?

 

 

Photo please..

[scubascuba3]

7 minutes ago, ignore it said:

My 200 bhat tens from lazaday has worked well for years.

Save a penny by taping the pads on after the stickum on the pads gives out.

Replacement pads are really cheap I've just bought 20, probably last years