TENS unit?

[cmagness73]

Before I was diagnosed, I went for PT, and loved the electrical stimulation for relief of back pain. My husband is an Occupational Therapy Assistant and talked to someone at work about getting a portable TENS unit for me to use at home.
Do any of you have one?
How much did it cost you? (They are checking my insurance - but I know I won't hear anything back until Monday).
Do you need a script from the doctor?
How often do you use it?
Does it help you?
Just curious - thanks for the answers, and I wish you all a very relaxing weekend!

[Hawkeye]

A friend recvently priced one purchased via insurance at about $800, but I think you can do better purchasing one on the open market if you do some research.

In mentioning it to my Chiropractor, she said she could get several types if I wanted to buy it personally... one for about $100.

Sometimes, I think the "security" of insurance can come with a high price tag. Paying privately "outside the system" can sometimes be beneficial, since "inside it" prices are often jacked up in anticipation of reduced payment by insurance companies or Medicare.

Hope you can find some relief!

Hawkeye

[dontlika]

TENS unit

Hi,
This message comes from a person, not an expert. I work as a Physical Therapy technician and use TENS and other modalities all the time. Many people have had relief from ele4ctrical stimulation, though I have only seen it used on one MS patient (I think that is all we have), and with Parkinsons and lupus.

At our office we rent or lend TENS units to people who need instructed relief at home without 3 PT appointments per week. You might get into a physical therapist, get recomendations and ask if they rent or loan TENS units. We do both at my office, depending on the lenght of time it will be used for. You can also usually "borrow" one from PT, to make sure it is something truly helpful before putting mony into your own unit. New units are expensive and if they arent providing significant relief then I would save my money for other therapies (such as massage, occupational, etc).

However, I have seen a lot of sucess with patients and modalities (as a TENS) provide significant relief for some people. But, that is not a guarantee, and thus that is why I recommend a trial before purchasing one. If it helps a lot, then the investment is very much so worth it.

So, talk to PT, see their policy. Call around is they do not provide loaners and remember, ner electrodes need to be purchased fairly often due to conductivity issues with older electrodes. We send the patient home with one set of electrodes, but they must be purchased one you7 wear out the provide ones.

You can also call the stim providers and ask about their rental/borrow ploicy if PT is not open to lending and training. With your own unit, a PT should be happy to train you to use it properly (if you are borrowing, renting, or buying)

Hope this is not too much info, but I would contact all PT Clinics in your area to see who does loaners. Otherwise, contact your original PT as they might be more inclined to lend/sell units for people who need them on a trial basis, especially if you are considering purchasing your own. Often your PT can give you a discouted unit when purchased by a client.

If they wont give you a borrow or rental trial, I would keep looking at other clinics before making the investment. If it helps, it is totally worth it, if not (as I mentioned) then you save your money for other medical costs reklated to MS.

I hope this helps and am glad you asked. There should be no reason that an established client would not be able to borrow a unit before purchasing one. Remeber, you have to make an appointment in order to get this option.

As it has helped so many of my patients, this is my best advice. I would never put $1,000 towards something I am not sure about. Also the manufacturer will often do loaner devices with the hope that you will recieve relief and purchase you own.

Take care, and good luck. Physical Therapy can be quite helpful for MS patients, but can also be obsolete, thus my recommendation of a loaner is due to this reason.

Wishing luck and relief and hope this info helps. You should be able to find an office to loan before you invest. MS is expensive enough on it's own. Take care, best wishes.
jes

[kebsa]

i am in australia and we do not need a prescription here but not sure about the US- I have one that i use to help with chronic back pain and also phantom pain ( i am an amputee as well as having MS). I bought my last one about 2 years ago and it cost $120 and at that time that would have been equivalent to about $100. Mine is a 2 channel unit so that you can either use 2 or 4 electrodes and i would say that is the best to get. I do agree with the idea of trying to borrow one first to make sure it helps as although it feels similar it is not quite the same as what the PT's use (different frquencies i think but not sure) and TENS is great but not for everyone or every problem. When it was suggested that i get one i was able to hire one at a very reasonable cost and refundable deposit. $800 for a tens unit would have to be gold plated, rolls royce of units and i would suspect that at that cost a lot would be the insurance mark up- do some web searching and you will easily find out the kind of price range to expect. Don't forget that the gel electrode pads are consumables, they last a couple of weeks or so but they are not expensive

good luck, hope it helps if you get one!

[Justsayyes]

I've used a TENS unit for years, admit that I got my first one from a friend who was a sales person for a medical supply company

I bought a new basic unit recently from medicalproductsonline dot org for $29.00. It is almost identical to my first one which cost over $100 ten years ago.
I like the carbon electrodes. Mine is a dual channel unit and I'm very pleased with it.

It is important that you learn how to use it properly, sounds like your husband is certainly capable!