A lot of patients suffering from fibromyalgia have been addicted to taking pills and using pain relievers and are yet to discover a significant relief for their pain.
This is because it is one of the most misunderstood disorders in the medical profession and the real cause is yet to be established. Most of the patients suffer from acute and chronic pains in different areas of their body and a lot of people suffering from this condition have overlooked the importance electro therapy unit in their treatment.
Here at TENS Machine Pro we have discovered a better and more efficient way to treat this condition using electro therapy. But first, let’s take a look at what fibromyalgia is and the common symptoms experienced by patients who have this condition.
What is Fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is a common medical disease associated withchronic widespread and generalized pain all over their body and specific tender points.
It tends to isolate in the neck and shoulder areas but it can also be anywhere in the body and it causes deep persistent pain. The pathogenesis of fibromyalgia by experts have been considered to be a disorder in pain regulation which is centralized rather than peripheral.
It is often precipitated by emotional or physical stressful events and it is more common in middle aged women and tends to develop between the age of 20 to 35. Commonly it tends to occur more often as they grow older. Many patients suffering from this condition also have insomnia or restless sleep where they wake up in the morning feeling more tired than they when they went to bed at night. It is mostly characterized by non-restorative sleep, muscle ache and weakness that may last all day.
What are the symptoms and causes of Fibromyalgia?
The real cause of fibromyalgia is currently not agreed upon by experts. The condition is a very contextual disorder often resulting from the combination of genetic, environmental and mostly emotional components.
Patients diagnosed with the condition respond to stimuli that are normally not perceived as painful but is mentally exaggerated. Research has also shown that patients with fibromyalgia have increased level of the nerve chemical signal known as substance P and the nerve growth factor in the spinal fluid of these patients. In addition to this, the level of brain serotonin in the patients are also low which causes the sensation of pain to be greatly exaggerated.
The low level of serotonin also causes insomnia and sleep disturbances found in fibromyalgia patients. So these studies have shown that the brain of fibromyalgia patients are super sensitive and there seems to be a diffuse of pain perception in patients having this condition.
Suggested causes of fibromyalgia.
- Immune system problems.
- Physically unfit muscles and disturbance in brain chemistry.
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
However, research has also shown that many people having this condition have a history of clinical depression.
General Fibromyalgia symptoms.
The symptoms of fibromyalgia may follow, minor illness like the flu, a trauma incident like an automobile accident or fall, or even emotional stress. The most common symptoms of fibromyalgia is wide spread pain and increased sensitivity to pain known as Hyperalgesia, others are.
- Insomnia.
- Joint pain.
- Leg cramps.
- Incapacitating fatigue which can be both mental and physical.
- IBS often accompanies fibromyalgia which is a common digestive disorder that can lead to bloating, diarrhoea and constipation.
- Depression
- Constant or recurring head aches.
- Bruxism, which is grinding of the teeth at night.
- Concentration and memory problems, which are commonly known as fibro-fog.
Fibromyalgia is closely related to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) which causes very similar symptoms. Except in fibromyalgia, muscle pain supersedes the fatigue whereas in the CFS fatigue predominates over pain.
This is how a TENS machine can help with the symptoms of Fibromyalgia.
Mostly, doctors have often told patients that exercise has been beneficial in the treatment of fibromyalgia. Particularly aerobic exercise like running and jogging but that is really difficult for many patients. If a patient having this condition is suffering from chronic pain, it is difficult to move and pain is a feeling no one wants to feel.
Also exercise has also been known to provide temporary or short term pain relief. Doctors have also advised patients to go for therapy, specifically cognitive behavioural therapy and prescribing of drugs and heavy medications which has lead a lot of patients to turn into addicts and pill junkies.
But the modern age has surely provided patients with an easier, more effective and more permanent way to help treat and annul the symptoms of fibromyalgia using the TENS machine.
The Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation or Transcutaneous electro neuromuscular stimulation (TENS)machine is a simple and non-invasive technology that is very effective in the treatment of acute and chronic pain symptoms. It is a drug free treatment which works by delivering electrical impulses to electrode pads that are placed directly on the skin that travel to the nerves.
The two ways in which a TENS machine reduced Fibromyalgia pain.
The electrical pulses that produced by the TENS unit work by:
- An Interruption or blocks the neural gateway through which pain travels and also blocks pain receptors from reaching the brain at the same time, it promotes the increased stimulation of endorphins which is the body’s feel good chemical and the natural painkillers of the body.
- It also causes motor level stimulation which stimulates the release of endorphins into the bloodstream.
The TENS unit is small, portable and a movable device that can be carried by patients suffering from fibromyalgia.
It’s non invasive, and a method of administering pain relief without the need for nasty medicines and drugs. It also helps patients who have chronic joint and muscle pain who can’t partake in exercise to usefully manage the pain and increase their pain tolerance level. And most of all, it helps sufferers to avoid the side effects caused by the many pills they take which can cause physiological changes in their body.
How to use a TENS machine to treat Fibromyalgia.
Using the TENS machine in the treatment of fibromyalgia is a very easy and teachable technique. The electrodes of the TENS machine are placed in areas where the patients feel pain, mostlymore electrodes are placed in larger surface area where pain is felt.
It is also important that the electrodes cross the area of importance and it lies in the middle especially when using 4 electrodes to attack the tender point more aggressively so you won’t want to put 2 electrodes from the same channel together, it’ll have to be placed diagonally and you’ll want to clean that area of the skin and shave it too if you’re very hairy to allow better contact with the skin.
After the electrodes have been placed, the mode needs to be set to the appropriate frequency and comfort level desired by the patient till he/she feels a relief in that particular area. After the electrodes are in place and the desired mode has been set, then the TENS machine can be turned on till the sufferer feels a substantial relief in their pain fibromyalgia pain symptoms.
When not to use a TENS machine to treat Fibromyalgia.
Patients who have this condition should note that it is not advisable to use the TENS machine if you have a heart condition and use a peacemaker. Infact, doctors and therapist do not recommend it for patients with heart problems, especially those who use the peacemaker.
It is not also advisable to place the electrodes over areas in the body where there are metal implants such as the knee and elbows when metal implants are present in those areas.
Therapists also advise against placing the electrodes over your neck because of the carotid artery and the electrodes shouldn’t also be placed over an open wound.
Women are also not advised to use it during pregnancy and injured patients should not place the electrode over open wounds and infected areas.
Does a TENS machine really reduce the pain associated with Fibromyalgia.
Lots of patient suffering from this condition keep asking the same question about the TENS machine if it really works. And I’m here to tell you the answer is yes.
Most people confuse the use of the TENS machine and believe it eliminates pain which is very wrong. The TENS machine successfully helps the sufferer of fibromyalgia to manage pain and increases the patient’s tolerance to pain. This is because it interferes with the message of pain being carried to the brain and at the same time as I’ve mentioned earlier that it stimulates the release of endorphins even after the machine has been switched off which helps to continue the pain relief.
The TENS machine is very effective in pain control and most importantly the control of fibromyalgia. A lot of patients with this condition have confirmed that other than taking drugs or going for weakly or daily laser therapy and partaking in vigorous exercises, the TENS machine has provided an easier, better, affordable and more effective way to manage their pain especially when they always have to be on the move.
Our recommended TENS machine for Fibromyalgia pain relief.
We recommend the use of the Med-Fit Premier TENS machine for fibromyalgia. It is one of the best TENS machines available to date and is perfect for pain relief from a number of different ailments.
If you would like to read our full review of the Med-Fit premier please see this link.
Otherwise if you would like to see the best available price direct from Amazon please click on the country specific link below.
US TENS machine for Fibromyalgia relief
Below is the link to the Med-Fit Premier US version which we highly recommend for relieving fibromyalgia symptoms.
Med-Fit BAL-906A Premier 4 Channel Easy Rechargeable
UK TENS machine for Fibromyalgia pain relief.
The link below will take you to the Amazon page for the UK version of the Med-Fit Premier TENS Machine. We highly recommend it for treating Fibromyalgia pain symptoms.
Med-Fit Premier EV906 4 Channel Rechargeable TENS Machine and Muscle Stimulator with 24 Pre-Set Programmes manual adjustment
In conclusion…
People all over the world are now realising that TENS units can provide great relief for pain. A TENS machine provides natural, drug free pain relief which in this day and age is important.
Fibromyalgia is a horrible illness to have but it can be managed and we believe TENS machine therapy is one of the best ways to do this.
Sources of research and further reading.
Tens machine treatment by the NHS: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/transcutaneous-electrical-nerve-stimulation-tens/
TENS machine treatment Mayo Clinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/self-care-approaches-to-treating-pain/art-20367322