TENS machine for health?

[Kontessa]

 Does anyone have experience with TENS machines? Would you tell me about it? I have fibromyalgia, and it is getting terrible as of late. (I am going gluten free this year to see if this helps at all though my Dr and specialist do not think it will.) 

 I received a TENS machine as a holiday gift this year and have been using it a few times a day, it stings at the mid-level settings and I am not sure if this is normal or part of my condition. I can say the stinging is less pain than my pain areas and it does help with those pain areas, remarkably so. It also helps for a while later. The pain still lingers but is not as bad, meaning before the TENS machine I wouldn't be able to move an certain are of my body past the exploding pain, after the TENS machine treatment I would be able to move it and it would be tolerable low level pain. The results tend to last a little while as well. 

 I used the machine on my back a lot during a 8 hour drive yesterday. It helped a lot. However in the middle of the night I was in sobbing tears over being unable to move my lower body because of back and hip pain. I wonder if the TENS machine effects wore off, or if they masked that pain and it hit all at once, and of course my big worry, that the TENS machine some how made it worse. I used the machine again, my husband helping me of course as I just couldn't move on my own, and after about 30 minutes I could move again and had some relief, though I did also take a pain pill that normally just takes the edge off the pain. 

 It hit me that I really need to do more research on TENS machines. I think I was so eager for some relief that I just jumped right in with it! 

[Marnica]

I used to have chronic back pain. I used a TENS machine for a while. The stinging is totally normal. Personally I never really felt it helped me much but it never made me worse. My chiropractor friends says he uses them with his patients with mixed results. 

[Kontessa]

 So far, so good. I use this machine every day and it helps dull the pain and helps me get a bit more function. I have been ill with a virus and it seems to have made my fibromyalgia so very much worse however and I have had days where I can't walk at all though the TENS machine helps enough that I can stumble to the bathroom at least, though there are still many tears in doing so. 

 I have worn out the pads already and have had to order new ones. I have had to change the batteries in the unit already as well. It gives me more relief than any kind of pain pills however so very worth it in my opinion. I still have many questions about these machines though and hope some more Mamas have some experience to share.