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@jenniferhunter

@carolinec I do own a small TENS unit that I got from a practitioner when I as undergoing deep tissue massage for trigger points. It did help by increasing circulation to help flush out the waste products that were released from the tissues after mashing the trigger points. The TENS unit is not supposed to be used on the head or spine.

My physical therapist has used a hand held Dolphin neuro stimulator on me to treat my spine by using it on nerve roots. The setting was to interfere with the neurotransmitters that carry the pain signals and that worked for about a week and reduced pain a lot. I am a cervical spine surgery patient and my PT would use manual therapy to realign the curve in my neck and then use the Dolphin. https://www.dolphinmps.com/

I did talk to a vet who was doing massage, acupuncture, and myofascial release on horses. She had a BEAMER blanket PEMF device for horses that used a current to increase the micro vessel blood flow and oxygenation of the muscles. That was very expensive. I didn't get a chance to test that myself. https://life.bemergroup.com/pemf-pulse-electro-magnetic-field/

Have you tried a PEMF mat at a medical provider's office? Perhaps that may be more cost effective to visit a therapist for treatments each week.

Have you been evaluated by a spine specialist? Spinal stenosis doesn't get better without decompression surgery, and I had surgery for spinal cord compression in my neck although physical therapy may help for awhile. I have read the posts of a patient who was afraid of surgery and became more disabled and paralyzed. She is a young person confined to a wheelchair, in constant pain, and her husband has to be her caregiver and it created a financial burden. She can't enjoy her children. It may even be too late for surgery to help her. With enough compression, nerves die and so do the axons of the nerve cells in the spinal cord which do not regenerate, although there is research on how to restore function to spine trauma patients and perhaps medicine will solve this in the future.

Do you think an investment in a PEMF mat would be worth it? It may only provide temporary relief and it would not fix anything. Stenosis can advance quickly and bone spurs that grow from the vertebrae do that because of uneven pressure on vertebral end plates such as would happen by a bulging or a ruptured spinal disc that changes spinal alignment. I saw my bone spurs double in the area they covered in just 9 months on MRIs prior to my spine surgery. Spine surgery results tend to be better if done early before permanent damage occurs. I got past my fears, and surgery gave me my life back. I can always help and support you with that because it was my greatest life lesson to learn how to beat my fears and have the surgery that gave me back my ability. https://sharing.mayoclinic.org/2019/01/09/using-the-art-of-medicine-to-overcome-fear-of-surgery/

Can you tell me more about your spinal stenosis? Are you a surgical candidate?

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Replies to "@carolinec I do own a small TENS unit that I got from a practitioner when I..."

No I am not. The winter here in Canada is particularly difficult as I am also borderline osteoporosis. I take bone density pills as well. I am also very active and try to walk at least 1 hour a day, even in the cold.