11 replies to this topic

[rue2you]

I am 9 months into this now and since I have been doing consistent therapy (twice a week with the therapist and working his exercises he gives me every day at home), I am seeing "little" changes. I can bend my toes up on my right foot. I can hold my right foot up in place for about 20 seconds if someone pushes it up (this laying on my back with a pillow under my calves). Only about 5 seconds on my left foot and can only bend up my toes if you lightly tickle the bottom of my foot. I don't understand that one but the therapist does it and it works so I make my kids do it at home and we practice!

Today we did the E-stim machine and he was pleased with what he was seeing (in my thigh and ankle muscles mainly) and wants to order me one for home. He said I need to be doing it every day. This won't hurt me will it? I mean, is it okay to charge your body with electricity that much? I am a little nervous and kind of joked with him about not electrocuting myself, but I was kind of nervously chuckling! Besides electrocuting yourself, it doesn't hurt your heart or anything does it?

Ever since all of this has happened, I have a little bit of medical phobia!! Which could lead to a whole other thread on panic attacks and I am wondering if I am having them sometimes but I won't go to that topic now. I am normally a very optimistic person but I get scared about medical stuff now and I NEVER did before. i have always been the "tough" tom boy of the family and I feel pretty wimpy. I mean, I will go along with this, because if it will help at all, then I really am excited about the possibilities, but....I would like to hear from all of you that I will be okay!

Okay....I will yell it in desperation - "I'm needing a little hand-holding here!!!"

Signed,
Wimpy

[Beautiful]

My best friend (she is actually Jaquie_Farmer on here) uses something like that. From what I hear, it really helps. I have also read other peoples experiences with this type of stimulation, and it doesn't seem to have any negative side effects that are harmful to you long term or whatever.

It'll be okay. It takes a while to find a doctor that you feel comfortable with, and once you find that doctor, you know they have your best interest in mind with whatever they do. Relax :]

[ericr]

E Stem is good you adjust the level until u cant take the pain. it allows blood flow and circulation also helps with bowel and blatter and fights spacity. If you are hypersensitive like i am it could be extrmely painful. (my right side is hypersensitive) i do use estem on my hands and it helps.

they akso have an fes bike which is basically electrostem that helps u peddle this is extremly good if u have that much movement u should look into a place that has one.

[The Black Sheep]

I have a tens unit that I use regularly and it does make some things a lot easier to move. I have a similar thing with my feet where they'll respond more if they're touched. When I was in physical therapy, if the nurse pushed on my foot, I could push back. If I touch the bottoms of my feet, I can wiggle my toes more... that sort of thing. The Tens unit is just a little electrical stimulator with a couple sticky pads and you can put them wherever. It kind of gives me that stimulation, like the foot touching, without someone actually touching my feet. It kind of starts the stimulation in the same, unexplainable way.

On a side note, it helps my circulation a little bit. My feet and calves get really cold sometimes and if I put the unit on for 20-25 minutes while I'm in bed, they get warmer quicker. Feels good too. I don't think this much electrical stimulation could really hurt you. It tingles a little, but it's not harmful.

[Tetracyclone]

Rue-

My 89 yr. old Dad got e-stim in therapy and, except for his grimacwe cxuz he told them to turn it way up, no problems. he is walking, though no more than me.

[sorefm]

I have been receiving Passive Electro-neural Stim (PENS) at the end of every PT session (2-3 times a week) for the last 4-5 months. I've also just started using a Bioness L300 unit in place of an AFO with good results.

In this time (I'm 7 1/2 months post injury) I have made substantial progress going from wheelchair and walker to using just a single point cane, even walking short distances without an assistive device.

I don't know how much of this to attribute to electricity but I'm throwing everything at this including plain old hard work. This electrical stuff may all be BS but I'll never know because I'm not stopping until the very last bit of recovery is wrung out of me.

[rue2you]

Thanks for all your answers. You have definitely made me feel better!! I am going for it - even if nothing else returns, it sounds like it is good for other stuff!

[sorefm]

sorefm, on Dec 8 2009, 08:44 PM, said:

I have been receiving Passive Electro-neural Stim (PENS) at the end of every PT session

That should read Patterned electrical neuromuscular stimulation. It's not done for pain relief. The idea is that the stim attempts to activate undamaged neurons to form new interneural connections to take the place of the ones we've damaged.

[KeepTheFaith]

PENS is a combination of TENS and ElectroAcupuncture. I have been doing ElectroAcupuncture twice weekly since being discharged from acute rehab in May 2009. I also use a TENs unit at home for shoulders, arms and hands, plus I just purchased a Bioness 200 unit for each arm after renting them for 3 months, and I ride the FES bike twice a week. I am also involved in an intense exercise based recovery program 3 hours a day, 4 days a week. Traditional Physical Therapy twice a week for one hour just wasn't cutting for me.

I attribute the return of my bladder to the ElectroAcupuncture. I am a C5 incomplete, Asia B, who was told would never walk again. A doctor also stood over my bedside and informed my mother that I would be on a ventilator for "a very long time." I am a little over 1 year post and taking steps with a walker. By the way, I was weaned off the ventilator before going to acute rehab. I continue to make progress and it looks like I will be walking pretty well by the end of my second year.

I agree, in the first few years post injury you have to do everything possible to get as much recovery as you possibly can. I have thrown everything, but the kitchen sink, at my injury and I am seeing results.

Edited by KeepTheFaith, 05 January 2010 - 04:29 PM.

[din]

Hi,
my bil ( c5complete) lives in India. Do u think bioness 200 will be useful for him he has litt bit hand movment .Do u think Bioness will help him ...
How much it costs?please help me ...
Please help me in finding other good rehaB THINGS for him
Thanxx

Edited by din, 23 March 2010 - 08:04 PM.

[KeepTheFaith]

The BioNess H200 orthotics are $6,000 each here in the U.S. I rented them for a few months to see if they would be beneficial because not everybody responds to them. I did see some improvements, so I purchased some rebuilt/used ones for 4,000 each. I use them every day for an hour or every other day. I also do as much functional stuff as I can and I am always trying to push myself to do more and more. I do puzzles, origami, drawing, writing, anything I can think of to get that brain to hand connection and improve my fine motor skills and strengthen whatever muscles I do have. I also recommend purchasing a Power Web and some hand/wrist weights. I do additional e-stim with a little TENS unit (these are fairly inexpensive) to get my thumbs moving better. I also e-stim my triceps, which are still weak on the left.

I also recommend a standing frame. "Easy Stand" is the best at $2,000 - $6,000.

If you have access to an FES bike, I would ride that a few times a week. These can also be purchased for $12,000 to $15,000.

Lastly, put together a good stretching and exercise home program. There are all kinds of weights and things that you can purchase.

Hope this helps. God bless.

Edited by KeepTheFaith, 24 March 2010 - 03:09 AM.