TENS machine purchase for chronic pain: any recommendations?

[copycat]

The chronic pain consultant I have been referred to has suggested that I try using a TENS machine to alleviate the pain in my foot and ankle after a deep trauma injury to my calf that has left me with sural nerve damage and impaired lymphatic flow.

I have never used a TENS machine before and I wondered whether there is any significant difference in the models available. Any advice or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

According to my physio, theres no real difference between them, but you want one where you can change all the parameters. Also, you need to know that a fairly significant amount of fiddling with parameters and pad positions to get the best result for you. Its worth getting a book on tens to work this out

Dear Copycat
I have an unused TENS machine (baby came too quickly for me to get it out of the box!). If you'd like it, let me know and you could just pay for postage. Then at least it saves you the cost of buying a one and it is just sitting here not being used.

Thank you CMOTdibbler for that info; "fiddling" sounds like quite a technical matter!

Wow grizedale that is extremely kind and generous of you and wow too for the speedy arrival of baby grizedale. Are you sure you don't want to hang on to the TENS in case there are any more little grizedales? If you are sure then, of course, I would be very grateful to accept your kind offer. I don't have PM though so maybe you could email me at blacksmiths99 @ gmail.com. Thank you so much.

As a Physio I'd recommend ones that are fully adjustable and not with fixed programmes as they can really limit the effectiveness. You can get them for about £35 and it is not worth paying more for extra functions. Please feel free to PM me if you need more info. Unfortunately obstetric tens are not quite the same as ones for musculoskeletal pain and don't work in the best way so personally I wouldn't recommend one for long term use.

Also it may be worth finding out if your local outpatients Physio dept loans them out. They will show you exactly how to use it for the best results. Where I work we loan them for up to a month free of charge and then give patients info on where to get one if it helps them. They can be v useful if used in the right way and it isn't difficult to use one once you have someone explain it

Ah thank you wheelshavefallenoffthebus that's very helpful. I was referred to the pain clinic by an Orthopaedic Physiotherapist Practitioner based at my local MCAT service so maybe I will contact her and ask whether she can arrange for me to borrow a TENS machine. Thank you very much for your advice.