TENS Units: Has anyone ever purchased for individual use?

It can be one of those things beneficial if used as part of a therapy regimen. Husband carried a real old thing, tens unit, never used it, never could throw it away.
Kind of like a room humidifier, fill it, use it, washing it was hard, use it less, out of distilled water, wash it, fill it, empty the old left over water, wash it, store it, buy a new one if ever needed cause that thing is gross, old, yucky.

Or, I love this cane, gotta have it-they said I needed it, don't like to use it, where is it, lost it in ny own house, not there when I needed it last week.

Buy this soft brace for your ankle, hurts to wear it, but you try, as it wanders about the house now, looking for a permanent space in a crowded drawer full of things unrelated to the product, always the velcro sticks to the nylons.

Or, the chiropractor has a great massage tool, it doesn't work as well as when he used it, actually my back hurt more from it, returning it to him for a refund was embarrasing, what, did I think I could be my own chiropractor?

Maybe better to get the whole treatment for a specified time by a physical therapist or chiropractor who knows best when and how to use it. imo.

Does anyone have these assistive devices at home, gathering dust?

My sig other had tried the over the counter TENS for his back... he used it once and now it collects dust.

Decades ago when I had a pinched nerve in my back, I was given a TENS type machine that I would wear all day and if the pain got too bad I could push a button and it would zap the pain. Back then the TENS was a bulky thing, uncomfortable to sleep.

What cured me for this back pain was a traction machine that the PT used.... used it twice and the pain have been gone for years now [knock on wood].

Newer procedures keep coming out, new to chiropractor is a laser treatment.

I've heard so many good things about the laser treatments. Vets use it on dogs, cats, and rabbits. I have two wealthier friends who bought their own lasers for their pets. They swear by them. I've read some negative things online, but all I hear is positive from the people I know.

A friend of mine has an implanted stimulator, similar to a TENS, for his thoracic-lumbar pain. He still takes gabapentin and oxycodone at high doses.
On the other hand, my GF got good temporary relief from a TENS.
It is not a permanent fix for anything, just temporary relief.

I have a small TENS machine and I love it. It's buttterfly-shaped, compact, and I used it on both my shoulder and my back when needed. Unfortunately I lost it and the company that sold it doesn't carry it any more. So here I sit, all aches and pains, no TENS machine in sight. I'd had it for at least 10 years. Phooey.

When I had a back injury the PT used an Interferential unit and I liked it enough to research and buy my own. TENS is not as good according to the PT. The unit I bought is the InTENSity Select Combo. It has TENS, Interferential, Microcurrrent and Muscle Stimulation. Out of everything available without a prescription it was the best I could find.

I use a TENS machine everyday for back pain and sciatic nerve pain. It does offer me some temporary relief for one to two hours. You can buy them without a prescription on Amazon and Overstock for less than forty dollars. Well worth the money to me.

To clarify, the PT said for my condition TENS was not as good. I am sure TENS is ideal for other situations.

One other thing, Interferential is similar to TENS but works deeper....that the I understand it as an untrained non-expert patient.