Review of Omron Electro-Therapy Device

This review is not service dog-related, but it does have to do with fibromyalgia and chronic pain.

My readers probably all know I have chronic pain. I have back pain due to degenerative disk disease and a couple of herniated disks. I also have osteoarthritis in my knees and hands. And I have fibromyalgia, which causes pain in all sorts of places. 

I can’t take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) like ibuprofen because I had gastric bypass surgery. I take used to have prescription pain medication but no one wants to prescribe it anymore. I’ve tried some other treatments, like chiropractic adjustments, physical therapy and steroid injections, which provided a little relief. Acupuncture helps. I am also on meds for the fibro. I still have pain on a daily basis, though.

I was at a local drugstore, looking at warming ointments like Bengay, when I spotted the Omron electro-therapy device. It is similar to a TENS unit, if you're familiar with those. I was curious about it but not certain it would really help with my pain. But it was on sale, marked down from $59.99 to just $39.99. So I decided to give it a try.

The device comes with two sticky pads, which are actually electrodes. These are placed on the body, on either side of the area where one has pain. For instance, to relieve pain in my elbow, I place one pad on my arm just above my elbow and the other on my arm just below my elbow. The pads are connected to the device with wires. It kind of resembles a CD player with earphones that are connected by wires.

The control has three settings: one designed to relieve arm pain, one designed to relieve back pain and one designed to relieve leg pain. It sends out little tingly zaps of electricity to the sticky pads, which vary in pattern somewhat depending on which setting you choose. It feels like tingling and tapping. You can see the muscle jumping a bit under the skin, which is rather odd-looking.

You can adjust the intensity level of the stimulation from one to five. When I put the pads above and below my elbow and selected the setting for relieving arm pain, I couldn’t feel a thing on the lowest setting. When I increased it to two, I could feel it, but barely. When I increased it again to three, I could feel it well. I suspect it would have been uncomfortable on a higher setting, but I wasn’t brave enough to actually try it. Every time you turn on the device, it starts out at level one. That way you’re never surprised by a greater level of intensity than you want or expect.

The device shuts off automatically after 15 minutes. The instructions say not to use it for more than 30 minutes at a time and not more than three times a day, though I didn’t find an explanation of why it was recommended not to use it more than that. After 15 to 30 minutes, I feel ready to turn it off anyway, though. It’s a kind of strange sensation and I wouldn’t like having it on all the time.

The one thing I don't like is that the sticky pads get un-sticky after a while and need to be replaced and that gets expensive. The package says they are supposed to last for 150 uses, but if I use the device daily, that means they just last a month or two. Then they don't stick well.

I love this device, though. When I use it on my elbow, I have no pain at all while I’m using the device. When I stop using it, the pain returns, but it’s so nice to have a break from the pain which has been constant for the last few months. When I use it on my back, I have no pain while using the device and my back feels better, though not completely pain-free, for a while after using it. I know it’s not a cure for the problems that are causing my pain, but it’s absolutely marvelous to experience some relief and to be able to get relief regularly and reliably, even if just for a short time. I highly recommend trying this if you have ongoing muscular-skeletal pain.

Gift Ideas for Someone with Fibromyalgia

No, I'm not hinting for someone to buy me a present.  I wrote this article a while back and just thought it might be useful to share it here.  

Fibromyalgia is a condition characterized by widespread pain and overwhelming fatigue. People with fibromyalgia may also experience difficulty sleeping, restless leg syndrome, headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety, depression, and stiffness in the joints, especially in the morning. There’s no cure for fibromyalgia but there are things that reduce pain and help manage other symptoms, including a variety of medications. If you know someone that suffers from fibromyalgia and need ideas for a holiday, birthday or other gift, here are some ideas that are certain to please.

Scented Epsom Salts

Adding Epsom salts to a hot bath can relieve the relentless pain of fibromyalgia. You can buy Epsom salts with various essential oils added, which makes them smell nice and gives them added healing properties. For instance, you can buy Epsom salts with eucalyptus or wintergreen, which will help achy muscles, or you can buy Epsom salts with lavender, which will help with relaxation and sleep. Scented Epsom salts are affordable and can be found at many drug stores.

Electric Blanket or Throw

A good friend gave me an electric blanket recently and it just may be the best gift I’ve ever received. She got a twin-sized blanket because, although I have a queen-sized bed, I spend more time on my couch than in my bed and the twin-sized blanket words better on the couch. Being warm helps a lot with my pain, which is typical of people with fibromyalgia. Relaxing on the couch while watching a movie is much more enjoyable with my electric blanket.

Gift Certificate for a Massage

Many people with fibromyalgia find massage to be helpful and the Mayo Clinic website suggests massage therapy as a component of a comprehensive treatment plan for the condition. Massage relaxes stiff muscles, improves range of motion of the joints, and boosts the body’s production of endorphins, natural pain-relieving chemicals in the brain. Some people don’t like being touched by strangers, though, so a gift certificate for massage isn’t the right gift for everyone. If you want to give someone a massage as a gift, choose a licensed massage therapist, preferably one with experience working with people with fibromyalgia.

Gift Certificate for a Housecleaning Service

People with fibromyalgia often suffer from overwhelming fatigue. I know I do, and on top of that, my pain makes some household chores extremely difficult or impossible. I would be embarrassed to tell you how long it’s been since I’ve cleaned my bathtub, but bending over that long is so painful that it’s just not worth doing it for me. Now, some people feel uncomfortable having a stranger come in and clean, so this wouldn’t be the right gift for everyone. It’s something many people with fibromyalgia would appreciate, though. I know I would!

Stress is Not Good for Me

This is not news, of course.  But I am reminded of how much an effect stress has on my fibromyalgia.  I have been in more pain yesterday and now this morning than I have been in a long time.  And I know it's stress.  And it's a reminder that trying to work a lot more and cut back on acupuncture and stuff would not work for me.  Except if I end up without a car, I won't be going to acupuncture anyway, because I won't have a way to get there.

I see my acupuncturist later today and I hope to take a nice long walk with Isaac, and hopefully those things will help.

Acupuncture

Yesterday I had an appointment with a doctor that is a chiropractor and also does acupuncture.  I've considered acupuncture for a long time but since there was no guarantee it would help me and my insurance doesn't cover it and it's expensive and I am fairly poor, I never tried it until now.

But I decided recently that I had to do something different.  Not only for the fibro pain, but everything else, too.  This UTI.  This weird gum infection that finally seems to be gone, but that I dealt with for so many months.  My PTSD.  I've been having more trouble sleeping lately, feeling more anxious and depressed, and at first I attributed that to tutoring more hours, but I'm not sure that's all of it.  And I felt like I needed to do something and I thought of calling my psychiatrist for an appointment (I'm not scheduled to see him again until March, I think), but then I thought, what is he going to do?  Prescribe more medication?  And I don't really want more psych meds.

A couple friends have tried to talk me into seeing a therapist.  But I don't want to.  I think it might help me, if I could feel safe enough doing so.  But it doesn't feel safe.  It's not just that I don't want to, I actually ended up having a pretty bad anxiety attack last night just talking about the possibility with a friend.

It feels to me like the fibro is very connected to the traumatic experience at the hospital a couple years ago.  Maybe some other stuff is related, as well.  It's hard to know.  How do you diagnose that? 

So I talked to another friend, a friend that happens to be a therapist but that I knew would also get it when I said I felt like there were trauma stuck in my body and that I thought past trauma was causing my fibro.  We talked, and I did some thinking, and then I decided that I have to do something.  I can't keep doing nothing and hope that things will somehow change.  That makes no sense.

So I made an appointment with a massage therapist.  I made an appointment with an acupuncturist.  And some other stuff.

But.  Acupuncture.  I love the acupuncturist.  She is fantastic.  And I felt great after my first session.  It was weird.  The first thing I noticed was that my vision seemed clearer.  It was like things were sharper, brighter, more in focus.  But my pain seemed better, too.  I came home from the appointment and took a nap and it was a great nap.  I woke feeling really refreshed.

Then later I had a conversation with a friend about seeing a therapist and had a big anxiety attack.  But still.  The acupuncture seemed to help.

The acupuncturist loves Isaac.  She said she'd like to have a therapy dog in her office some day.

Isaac was great during the appointment.  He lay down beside the bed I was on and took a nap.

Hiking the Kokosing Gap Trail

Well, part of the Kokosing Gap Trail.  About three miles altogether.  The whole trail is about 14 miles long and that's far more than I'm up for hiking.

It was a beautiful morning and Isaac and I had a lovely time.

He also got to take a quick dip in the Kokosing River to cool off and get a drink of water.  He does love river water!

You know, Isaac and I have been doing a lot of hiking this summer.  Or maybe walking is a more accurate word.  Mostly on fairly flat, easy trails.  I like walking in the woods, on the rugged, hilly trails, but those are harder for me.  A small stumble can send my back into horrific muscle spasms that sometimes last for hours and hours.  But on flat, easy trails, I can walk a long way.  Three or four miles is easy for me.  I have stamina.  I have some strength.  It feels good.

I hope Isaac and I can keep hiking some this winter.  My fibro is getting worse as the weather is getting colder, I can already feel it happening.  But I'm hoping if I dress warmly, we can still do some hikes even when it's cold.  Maybe shorter hikes, if I'm in a lot of pain.  But I hope I don't have to stop hiking for the winter.  I think the exercise has been good for me, both physically and psychologically.  And of course, Isaac loves it.

Eucalyptus Rosemary Bath Salts

Eucalyptus rosemary bath salts are my favorite way of dealing with stiff, achy muscles and joints during cold weather.  I make them myself and offer them for sale on  Etsy, if anyone is interested in trying them.  I have other aromatherapy bath salts as well, but these are the best for those cold mornings when I wake up stiff and sore.

The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

That was my day yesterday.

Now, I have to say, I've had worse days in the past.  If this was as bad as it ever got, well, I'd be doing OK.

But it was still a bad day.  The worst I've had in a while.

It started at 6:00 am, when Isaac woke me, wanting to go out to pee.

It had turned cold overnight and my fibro had kicked up a few notches.  It was not the most fibro pain I'd ever felt, not even close.  But it was more than I've felt in quite a while.  If the worst ever is a 10, and last winter I was frequently at an 8 or 9, well, yesterday was maybe a 6.  But for most of the summer, it's been maybe a 2 at most.  So it was a bit of a shock.

The bottom of my left foot hurt, a lot.  How weird is that?  Other places hurt, too, but especially the bottom of my left foot.  Fibro is like that.  Hurts in weird places.

Isaac and I were supposed to go to the nursing home and then this guy I've been seeing for a little while was supposed to come over.  I thought about cancelling everything.  Staying home instead.  But I wanted to go to the nursing home and I wanted the guy to come over.  So I pushed myself to get up.  I took a long hot bath, which always helps.

And Isaac and I went to the nursing home.  It was a good visit.

I was feeling a little anxious.  I thought it was because of the fibro.  I took some anxiety meds and tried to ignore it.

The guy I've been seeing came over.  We were, let's say, making out a bit.  And something got triggered.  I had a flashback.  This has happened to me before but not in a long, long time.  I'd figured it could still happen again some time but I guess I was hoping it wouldn't.

I wanted to be alone.  I told the guy to leave.  I took a double dose of my anxiety meds and went to sleep.  And I slept off and on the rest of the day, and all night, only waking up to take Isaac out and sometimes to eat something.

I finally pulled myself out of bed this morning.  I took a hot bath and went to the grocery store to pick up a few things and now I'm trying to finish an article I meant to finish yesterday but ended up not even working on at all.

I'm disappointed it was such a bad day yesterday.  I'm kind of pissed about the flashback.  Not at myself and not at the guy, just at the circumstances.  At the same time, I feel I'm handling it pretty well, as well as I can, and that has to count for something.

I hope to take Isaac for a long walk later today before I have to go tutor.  He's antsy after being kept inside all day yesterday.  And hopefully today will end up being a better day.

Awesome Tutoring Job Opportunity

Next Monday, I have an interview for a tutoring job.  The student is an eight-year-old girl who probably has learning disabilities (she hasn't been tested, the school doesn't want to test her for some reason but mom suspects she might have dyslexia or something like that and from mom said, it sounds like she probably does) and the mom is a licensed massage therapist who wants to barter massage therapy for tutoring services for her daughter. 

How awesome is that?  I'm so excited.  That would be just perfect for me.  In exchange for twice-weekly tutoring sessions, which would not be hard for me and would actually be enjoyable because I like working with kids, I would get a weekly massage therapy session.

I've seen a massage therapist a couple times in the last, I don't know, four or five months.  Just twice.  I'd hoped I could go once a month but I just haven't been able to afford it.  Of course, my insurance won't pay for it.  But it really helps with my fibromyalgia.  I am concerned that as the weather turns colder, my pain is going to get worse again, and I think that regular massage would really help.  This would be such an excellent opportunity for me.

Hopefully the interview goes well.  I think it will.

Fatigue

Fatigue is a common symptom of fibromyalgia.  You know, though, I think anyone would be tired if pain kept them awake night after night after night.

It's hard to find the words to explain how exhausted I am.  It's the kind of exhaustion you feel when you have the flu.  Simply taking a shower and getting dressed completely wears me out.  By the time I'm dressed, I feel like I need a nap.

I have no energy for cooking.  I have a protein shake most days for breakfast and for dinner.  I used to have one most days for breakfast, but now I have one for dinner, too, because I have enough energy to pour milk into a glass, add a scoop of protein powder and shake it up.  That's supposing I have enough energy to go to the store and buy milk.  Buying milk takes a lot of energy because it's heavy.  But that is my breakfast and my dinner. 

Some days I make soup for lunch but other days I don't have the energy to stand at the stove stirring it long enough to heat it up, so then I might have a protein shake for lunch, too.  For snacks I eat protein bars, yogurt, an occasional English muffin, and sliced apples with almond butter when I have enough energy to cut one up.  I used to make my own yogurt, but I don't have enough energy to do that anymore, so I buy ready-to-eat single serving containers.

I washed my sheets a week ago but haven't had the energy to put them on my bed yet.  There is a pile of clothes at the end of my bed that I haven't had the energy to put away.  Isaac is enjoying sleeping in them.  I just don't have the energy for those things.  It's all I can do to keep myself, Isaac and Cayenne fed and take Isaac out.