Update: I'm still alive, been a crazy story though

[KBear]

Thanks! Will do. Has anyone experienced or read about pain from a TENS unit? I dont know if maybe I had it cranked a little too high or on for too long for the first couple days. I had the pads on my sacroilliic joints yesterday and the muscles on my buttocks were sore yesterday and I had some muscle cramping/soreness in my right leg, thigh down through calf to foot. I have the same thing going on today but a lot more extreme. Is it possible to damage muscles or nerves from a TENS Im hoping maybe I just over did it for the first couple days and made my muscles a little.

You can definitely have it up too high and make your muscles sore. I may be wrong on this; but it definitely feels like it is 'working' your muscles (ie. the relaxing and tensing of the muscles). So, it makes sense to me that you could overwork them by having it on too high, for too long or too often.

[Greg]

You can definitely have it up too high and make your muscles sore. I may be wrong on this; but it definitely feels like it is 'working' your muscles (ie. the relaxing and tensing of the muscles). So, it makes sense to me that you could overwork them by having it on too high, for too long or too often.

I think thats probably the case....but it felt so good cranked up

I was just worried that maybe you could possibly do some permanent damage and knew that if there was one place I could go for an answer, IT WAS HERE! You all seem to know it all

[ajj1001]

... knew that if there was one place I could go for an answer, IT WAS HERE! You all seem to know it all

just many years of trial and error ahead of you! No need to do mistakes all over again.:thumpup:

[dalhousie]

I used a TENS machine for about a decade before I was fused. My machine had several different programs on it but I gradually upped the intensity over a long period of time. Eventually as my pain increased I was on the highest intensity program on a high setting for long periods of time, until my skin became hypersensitive to the pads. It's better if you can rotate where you put the pads. In my case I got the best relief in a small radius. It did take 10 years though to become hypersensitive.

Ease yourself into it gradually.

[Greg]

I used a TENS machine for about a decade before I was fused. My machine had several different programs on it but I gradually upped the intensity over a long period of time. Eventually as my pain increased I was on the highest intensity program on a high setting for long periods of time, until my skin became hypersensitive to the pads. It's better if you can rotate where you put the pads. In my case I got the best relief in a small radius. It did take 10 years though to become hypersensitive.

Ease yourself into it gradually.

Yeah I figured I should slow down and use it on an as needed basis instead of wiring myself up in the morning and then just turning it on when I wanted to. It's really nice to have it portable though. Its no bigger than a cell phone on your hip so I bet most people dont even notice...unless they see the wires hanging out. I have been moving the pads around because I have been slowly turning it up real high and have these nice little red dot in the center of where the pad was. My therapist warned me of using it too high for too long as you can burn your skin. Thanks for your posts...they have been very helpful

[Greg]

HOW DID I FORGET TO MENTION THIS?

I am almost 24 years old and have been smoking full time since I was 14. I smoke WAY TOO MUCH about 2 packs a day. In my reseach on spinal fusion, statistic have proven for smokers you are a lot more likely to not fuse or will have a much longer amount of time required to fully fuse if you even do. Nicotine inhibits bone growth....probably where the myth came from that smoking will stunt your growth. I can't even count how many times I have tried to quit. I have tried the patch, pills, gum, even $500 for hypnosis. Where I know I will succeed is even though I have failed many many times, I continue to stand back up and fight again. I HAVE to quit smoking if I want to heal by fusion and never have I had a better motivating drive to quit than the want to be pain free. So....tomorrow is my last day and Monday is the start of a whole new approach to fixing my back. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

[rosedee]

Good luck with it Greg. I had a fusion nearly 10 years ago and like you read about the effect of nicotine on bone healing while I was doing my research. I think my surgeon was pretty impressed when I raised it with him first! Anyway, we agreed that I should give up 6 weeks before the surgery. I smoked about a pack a day at that point and had had a few unsuccessful attempts in the past. But as you say, the prospect of a successful surgery is a powerful motivator when you're in a lot of pain. I'm not saying it was easy - it wasn't. Leading up to major surgery is really stressful, as is pain. And as a smoker, that's one of the (many) times I would rely on cigarettes.

But I did it! And I have no doubt that you will too. By the way, don't make the mistake I did of thinking of using gum - fortunately I realised before I started, but in my preparations for D day, I bought a load of nicotine gum!

All the best with it.

[KBear]

Best wishes on quiting. It is hard, but possible. I have smoked off and on since I was 15 years old and I am not 29. I quit both times I was pregnant, would stay quit for awhile and start again. I quit when I heard that it could cause back pain, after being quit for 6 months and getting no relief, I started again. I'm currently smoking again, and need to quit too. I just need to set a date and do it.... and as a female, I have the added weight gain issue. I have had the best luck with Chantix; but it does make you have some really, really, weird dreams. I would wake up and still feel like I was in my dream, it would take 5-20 minutes for me to realize it was a dream and reality to hit..... weird stuff!

[Justin]

Greg,

Good luck with quitting. As you know, non-union of fusion surgeries is exceedingly high in Spine Patients that smoke. Most surgeons will require that their patients be "smoke-free" for a period of time before surgery.

I hope the incentives of surgery are enough to push you to quit.

[Terry Newton]

I used to smoke and will have been quit for 20 years this year. You are young enough that you will recover from the damage. You will be giving yourself the best gift of your life. I thought I would go to the grave with a cigarette hanging out of my mouth. Call on us for any support and ideas. Many have gone where you are going.