Twenty years ago I started experiencing all kinds of bone, joint, muscle and nerve pain down both of my legs. This pain started at the hips and radiated clear down my legs into my toes. After a year of suffering with the pain I finally saw a team of doctors for diagnosis and treatment. After 3 months of tests…I got several diagnosises which are complicated to say the least. Let’s just say that during the past 20 years I’ve had 2 hip replaces, a knee replacement and a new wrist. Sigh.
** This post may contain affiliate links. The writer is NOT a healthcare professional and is just sharing her personal story and experience. Please consult your own healthcare team for additional information.
I’ve experienced neuropathy pain in both legs and feet for 20 years. I do take prescription medication to help with the nerve pain. It’s every day, 24 hours a day of pain!!! Some days are better than others. I’ve tried ice packs, heating pads, topical pain relief medicated patches, rub-on creams, topical sprays and all sorts of other things to help relieve the pain. Some of these have worked better than others.
Last month I did some research online and read about EMS Electrical Muscle Stimulation Foot Massagers. Some people claim these really help them with the pain. There are different manufacturers of these devices with all kinds of different price points. Since I’m new to this type of therapy…I decided to go the inexpensive route and picked up one on sale for $10.00. Yes, you read that right. It was only ten bucks and I decided to give it a try.
The device that I purchased is definitely made of “cheaper quality” but it suited my needs of giving it a try as a new user. It came with a nicely labeled double-foot pad, a USB charging cable and the remote host device (where you turn it on and off, set the settings (modes), etcs. It came with a little instruction booklet which was poorly written but I was able to figure it all out on my own.
According to the instruction booklet:
EMS, also known as neuromuscular electrical stimulation, uses electrical pulses to induce muscle contractions. The central nervous system contracts muscles, EMS has proved to be an active muscle strengthening tool. The purpose of EMS is: muscle strengthening, prevention of atrophy of waste muscle, muscle relaxation, relieve soreness and beauty muscle conditioning.
As you can see…the booklet doesn’t say anything about helping to relief pain. However, I wanted to give this a try to see what type of results I experienced.
I’ve been using the EMS Electrical Muscle Stimulation Foot Massager every day for 2 1/2 weeks. I’m using the lowest setting and will eventually move it up. I use it for 10 minutes per day, typically in the evening while I’m watching TV. So far, here’s what I’ve personally experienced:
– Less episodes of restless leg syndrome which always occurs at night.
– About a 15% decress in the neuropathy pain that I experience in my feet and lower legs.
– An 80% decress in foot and calf muscle cramps.
– My feet and lower legs do feel more relaxed, less tired, less heavy which has decreased some of the pain that I experience.
Now…there are warnings in the booklet that patients who have implanted medical devices or patients who are hooked up to electronic medical devices should NOT use EMS. It also states that if you have cardiac (heart) problems, high blood pressure, etc. to NOT use EMS. Like all things of this nature…please consult your OWN doctor for information and to get medical clearance before trying one.
I took my EMS unit into my doctor as soon as it arrived. He looked it over and gave me the approval to try it. I’m cautious about trying new things! Anyway, if you suffer with neuropathy pain, muscle and joint pain in your feet…you may want to look into this type of therapy.
Disclosure: The writer personally purchased the product he or she is writing about in this post. No monetary compensation was received. He or she is sharing their unbiased and honest opinion about the product with the readers of the TCC blog. Your opinion may differ. Please consultant your own healthcare professional for additional information.