I have had back pain for some years and my doctor suggests I should buy a TENS device. Do these machines really work?

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) is a non-pharmacological method of treating back pain. The device delivers low voltage electrical currents to the skin. TENS has been used by millions of people to treat a variety of pain disorders. Almost every healthy food store and pharmacy sells these devices. So do these devices actually work?

Review of the literature indicates that that the majority of people who used TENS found no pain relief. In fact, the pain relief by the sugar pill was much greater than the TENS device. The few people who did find relief noticed that the pain relief was very short in duration. After several months, most people found that TENS devices were more suitable as a paper weight.

So what does all this mean for the consumer? TENS mania has led to billion dollar industry which has thrived chiefly because of desperate people spending their hard earned money on bullshit devices. For the consumer with pain, do not spend your hard earned money on crap. Be knowledgeable, read about the devices before you buy them and avoid pain clinics- this is the one place where you are most likely to meet charlatans who will suck you dry.

I am a diabetic with severe neuropathic pain. Do you think capsaicin may help relieve this pain?

Capsaicin has been heavily marketed for a variety of pain syndromes. Today people buy this product and use it for the treatment of neuropathic and herpetic pain. When capsaicin is first applied, it actually worsens the pain, but then the pain sensitivity is reduced after repeated applications. While many people claim that it works, there are very few clinical studies that have actually looked at its efficacy. Based on some studies, capsaicin may work for mild neuropathic pain but complete relief is not possible. The product must be combined with other medications.

One can buy a low dose cream containing 0.075% capsaicin which can be used for repeat applications or use the 8% formula for single application. One of the most common side effects of capsaicin is the skin irritation which often leads to discontinuation of therapy. Capsaicin also does not come cheap. If you have the money, you may want to try the small dose of capsaicin. Pain relief is not instant and often takes many days. If you do not have money to waste on a product that may not work, you may want to try lyrica.