TENS for piriformis and oburator internus

[Violet M]

Here is a description of where my physical therapist told me to place electrodes to calm down the obturator internus and the piriformis.

Obturator internus:

Place one electrode on the inner thigh near the crease between the thigh and perineum, place the other electrode on the abdomen just inside the pelvic bone. If you have a 4 channel TENS unit you can do this on both sides.

Piriformis:

Place one electrode on the side of the hip at the widest point of the hips. Place the other electrode on the lower back just to the side of the top of the sacrum.

I was told you should run the TENS unit for at least 2 hours a day to get the most benefit.

Violet

[molly]

Thank you for that Violet, I shall start today.

Regards Molly

[Roger]

Do you know what settings were used please?

[river133]

I have been using a tens unit for several years. My sciatic , pudendal
,pain never leave, from the time I get up in the am until the time I go to bed at night. Would you have any idea where I should be using the 4 electrodes. I just put them on my behind where sciatic pain is.

[Violet M]

Roger, I don't remember for sure what settings I used. On my TENS I think I set it anywhere from 14-20 but other makes and models of TENS units may be different. What worked best is to get it up to where you feel a tingling feeling that's sort of in the background -- not overwhelming.

Ellie, I can't say for sure where to put the electrodes for your type of sciatic pain. If it's due to the piriformis muscle pressing on the nerve then put them where I described above for the piriformis.

Violet

[onmynerves]

Hi Violet,

This may seem like an odd question to ask, but I'm hoping you may be able to help. I have a standard TPN 200 TENS machine (https://www.procterhealthcare.co.uk/tpn ... ns-machine), what's become evident to me is that even if I have it cranked all the way up I don't feel very much going on, if anything at all. Sometimes I can feel the tingling, but eventually I can't any longer. Other times I have no sensation at all from the beginning.

I've been through everything systematically, skin prep, pads, cords, battery. I've had a friend test the unit on themselves and they can feel it.

Are you familiar with this, have you experienced this? Is this something that's unique to pudendal issues?

Thanks for reading.

If anyone else would like to chime in, please feel free.

[Violet M]

No, I haven't heard of this. Maybe you can check with a PT for advice or check with the company who makes the unit and see if they have heard of this problem. Some pudendal patients have loss of sensation, especially in the genital area but it seems like that would be slightly different than inability to feel the stimulation from a TENS unit.

Violet