Tens / Ems

Here’s a small recommendation Ken.
Because of this bicep tendon problem, I bought a TENS/ EMS machine to help manage the pain and to get better circulation throughout the area.
On the TENS (transcutaneous electronic nerve stimulation) side of the machine, it sends a light array of electricity through the chosen area which kills the pain. On the EMS (electronic muscle stimulator) it does what it says. It stimulates the muscles and tendons which produces light to heavy contractions depending on the setting.
Whether on the TENS side or the EMS side, there is a higher amount of circulation which leads to faster healing and the increased endorphins ain’t bad either.

The whole thing cost me about $28 (Amazon) and I love the thing! I only hook up for about 10-15 minutes a day and I definitely feel like my recovery time has been shortened immensely!
Of course, I also bought some elbow sleeves to help keep me from damaging the tendons any further but I did stop using any anti-inflammatory medicine and also quit having to tape up with K-tape.

Note: I looked at your pic again and no....you do not look like you are enjoying things at all.
Prayers for a fast healing!

 

To be truthful, as many times as I have put too much strain on my back or some other dumb stuff, life would have been a lot easier if I had known about the machine a long time ago.

 

When writing about the TENS machine in response to @Ken Anderson, there were a couple of things I didn’t know then that I find absolutely fascinating now.

Whilst using the machine I noticed that when I move about even slightly, other connecting muscles are made manifest through the movements.
For me, the most important thing about bodybuilding is to establish a muscle / brain connection and for some muscles like the flexors and other stabilizing muscles it is extremely hard to make that connection.
I first made a better connection when I placed the pads on my upper forearms to relieve the tension throughout the bicep tendon and the long head of the bicep. With the machine running on the normal setting, I moved each digit of my hand and I could feel a new sensation in a different part of my arm and hand with each singular movement.
Note, I already knew the muscle structure of my arm and hand but to actually visualize each segment and to make each one work on their own was nearly impossible but after a couple of sessions with the TENS, my brain has made a full connection to the segments and I’m starting to learn how to move each one independently.

Now, I realize that this has seemingly little to do with walking as an exercise but think about it a bit. If one suffers an ankle sprain in the middle of nowhere, through a good brain / muscle connection one can know which muscles to incorporate in order to provide better support. Also, if one has studied some form of biofeedback especially on the pain relieving side, one can mentally pinpoint the area to concentrate on in order to help kill the pain.

 

I think I am going to try this machine. I've been pricing them and found one for about $25.00 on Amazon.

 

It’s probably about the same thing as I have. As a caveat, do watch some YouTube videos because whilst it may be relatively harmless, if you make a mistake you will undoubtedly know about it instantly.
For instance, do NOT attempt to move the pads until you shut the machine off. I got a small “surprise buzz” through my thumb when I tried moving one of the pads and it’s something I am not going to do again. It isn’t as though it hurt necessarily but the pads are sticky so when I tried moving the pad, it wouldn’t release from my thumb until I shut the machine off.
The problem I had is it surprised me and whilst trying to turn it off I was busy shaking the one hand to get rid of the pad and in a moment of frustration I accidentally turned the power up instead of off and that’s when I really got busy! I must have looked like I was in an excerpt out of some slap stick comedy!!

Needless to say, I started watching a couple of videos and learned how to properly use the TENS without having to employ the trial and error method.

 

Thank you for the head up, Yvonne. I'll watch the vids first.

 

I hope you can find one that you can understand. My English just doesn't fess up to those instruction booklets.

 

Sooooo, how did it go? Have you turned the knob on to #5+ just to see what would happen?
Did you get a little frustrated with the directions and go to YouTube yet?

 

The booklets I REALLY enjoy are the ones with multiple languages and also written in such small print ya can’t tell the difference between Chinese and English without a pair of binoculars.