Tips and Tricks

I wanted to share a few tips and tricks I've learned over the past 6 weeks to get the best function out of my nerve stimulator . Hopefully I'll keep adding to this as I learn more so don't forget to check back.

• A lower pulse rate (i.e. a thumping sensation rather than a buzzing sensation) gives the best pain relief. Mine is usually kept around 25-40.
  

• If you have the proper pulse rate to deal with pain, you don't need the amplitude set as high.
  

• There is less break through pain if you keep the stimulator on all the time. At first I would turn mine off when I was feeling good. But then suddenly the pain would catch up with me and I'd be laid out at least for a few hours with a headache. Now, when I'm feeling good, if I keep it on but at a low amplitude, I don't have those breakthrough headaches.
  

• You can overstimulate an area which therefore causes pain, so if you aren't in pain at the moment it's good to change your stimulation to another location. If you are in pain and turning the stimulator up or changing the pulse rate doesn't help, the pain is probably from overstimulation so it's good to either turn it off for awhile or stimulate another area.
  
  

• If you let the battery on your implant get down too low, it takes a long time (hours) to charge. It's best to just charge it a little here and a little there as you have time so you don't end up having to spend 5 hours just sitting on the couch some day re-charging yourself.