My teen daughter went to her first physical therapy/chiropractic session today.
I am concerned about the safety of the use of electrical muscle stimulation in Lyme patients. This made her have muscle twitches as they expected. These twitches were throughout her body. The twitches continued intermittantly for 30 minutes after therapy was over.
They used 80 - 120 Hz, at 13mA....set to the patient's tolerance for a total of 10 minutes.
Does this type electrical muscle therapy stir up the bacteria or irritate the nerves?
Posted by sizzled (Member # 1357) on :
My experience is that it increased blood flow and may have regenerated damaged nerves.
I had acupuncture done for frostbit toes years ago and it 'cured' it!!
Hope this helps. Posted by Just Julie (Member # 1119) on :
I had this very same situation come up with me last fall, when I had 2 back injuries happen, 6 weeks apart. By the time I could finally get into see an orthopedist for the 2nd back strain injury, it was not as acute as when it first happened, but I was hoping to get into see physical therapy to learn exercises to help strengthen my back, for the "next time" it could happen.
Well, not knowing anything about PT, I went like a docile sheep. I sat on the table, listened to the therapist describe how I needed to strengthen my adominal muscles to support the back, and I understood all that. Then she said "well, now I'll go get the electrical machine" and I said, what?? Wait! What are you talking about? She then went on to say that this machine gave out electrical impulses and that it will help reduce the pain spasming in my back muscles.
I thought, crap, now I have to explain about the lyme disease stuff, how I've had muscle twitching for 7 YEARS (yes, years) and that I do anything possible to avoid electrical stimulation to my body, because I cannot stand the thought of making the twitching come back as it had in the beginning of my lyme disease stuff 7 years ago.
So, I tried to give her a very condensed version of why I was refusing the electrical stimulation machine, when she just abruptly said, well, ok, then all I can do for you is put hot packs on your back and give you a list of some exercises to do".
And that's what she did. I refused the electrical machine thing, didnt' really understand what it was, or how it worked, just knew that the muscle twitching is not something I wanted back 24/7 as it was for at least 4 yrs into lyme treatment.
I know there are others here on this board who also report that nothing is taking away their muscle twitching, and I fall into that category as well. No amount of abx taking, or magnesium supplementing has had an effect of when my muscles twitch, for how long, or for how long it can be until they twitch again. It's very distressing to still have this "symptom" if that is what it is, of lyme.
I would AVOID all muscle stimulation type machines, until you know for certain that they do not trigger, or cause, any long lasting muscle effects!
Posted by hiker53 (Member # 6046) on :
For muscle twitching if magnesium is not working alone, make sure you get some calcium(calcium citrate, not carbonate) in with it. Omega 3 and 6 fatty acid will help, too. Also, I found adding zinc to mag helped. If I get cramping I drink 1/4 tsp of cream of tartar in a glass of water for a few days to up the potassium. Hiker
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