Plantar Fasciitis.  It's a pain.  Literally.  Pain in the arches of the feet or in the heel, sometimes quite severe, and difficult to treat.  As one who has suffered for years with this ailment, I have tried many different ways, to lessen the pain.  One machine that was recommended by my doctor was the Twin Stim TENS/EMS Unit.

A quick tutorial on TENS/EMS for those who are unfamiliar (feel free to skip this section): TENS stands for Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation.  It's a non-invasive, drug-free method for controlling pain.  The unit sends tiny, electrical pulses through the skin, into the nerves.  The pulses immediately interfere with your brain's pain receptors, thus your brain is "tricked" into believing there is no pain.  The theory is that this pain-interference should continue even beyond the time that you're actually using the unit.   

EMS stands for Electronic Muscle Stimulation.  The unit sends electronic pulses directly to the muscle.  In theory, the pulses cause the muscle to "exercise passively".  The unit is used both for comfort (i.e., loosening tight muscles or reducing muscle spasms) as well as for conditioning and toning.

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Let me state right off the bat, that I have not used the EMS protocol of this unit, so I can not comment on its effectiveness.  I used the TENS protocol, as advised by my doctor.

The Twin Stim Unit is small, extremely portable and easy to use.  It comes with a convenient carrying case, a belt clip, 4 electrodes, and even the required 9v battery.  Everything you need to get started. 


Technical Stuff:

You can use the machine right off the bat, using its default settings.  Or, your doctor might instruct you to adjust the settings, depending on what you're using the machine for.  In my case, the physician's assistant actually programmed the unit for me, based upon the doctor's recommendations. 

Adjusting the settings is pretty easy - There's a "mode" button, an "up" button, a "down" button, and a "set" button.  Simply use the mode to toggle among the various settings, use the up/down buttons to make your choice, then hit the set button.   There are also dials for increasing/decreasing the intensity of the pulses.

So what are the things you can control?  For TENS, there are 5 modes (Burst, Modulation, Constant, MRW, SD, Bi-Pulse) as well as pulse width and pulse rate.  For EMS there are 2 modes (Synchronous, Alternate) as well as ramp time, pulse width, and pulse rate.  Both protocols also allow you to set a timer for your session, from 5 to 60 minutes.

Do I know what all of those settings actually mean?  No.  Like I said, my doctor set it up for me.  He chose normal mode, pulse width of 100, and pulse rate of 120.  He also set the timer to 20 minutes, but told me it was OK to do two sessions in a row, for a total of 40 minutes, if I wanted to.  He advised me to use the machine twice a day, each time for either one, or two sessions, of 20 minutes each.

There are two leads coming from the machine; each holds two electrodes.  Thus you can cover four spots at once, if you want.  The pulse intensity controls are separate, so you can set the right lead to one setting, and the left lead to another.

Finally, your usage is recorded, for a total of 999 minutes.  This means that every time you use the machine, the chosen settings and the session duration are recorded in the machine's history, and can be reviewed.  This is so that you can show your doctor what you've been doing (or so that he can ‘check up on you' to make sure you're following his instructions).


My experience:

I used this machine faithfully for several months.  Every day, although usually it was only once a day, I would hop into my favorite recliner, and hook myself up.  I would use all four electrodes each time.  The instructions just say to place them "near" the source of the pain.  So two went directly onto my heels.  The other two were placed on my legs, near the ankles. 

The pulses definitely take some getting used to. Initially the sensation is quite unpleasant.  It's a ‘pins and needles' feeling.  When I first started, to be honest, I hated it.  I didn't think I would ever get used to it, let alone find it pleasant. I always started the intensity quite low, gave myself a minute to get used to the sensation, then dialed up the intensity slowly.  At first, I kept the settings to a point where I could certainly feel the pulses, but they weren't strong enough to cause muscle twitches.  Later, as I got more used to the system, I was able to dial up the intensity higher, to the point where small muscle spasms would occur.  (My doctor told me this was fine - he actually said there was no right or wrong answer as far as intensity level is concerned - whatever felt good to me, would be fine).  And - yes - eventually, I found myself enjoying the sensation.  Like I said, it took some getting used to, but I got there.

Placing the electrodes was simple enough - they're attached to a sticky square of soft material.  The electrodes stay wherever you place them, but they're not difficult to remove.  They didn't leave any kind of sticky residue on my skin, although there would be a slight redness, where they were attached on my legs.  But on the heels, there was no redness, probably because the skin there is so much tougher than the skin on my legs.  So, just to give my skin a break, each day, I would choose a slightly different spot on my leg for the electrode, never using the same spot two days in a row. 

The instructions say to reuse the electrodes over and over, until they start to lose their adhesive ability.  I found I could use them for at least a month, and they would remain perfectly sticky.  But I also followed their advice, of placing some water on them, after each use.  I guess the water helps them maintain their stickiness, somehow.  I also made sure to stick them back onto their plastic holders as soon as they were dry, so there was little opportunity for dirt and dust to adhere to the pads.  (Replacements can be ordered from the manufacturer, or purchased at a medical supply store).

But what you really want to know is - Did it help???

Well, yes, and no.  I have to say that the pulses did, indeed, interfere with the pain, while I was using the unit.  For those 20 or 40 minutes, it was wonderful.  In much the same way that massaging a sore area, or even just rubbing it can make it feel better, the pulses "cover up" the pain.  This is where it's helpful if you can get used to the "pins and needles" sensation, and even get to the point where you find it pleasant, as I did. 

However, I received no lasting benefit whatsoever.  Two minutes after I finished my treatments, the original pain was back.  With no lessening at all.  I suppose I'm not really surprised by this finding - after all, it's hard to imagine that such a treatment could possibly have a lasting effect, despite the manufacturer's claims.  And, sure enough, I'm living proof.  At least in my case - the unit was useless in terms of lasting benefit.  Sure, it felt nice while I was using the machine, but with no lasting benefit, I quickly lost interest in using the unit.

You might say, "But Mona, if it gave you relief for 20 or 40 minutes at time, isn't that a good thing?"  And I would say, "Yes it is".  For those days when the pain is ultra severe, I might consider a brief respite to be well worth my time and effort.  However, for mild pain, I can achieve the same result easily enough using one my foot massagers, or by taking a mild pain reliever.  Remember that for those 20 to 40 minutes, I'm "tethered" to my spot.  Can't walk, really can't get out of the recliner.  I suppose if you're using the unit on your arms, or really any place other than the bottoms of your feet, you'd be a whole lot more mobile.  But as I certainly wasn't going to walk while receiving electrical pulses into my heels, I was stuck in one position the whole time.  So, it really wasn't very convenient.

My Bottom Line:

As far as TENS units go, they're probably all quite similar.  At least that's what my doctor said, when I asked him about it.  They all do pretty much the same things. I don't suspect that my lack of lasting benefit can be blamed on this particular unit.  I just think that for my particular ailment, the pain will come back, immediately upon cessation of the pulses.  I'm sure there are people who can receive immense benefit from a machine like this, and hopefully achieve a lasting effect, not just a temporary one.  But for me, it simply didn't work out.  I might use the machine again, if the pain should flare up severely, or for other aches and pains that come along.  But I've given up the idea of using it daily, in hopes of a "cure". 

If you have pain, this unit might help you.  But, of course, check with your doctor, first!



Plantar Fasciitis foot splints:
Futuro Heel Splint
Thermoskin Heel Splint


Here are two foot massagers that also help manage my foot pain:
i-Need Shiatsu Foot Massager
Ottoman 2.0 Foot And Calf Massager

Recommended: Yes