Thumb Pain

[Bob]

I am assuming this is because you are using it on your head… using ICES-PEMF elsewhere on the body generally does not cause headaches.

Generally speaking, based on the clinical observations of people’s responses when Dr. Pawluk and I were studying the effects of ICES-PEMF when used on the head of people after they were diagnosed with chronic mTBI, we found that for the first few days some people had mild headache pain. This tended to dissipate after a few days of regular use.

If toughing it out like that (as suggested by Dr. Pawluk) would not work for you, then consider doing the following:

1- Reduce the frequency of the pulses you are using (above about 15 pps can be irritating)
2- Reduce intensity (generally start with a low setting and build up)
3- Reduce the time and or frequency of use.

From these lower-energy-exposure initial starting points, you can slowly build up intensity and exposure time based upon your individual response and tolerance.

[Handy1]

I’m actually not using it on my head haha, still on my thumb but I’m just weirdly sensitive. Regardless it’s not really that big of an issue. But do you have any recommendations for which setting to use on the M9 for the thumb?

[Bob]

That is unusual… I have never heard of that before. I thought you might have switched to trying it out on your head.

OK, my basic advice (above) still stands, actually. Adverse sensitivity takes a few days or weeks to overcome, and it is often best to ease into using the system if you are especially sensitive.

For the thumb I would (usually) recommend that you begin with the Omni-8 protocol. But in your case it might help to start with protocols that do not include the 100 Hz bursts in Omni-8. Therefore, I might suggest:
–Schumann 4
–Alpha Wave (yes, this works great on my orthopedic injuries)

[Handy1]

Yeah it’s pretty odd but it’s a pretty easy symptom to deal with thankfully. PEMF also gives me fatigue for some reason? Which makes it difficult to leave on 24/7 unfortunately

And then once I become more accustom to the intensity would you recommend going to omni 8?

[Bob]

This is an interesting topic, so thanks for bringing it up. Here is a summary of my relevant experience on this topic:

A few people have reported fatigue after using ICES-PEMF. This seems to be similar in some ways to a Herxheimer reaction, but probably different mechanisms of course. But similar in the sense that the treatment can cause release of toxins that can cause an initial, transient, negative response. In the case of PEMF, it may be that reduced inflammation initially causes the release into the system of something that had not been clearing properly (imagine, for example, clearance of a swollen lymph node as it suddenly begins to flow normally again, just as a mental image). Once the initial clearance has happened, the negative reaction seems to be reduced.

Some people have reported to me that they find ICES-PEMF to be extremely relaxing (as opposed to causing fatigue). Typically this is the case for people with postural problems from severe chronic lower back pain. The swelling can reduce so significantly, and the pain and postural tensions/imbalances can disappear rapidly, so much so that some people tend to fall asleep in the middle of the day. For at least one person this was enough of a problem that he decided not to use ICES-PEMF while driving, probably a wise choice.

A third phenomenon relates to nerve/brain entrainment. Even peripheral nerves can be entrained by the externally-applied pulses. For some people this can have unpredictable effects.

It may just be that you are wired up, so to speak, that peripheral nerve inputs have an out-sized influence on your CNS. That may be the case. I experience that myself to a lesser degree, but I can definitely sense it, even when using ICES-PEMF on my feet.

So, with all that in mind, starting low and slow is probably a good strategy for you, as well as experimenting with the pulse protocols and taking notes, to see if you can detect some sort of pattern that would give you a hint as to what the role of pulse pattern and frequency is in your individual response. In my case, I find Omni-8 to be slightly more effective for reducing pain, but also slightly more fatiguing. The differences for me are very slight, but I sometimes notice them.

[TajD]

When I first started using ICES PEMF, I have also found going slow or even taking a day or two break and going at it again with ICES-PEMF allowed my body to ultimately adjust to having coils on 12+ or even 20+ hours per day. With regards to headaches, now if I have a herxheimer reaction to a new supplement I am taking that is working on shifting my gut, I can put the coils on my temples on Alpha 15 and it will stop the headache in its tracks within 30 minutes. Pretty awesome. Before having ICES PEMF at my disposal to stop headaches, those types of headaches would lead to migraines requiring me to be in a cold dark room and go to sleep. I feel very empowered with ICES PEMF on so many levels.

[DrSeanX]

Hello Handy,
In my professional opinion you would most benefit from a proper assessment and diagnosis first. There are several sites from neck to shoulder to elbow to forearm which can entrap nerves and cause similar pain patterns. The degree of compression you are experiencing from C4-6 is a start - this can be a red herring or very useful information depending on your history and age.
Once you know what you’re really dealing with, ICES may be a primary or secondary therapy. It sounds like you’ve plateaued treating the thumb alone with ICES and you likely have other sites to try. There’s a long list of potential nonsurgical treatments depending on the cause(s) of your particular pain: manipulation, traction, targeted stretches, manual therapy, acupuncture, infrared, ProloGel, perineural injection therapy, prolotherapy/PRP, etc.