Newly Approved Device - available in US

Please share your experiences, successes, and failures in using non-drug therapies for RLS/WED (methods of relief that don't involve swallowing or injecting anything), including compression, heat, light, stretches, acupuncture, etc. Also under this heading, medical interventions that don't involve the administration of a medicine to the body (eg. varicose-vein operations, deep-brain stimulation). [This forum contains Topics started prior to 2009 that deal with Non-prescription Medicines, Supplements, & Diet.]
ViewsAskew
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Newly Approved Device - available in US

Post by ViewsAskew »

This device was just approved for sale in the US.
Ann - Take what you need, leave the rest

Managing Your RLS

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Hopeful
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Re: Newly Approved Device - available in US

Post by Hopeful »

I'm curious about this! I read the website and it said it works by vibratory counterstimulation.

can someone explain to me how this compares to a TENS unit? I know TENS works on the nerves..... thanks.

Polar Bear
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Re: Newly Approved Device - available in US

Post by Polar Bear »

I thought it sounded very 'tens like'.
Betty
https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/a ... 0/fulltext
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Hopeful
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Re: Newly Approved Device - available in US

Post by Hopeful »

I decided to do a little research - here's what I found after calling my health insurance company and Sensory Medical, who makes the device.

The Relaxis will be for sale starting Sept. 1st. I'm waiting for a call back from them to find out the cost.

My health insurance company said that it would be helpful if I could get the "CPT" code, and then I would need to ask my dr. for a prescription, then it would go through the prior authorization process to see if it would be covered or not.

Just an interesting note, there is a major Sleep Conference taking place in Minneapolis this weekend. Quite a few sessions dealing with RLS, and several of the doctors who are active in the WED foundation are part of the talks. I guess it makes me feel good that doctors and researchers out there are working on this!

Hopeful
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Re: Newly Approved Device - available in US

Post by Hopeful »

After reading the description, I am wondering if this is basically the same as a vibrating chair pad. I looked on Amazon and even saw a vibrating heating pad- could this provide the same results?

ViewsAskew
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Re: Newly Approved Device - available in US

Post by ViewsAskew »

I think it's likely closer to the vibrating heating pad...but I do not know. Too bad we can't get a few as testers :-).

I have a vibrating massager - it absolutely helps, but symptoms come back as soon as I stop. My guess would be that this might be similar for severe symptoms and it might completely resolve mild to moderate ones or break through symptoms.
Ann - Take what you need, leave the rest

Managing Your RLS

Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.

badnights
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Re: Newly Approved Device - available in US

Post by badnights »

It's not like a TENS at all, a TENS uses electrical stimulation whereas this pad uses vibrarion. I personally would probably like it if better if it had heat as well! but we're all different. In trials, it improved quality of sleep and reduced sleep disturbances for a significant number of patients, but in some patients it made symptoms worse. So I wonder if the frequency and variability of the vibration needs to be adjustable for different patients, similar tothe various waveforms of a TENS, nad if later models might incorporate such a feature. Of course, the current model will have to sell enough first.

It was developed by a medical doctor who developed WED.

When I first saw this I wondered if it was the end product of that university student group that won an award a few years ago to develop a device to help WED/RLS, but it appears not to be. I wonder what ever happened to them?
Beth - Wishing you a restful sleep tonight
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Phillips2768
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Re: Newly Approved Device - available in US

Post by Phillips2768 »

In the past, before my RLS got really bad, I used a barber shop vibrator. I would place the hand pad of the vibrator directly on the RLS symptom area and press hard wile activating the vibrator. It worked very well until my RLS got worse. No prescription necessary either. :wink:

cornelia

Re: Newly Approved Device - available in US

Post by cornelia »

Personally I think that all of these things could work well for people with not too bad RLS symptoms and not for many people on this board, but I can be mistaken. I wouldn't even be interested to try it. Last year or so I got he possiblity to try the app. with infrared light on my legs. I did it for 4 weeks and very seriously: it didn't do a thing.

Corrie

ViewsAskew
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Re: Newly Approved Device - available in US

Post by ViewsAskew »

cornelia wrote:Personally I think that all of these things could work well for people with not too bad RLS symptoms and not for many people on this board, but I can be mistaken. I wouldn't even be interested to try it. Last year or so I got he possiblity to try the app. with infrared light on my legs. I did it for 4 weeks and very seriously: it didn't do a thing.

Corrie


Corrie - I agree. I do hope that all those with mild and moderate symptoms give this a try. Those of us with the worst symptoms are only 2-3% of all with WED - that hopefully means that a device like this might help upwards of 80-90% of us! Wouldn't that be great? In the meantime, let us hope that the researchers keep after this so that those with the almost constant symptoms can get relief at some point, too.
Ann - Take what you need, leave the rest

Managing Your RLS

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KDecker1612
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Re: Newly Approved Device - available in US

Post by KDecker1612 »

I am in the severe category and it would not work for me. Using a vibrating massager anywhere on me can trigger my legs. I've often dreamed of a device that could provide a deep muscle massage - it would have the large balls inside that rotate and press into the muscle, like a massage chair, only for the front of my thighs where my symptoms are worse. It would have to be pretty powerful and made with very durable materials to get to the deep thigh muscles. Would probably be really expensive! But I dream of it anyway....

ViewsAskew
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Re: Newly Approved Device - available in US

Post by ViewsAskew »

KDecker1612 wrote:I am in the severe category and it would not work for me. Using a vibrating massager anywhere on me can trigger my legs. I've often dreamed of a device that could provide a deep muscle massage - it would have the large balls inside that rotate and press into the muscle, like a massage chair, only for the front of my thighs where my symptoms are worse. It would have to be pretty powerful and made with very durable materials to get to the deep thigh muscles. Would probably be really expensive! But I dream of it anyway....


I find that light touch - from a tickle to a soft caress to a light massage - all can trigger symptoms. Things need to be very purposeful to not set off symptoms.
Ann - Take what you need, leave the rest

Managing Your RLS

Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.

KDecker1612
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Re: Newly Approved Device - available in US

Post by KDecker1612 »

ViewsAskew wrote:
KDecker1612 wrote:I am in the severe category and it would not work for me. Using a vibrating massager anywhere on me can trigger my legs. I've often dreamed of a device that could provide a deep muscle massage - it would have the large balls inside that rotate and press into the muscle, like a massage chair, only for the front of my thighs where my symptoms are worse. It would have to be pretty powerful and made with very durable materials to get to the deep thigh muscles. Would probably be really expensive! But I dream of it anyway....


I find that light touch - from a tickle to a soft caress to a light massage - all can trigger symptoms. Things need to be very purposeful to not set off symptoms.


Exactly, especially anywhere on my feet, legs, or lower back.

alcharla
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Re: Newly Approved Device - available in US

Post by alcharla »

I just had a Boston Scientific spinal cord stimulator implanted. It's similar to an internal tens unit...probes along my spine connected to a controller implanted in my hip, with a remote control to select the program and intensity. It's primarily for my back but does seem to be helping somewhat with my rls. I've taken Mirapex for so long and at such increasing dosages that I'm looking for anything else that will help!

ViewsAskew
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Re: Newly Approved Device - available in US

Post by ViewsAskew »

Hope it continues to work.

You likely know it...the issue with pramipexole is called augmentation. You will need to keep increasing and your symptoms will keep getting worse. Stopping the drug is the only way to stop the merry-go-round. Of course, that also means finding another drug to replace it, not always an easy task.
Ann - Take what you need, leave the rest

Managing Your RLS

Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.

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