This post was developed in partnership with Bayer, as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central. I received the Aleve® Direct Therapy TM TENS Device and compensation to facilitate my review.
After a long day teaching, blogging or working in the yard – it’s easy to say that my body is telling me I’ve had enough. In the last couple of years, I’ve found that by dinner time, my lower back aches and all plans I may have for the evening most likely won’t happen. Whenever my lower back starts to hurt, I have the option of taking a couple of different pain killers and sit on the couch waiting for the aching to subside so I can get back to work, or start tackling my blog work. But let’s be real, we know taking pain killers all the time isn’t the best solution, and stretching and walking more hasn’t always been the best solution to my back problems.
I was sent an Aleve Direct Therapy TENS Device to try out and see if it would help with my lower back pain. Really, the only thing I knew about it was it is a device that applies directly to your skin and can provide medicine free pain relief for your back pain. TENS is a Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation, essentially, there are two clinical theories of how TENS can relieve pain: by blocking the transmission of pain, and by stimulating endorphins, the body’s natural pain-reducing chemicals. While it may sound a little scary, to me the feeling of the Aleve Direct Therapy device is similar to massage chairs at salon or the ones you find in the mall.
The Aleve Direct Therapy device is small, compact and something that could easily be packed with you on the go. But what I like the most about it was it can be worn while I cook dinner, helping me get back to my daily schedule. When you purchase Aleve Direct Therapy, your kit has everything you need to get started including the TENS device, a remote control to control the amount of stimulation, a screwdriver, batteries to use in the device and two gel pads to attach it to your skin. The gel pads are reusable for approximately two-five uses, with the amount of uses varying by the person using them. The TENS device and the remote are pre-synced and setting up the device is as easy as putting the batteries in, the gel pads on and using the device.
The first time I used the Aleve Direct Therapy device I didn’t really know what to expect. I placed the gel pads on the ends, turned on the TENS device and placed it on my lower back. With the remote control in hand I hit the power on button and started to control the device. The intensity of the wave therapy has several levels, but since my back is sensitive I couldn’t really go past the second level. Once the wave therapy begins, the TENS device will go through a 30 minute cycle and you will feel the waves change from gentle to more intense and back again. Like I mentioned before, the wave therapy felt similar to a massage chair does – but it was right where I needed it.
After the 30 minute wave therapy with Aleve Direct Therapy I was able to get back to what I had planned. My lower back pain had lessened and I didn’t have to take any medicine to relieve the tension. Since trying out Aleve Direct Therapy, it has become a go-to device after a long day. After eight hours behind a desk and over two hours in rush hour traffic the TENS device is great to help me get back to my routine and normal every day activities.
