As you all probably know, I’ve come off my medication to try for a baby. Unfortunately I’ve had lots of hurdles put in my way, primarily the stress of taking my PIP decision to tribunal. Ain’t no one gonna get pregnant under that amount of stress! Being off my medication has meant that I’ve been on the hunt for non-pharmacological pain relief options. Enter the Quell Wearable Pain Relief device.
I have been given this product as part of a product review through the Chronic Illness Bloggers network. Although the product was a gift, all opinions in this review remain my own and I was in no way influenced by the company.
Quell Wearable Pain Relief is a wearable device that is designed to help manage chronic pain. It does this by stimulating the sensory nerves which tapping into the bodies natural pain relief responses. The Quell is worn on the outside of the upper thigh. For those with a smart phone, the Quell links into an app to help you calibrate your device, track your sleep, pain levels and much more. For maximum benefit, the Quell is designed to be worn for at least 4 hours a day (2 therapy sessions) and can take up to 4 weeks to become effective. Each therapy session lasts for 60 minutes, then you get a 60 minute break before the next session starts.
One of my favourite features of the Quell Wearable Pain Relief device, and a big plus in comparison to a tens machine is the Quell app, available for IOS and Android. The app is well set out and say to navigate. There are some personalisation options, which is particularly helpful in terms of health conditions. Though I’d like to see this expanded. There’s an ‘other’ option if you’re condition isn’t one of the fourteen listed. You can then additional information about your pain and it’s location. You can also track your daily pain scores, something that doctor’s often ask for to help them gage improvement/deterioration.
Helpfully, the Quell app reminds you to change your electrode, which needs to be done approximately once every two weeks. This is a very helpful feature for those with memory problems. There’s also a section on the electrode’s protective covering where you can write the date you start using it. This way you don’t have to worry about forgetting how long you’ve been using it.
The main difficulty I had with the Quell Wearable Pain Relief device was in relation to my clothing. I often wear leggings or jeggings, because they’re comfy. They also give a tiny bit of feedback for me, which helps with my poor proprioception. But, you can’t really get a Quell underneath leggings, not without damaging them. So I lived in loose jeans (thank you weight loss) for a couple of months.
In the summer, I normally live in shorts and dresses. The heat and my PoTS don’t mix. But, with my photosensitivity, I’d need to wear something that would cover the Quell up, so that the lights on the devise don’t cause me a problem with my basilar type migraine. These are clearly very specific things that most people won’t have difficulty with. But I thought I’d mention them, because I know quite a few of my friends with chronic illnesses also live in leggings.
The Quell Wearable Pain Relief device can be worn 24 hours a day, including while asleep! It’s safe for use during pregnancy, but is unlikely to be beneficial for headaches and migraines.
I tried to wear my Quell overnight to overcome the clothing issue and be able to track my sleep. Unfortunately it just didn’t work for me. With my hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, I move a lot during the night. If I stay in one position too long I become stiff and can end up hurting the joints that I’m lying on. Having the Quell device on my leg meant I wasn’t able to lie on one side when trying to fall asleep. This made it harder to get comfy. When I did get to sleep, I was woken up when I rolled onto the side I was wearing my Quell, as it dug into my leg. It’s great that the Quell is safe to wear during the night and particularly that you can then track things like sleep via the app, but it’s not going to be for everyone.
Where as a TENS machine provides area specific pain relief, the Quell Wearable Pain Relief device is designed to target widespread pain. This really excited me. My TENS machine gets the most use for premenstrual syndrome (PMS) related pain, but unfortunately even with a dual lead (4 pads), I can’t get relief in all the areas I need. I have to choose which hurts the least out of my abdomen, back and hips. Then I’ll target the two most painful areas with my TENS machine. I was really hopeful that the Quell would be able to bring my PMS related pain down to a slightly more manageable level, so that I’m able to function.
Pain is a difficult one, particularly when looking for changes over a longer period of time. I have to admit that I didn’t notice an improvement in my pain levels. However, there could be a very good explanation for this. I’ve already mentioned my PMS. It’s something that severely affects me for at least two weeks out of every month, sometimes more. Those of you who have seen Game Of Thrones may remember when Arya Stark gets repeatedly stabbed in the abdomen. Well that’s just a good visual representation of the abdominal pain I experience as a result of my PMS. Then there’s the boob pain, the worsening in my migraine and PoTS, the hormonal melt downs, I could go on but I won’t.
Unfortunately, my PMS has a knock on effect on my hEDS. My joints become more lax because of my hormones and I’m more prone to injury. Every month, my health deteriorated because of the effect my PMS has on my body. Not only am I not able to get back to the point I was at pre-period before the next one hits, the amount I’m being affected is becoming greater.
I’ve also had my wheelchair sent away twice to be fixed, for a month each time. The wheelchair I was loaned by wheelchair services significantly raised my pain levels. It’s taken time for my body to recover from sitting in an unsuitable wheelchair.
While I haven’t noticed an improvement in my pain as a result of using the Quell device, it may well be that I would be in more pain now had I not used it.
The Quell Wearable Pain Relief Starter Kit contains a Quell pain relief device, sports band, 2 Quell electrodes and a charger unit. The plug on the charger is the two point US version, so those in the UK will need an adaptor. Luckily I already had one. It can be purchased from Amazon.com for $249 (with a $88.45 shipping and import charge). The Quell electrodes cost $29.95 (plus $11.14 for UK delivery) for a month’s supply (two electrodes) and $84.95 ($22.32 for UK delivery) for three months supply.
Have you tried the Quell Wearable Pain Relief device?
What’s your favourite non-pharmacological method of pain relief?
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