PainKare

I love being able to try products that promote pain relief without the use of medications.  Sharing these products with you is the best part.  Before I share my experience with PainKare Patch I want to tell you a little about it.

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. This blog post contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission to fund my coffee drinking habit if you use these links to make a purchase. You will not be charged extra, and you’ll keep me supplied in caffeine. It’s a win for everyone.

What is the PainKare patch? 

It is NOT a TENS device.  A TENS unit blocks the pain with a limited therapeutic effect.  PainKARE treats the pain at the origin and promotes self-healing of the pain with long-term results.  The PainKare device has been cleared by the US FDA for OTC (nonprescription) use for promoting self-healing of acute and chronic pains, including some difficult to treat muscle and neuropathic pains.

To help with specific areas of pain, there is an app to download to your phone.  Synched with your phone, PainKARE offers personalized pain treatment by tailoring specific protocols to specific symptoms, monitoring biofeedback, and adjusting treatment parameters for an optimal result. The app is free to download and available for IPhone and Android. 

 It is portable which allows you to use it anytime and anywhere, even while sleeping.  Because the device is relatively small, it won’t be seen under most clothing.  Nor will it take up a ton of space in your purse or backpack.

My thoughts

If you have been following my blog you know that I am a huge fan of treating my chronic conditions (Fibromyalgia, Psoriatic Arthritis, Degenerative Disc Disease, and abdominal adhesions) as naturally and pill-free as possible.  I love that this product promotes healing instead of just masking pain without the side-effects most medications come with.

What I liked

1.      The size.  I love that the device is small enough to toss into my purse and is undetectable under most clothing.

2.     When used with the app, I am able to choose my problem area and see where to place the patches.  I love that the app also tracks treatments.  This will help to determine what helps the most as I continue to use it.

3.       Pain relief arrives quicker if I use the device before the pain in the problem area becomes severe.  This means breaking out of my habit of waiting for pain to become unbearable before doing anything about it.  For pain that is already out of control, relief may take a few treatments.

4.       That this device can provide pain relief continuously for up to three years without having to replace batteries.  This product is not cheap, but if you break down the cost over a three year period, you are really only spending approximately $150 per year for muscle related pain relief.

5.       Speaking of cost, PainKare offers free devices for people who qualify, so don’t let the $449.99 price tag be a reason for not considering this product.  Click here to see if you qualify for a free device.  For those who would like to help, your donation will help PainKare give those who qualify a free device.

While the price would normally be a deterrent for me, I love that this company has set up a program to help people who qualify receive one for free.  My only real issue with the product has been with the app and not the device itself.  After numerous attempts, I could not get my device to connect via the Bluetooth on my Android phone.  I contacted the company and was told that they are having a few difficulties with some Android-based programs and are working to resolve them.  So while I couldn’t program the device with the app or track my treatment, I could still use the app to determine the placement of the patches according to my pain source and use the device. 

I will update this post after I am able to sync my device and app.  Sometimes I would feel a tingling sensation during treatment and other times I felt nothing.  But I always experienced some level of relief after each treatment. 

Overall, I believe the level of relief achieved depends upon how diligent the user is in addressing pain and using the device before it spirals out of control.  Be sure to visit PainKare to learn more about this product.