vibrating massages

[phlirv]

I am a T10 incomplete of 8 YRs.Left leg amp. I have slight feeling on my butt,back if my legs and the bottom of my stump and my one foot.
I borrowed a heavy duty massager and do my lower half of my body. on certain areas, I can feel the tingling of the vibrater eventho it is not at that spot.I then usually tingle as if everything was 'asleep' most of the day.
Is this normal? Being incomplete, are the nerves trying to reconnect?
I think I read somewhere that if the nerve sheath is damaged and the nerve is not severed that it needs to be taught to work again. Would electro stimilus be an idea or am I just dreaming?
PHIL

[SCI-Nurse]

Phil - the massager is doing two things..it is increasing circulation to the area just as if you were to have a manual massage by a therapist. Increased blood flow to an area can sometimes result in a tingling, 'awakening' sensation. Secondly, the nervous system is incredibly complex and has reflex capacity and electrochemical impulses that control many responses. Since you are providing deep stimulation, the massage is triggering unpredictable responses. It is not understood why a stimulation in one area will be felt elsewhere. This is experienced, at times, in FES, i.e. when the electro-stimulus is applied the patient may have an uncomfortable or annoying response in other parts of the body.

Your reference to the nerve sheath is probably to the myelin sheath, a protective fatty substance that covers the axons (carries messages from the nerve cell) of a nerve cell. Meylin in the peripheral nervous system can regenerate while that within the central nervous system cannot. This latter condition is one of the aspects of SCI that is being studied intensively by the researchers at the Miami Project. CRF

[phlirv]

Thanks. I will keep doing it.The tingling is lasting longer and longer. I have also noticed less of a a problem with nite time bladder control.
PHIL.

[SCI-Nurse]

Phil - It is interesting that you are noting these changes. As Dr. Young and many of us in SCI health care are aware, there are persons many years post-injury that do begin to have some return. It may be minor, but it certainly is not to be taken lightly. We will be interested to hear if you have further changes.

If you have not had a good assessment by a physiatrist or your SCI doctor recently, it may be time to do so. CRF

[phlirv]

Having just moved, I am still looking.Thanks for the input and I will keep you informed,
Phil I.