**I have been given this product as part of a product review through the Chronic Illness Bloggers network. Although the Quell device was a gift, all opinions in this Quell review remain my own and I was in no way influenced by the company.**
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The following is my personal review of the Quell for pain relief.
If you look up the word quell in the dictionary you’ll find it means “to put an end to, typically by the use of force.” When you’re talking about life with chronic pain the word quell sounds like a life changer!
My Quell happened to arrive at a good time. I had recently decided to cut down on my dose of gabapentin which I take for my fibromyalgia. The side effects I had been dealing with had just worn on me to the point where I was literally choosing increased pain over those side effects, and increased pain was exactly what I was getting.
How does Quell Wearable Pain Relief work?
The Quell unit is a small, thin black device that slides into a black leg band. I found it very comfortable to wear. It fit under my jeans so I had no problem leaving it on for the majority of my day.
The device uses transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) to stimulate sensory nerves in your calf which in turn carries the precise electrical impulses to your brain and central nervous system. Together they trigger your body’s natural pain relief system that blocks the pain. Devices using TENS neurostimulation have been used by physicians for decades to manage pain.
The Quell device is eligible for FSA and HSA reimbursement and comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee so you can try it risk-free!
The Quell is an over-the-counter (TENS) device so the actual device itself, and the electrodes are eligible for flexible spending accounts (FSA), health savings accounts (HSA), and health reimbursement arrangements (HRA).
I love finding various means of controlling pain outside of prescribing narcotics: medical, supplemental, lifestyle, and devices like this.
How to use the Quell pain relief device:
When I turned it on for the first time I was a bit concerned it might hurt. After all, it’s advanced neurotechnology that’s being delivered by way of electrodes wrapped around my leg. Not sure what to expect, I decided to start by wearing the device for 6 hours a day and see if it affected my pain levels.
I found that it starts out at such a low intensity it’s barely noticeable. Once you do the initial calibration, they recommend you let it run for two minutes before you customize the intensity. I played around with the power until it was slightly noticeable, but not at all painful.
I decided to increase the intensity so I could see how strong the impulses could get. The sensation felt similar to when you’re foot falls asleep and you tap it on the ground. There was a slight tingle but it wasn’t painful. This setting seemed to work well and by the time the first hour-long session ended, I could tell my pain had decreased some. That’s right, Ms. Cynical was thinking this just might be a product that would work!
As I’ve tested the device over the next two months I noticed that on days where my pain was higher I could increase the intensity of the therapy session and it, in turn, increased the amount of pain it controlled.
TMI warning here! The day before and the first day of my periods are usually very high pain days for me. I guess my body thinks it’s giving me a heads up and needs to alert me of my hormonal cycling. Over the past year, the pain during these days has been getting worse. So I decided, what better time to put the Quell to the test?! It made a huge difference. It decreased my overall pain and even decreased the intensity of my menstrual cramps. Not sure the company wants to be the poster child for period relief, but it made such a huge difference for me I thought I needed to mention it. 🙂
There’s a very convenient, free app you can download for your Android or iOS smartphone.
From this app, you’re able to turn the device on and off, increase or decrease the intensity as well as watch a series of tutorial type videos that will answer just about any questions you might have. The unit works fine without the app and the videos can be found on Youtube, but it does make using the device very simple.
The best part of the device is that you have the power to control the intensity of the therapy sessions. If your pain is higher one day, you can simply increase the intensity for better pain relief.
The Quell pain relief device is safe to wear while in bed and offers three settings just for sleep.
- Bedtime only – therapy cycle only last while falling asleep and turns itself off once you’re sleeping
- Gentle overnight – therapy sessions continue through the night but at a lower intensity than your daytime setting
- Full power – sessions will continue through the night at the same intensity you have it set for during the day
The Quell device is not just for fibromyalgia!
The neurotechnology works with multiple diseases and conditions that result in life with chronic pain. If you CLICK HERE to their youtube channel you’ll see a few testimonials from a variety of people with different causes to their chronic pain.
Want to learn more about Quell for pain relief?
For any of you who would like to dig deeper into the technology and medical science behind the Quell device, you can CLICK HERE to read a number of research studies conducted regarding Quell’s patented neurotechnology. This page should answer any of the more technical/medical questions you might have!
You can purchase your own Quell – Wearable Pain Relief unit from Amazon by clicking here.
