ARLENE HAILS NEW GADGET
Arthritis mum says horse cure ended her years of agony
AN ARTHRITIS sufferer says a treatment developed for horses is easing her pain after years of agony.
Arlene Berrie feared nothing could be done to stop her degenerative condition. Painkillers didn’t work and she was barely able to walk.
But the single mum has now discovered that an electrical pulse treatment that is used to stimulate healing in horses also works for her.
Arlene, who helps look after her daughter’s horse, said: “I’m not 100 per cent but my pain is less than it has been in years. I want everyone to know about it. It really is amazing.”
The 46-year-old said she had been in pain for a decade.
She added: “For years, I had been complaining of lower back pain but I was palmed off and sent for physio until I was eventually referred for a scan.
“As soon as the scan was done, I was told to stop physio immediately and just given painkillers.
“I was told the problem was crumbling discs in my lower back.”
Earlier this year, Arlene was told she had arthritis,
She got an appointment at a pain clinic and was given a TENS – transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation – machine, a method of pain relief involving the use of a mild electrical current. But it didn’t help.
She added: “Even pulling on socks or going downstairs was a struggle. I reached rock bottom and felt as if my batteries had run out. “I was constantly in pain and felt sore from the moment I woke up. I was struggling to get up and walk about.”
Arlene, from Ayrshire, struggled to help daughter Lara, 16, care for her horse Sid. And even standing for short periods would cause her immense pain.
A friend suggested she should try Arc4Health. The device, which costs about £250, works by mimicking the body’s natural electrical currents to relieve pain.
The machine, which is worn on the arm or ankle, has been used on horses for years but has now been developed for humans.
Arlene said: “Getting up one day, I thought, ‘I’m not in as much pain’. Then I was able to stand for more than five minutes without my back killing me.”
Clive Dewing, an NHS GP and medical director at Sussex-based Arc4Health said: “I firmly believe this could have a great impact on sufferers of several conditions.”
My pain is less than it’s been for years. It really is amazing