Revitive, Finally Relief from Peripheral Neuropathy Pain
Updated: 3 days ago
I recently had the misfortune to develop pain, numbness, pins and needle stabbing sensations in both of my feet. It started in one foot and by the next day the other foot had identical symptoms. The pain made me so anxious that I rang my Doctor for an appointment. I'm normally the type of person that waits for an extreme pain event or something falling off before going to the Doctor but these sensations were bad enough to make me go immediately.
Background, who am I to advise you?
After being pre-diabetic for a for about a year I became a Type 2 Diabetic during Covid in 2020 and this comes with a few negative side effects as anyone with this condition knows. Getting used to medication on a daily basis and removing items from your diet that you used to love is fairly rough going. Ongoing lack of energy and brain fog are another two symptoms that diabetics must come to terms with and will be familiar with as time goes on.
They paled in comparison with the Peripheral Neuropathy (PN) symptoms I started experiencing. I was aware of this being a complication of Diabetes but didn't think I would be bothered by anything even close until I was in my late 60s and beyond. In my late 40s I think this was a huge wake up call.
Pill Remedies
I desperately searched for medication and got lost in reviews and advice for various snake oils and vitamin supplements. Medical advice was leaning towards Vitamin D and B12 deficiencies with pain pills for pain management. My blood test revealed that B12 deficiency was not the issue and taking high dose vitamin D tablets didn't seem to resolve anything. Taking tablets long term, especially painkillers is not the healthiest way to treat something like this so I decided that circulation improvement was probably key in all this. Once that decision was made, I went looking for circulation boosters online.
Circulation Boosters
The vast majority of circulation boosters on Amazon were over the €100 mark but reviews were mixed. I find that reviews on Amazon can be very unhelpful at times as many of people are usually for the the products and enough are against the product to make you hesitate in buying. A fantastic product can be marred by a few who are never happy with anything. Where is the real accurate information to be found. I was bothered by this so much I felt I had to write this Blog Post.
I finally stumbled on the Revitive Circulation Booster. The price tag of €375 (at the time) made me very wary. Why was this device so much more expensive than others yet seemed so much less complicated? I went after every review I could find, visiting multiple websites in the process. There seemed to be mostly good reviews on those websites with people finding great relief from poor circulation issues. Amazon had the usual negative people though so I had to discount many of those. I finally pulled the trigger and ordered one from Boots Ireland. Don't worry, they sell these in other countries too, please read on.
Revitive, Finally Relief from Peripheral Neuropathy Pain
Any buyers remorse or skepticism of the Revitive Circulation Booster vanished after the first time I used the device. I will deal with it's use in later paragraphs but for now I just wanted to share the fact that it worked. I'm not going to share how it works, you'd be better off reading the technical information on the website where you are thinking of purchasing from. I'd only be rehashing manufacturers blurbs here and wasting your time.
Baby Steps
I had to start low and build up slowly over the next few weeks to get used to the sensations but within days my PN symptoms were vastly reduced and my ankle and calf musculature were feeling much stronger. I write this blog post over a month after first using this device and I have reduced usage to one 30 minute session a day to maintain my feet. The sensations are not painful but if your setting is too high your muscles may contract painfully now and then. Take your time getting used to it and adjust down if it feels in any way more than you can handle.
My First Impressions
The unit is very well designed and on first inspection the light weight might make you suspicious of quality. Fear not, it works and gives very powerful sensations right up to your knees. The rechargeable batteries are a fantastic addition to this machine. Charge at home and use it for a few days on battery mode. A lot of the other circulation boosters I looked at had fixed electrical leads so you had to stay close to a socket to use. The Revitive is 100% portable and can be set up to use in seconds. The rubber matting for under your feet is very comfortable but you may have to keep readjusting your feet position as the machine is working. The remote control is a blessing, especially for people with limited mobility. Just point and click to increase or decrease the intensity. From my own point of view it was great to finally have some relief from Peripheral Neuropathy pain with the added benefit of stronger calves and ankles.
How I tested the Revitive
I first charged the unit for about 2 hours. I was a little impatient to see if I had wasted my money or not. I started the unit and was gradually increasing the intensity about 2 clicks at a time. When I got to 20 I had to stop as I thought my calf muscle would snap. Recommended settings for PN improvement is 40 and above and I thought I'd never reach that when the sensations at 20 were so powerful. I now know that it was because of muscle weakness which strengthens as you use this device.
I began with 2 x 30 minute sessions a day with a break of about 2 hours in between. Within a few days I was managing to get to levels above 30. The maximum sensations are normally in the first few minutes and again in the last 10 minutes but the sensations change all the time. The sensations are engaged for a few seconds with a relaxation break after and this keeps cycling during the operation time. If it is uncomfortable at any stage you can lower the intensity but it is the changing sensations that make this device so great.
At the time of writing, I use setting 58 fairly comfortably. The high sensations only last about 10 seconds before they calm down so try to go with them, they are less uncomfortable the more you use the device. You can always lift your feet off the device and it will automatically pause.
The Underside of the Revitive
The underside of the unit is very simple. There are 4 grips to stop it from sliding and 2 pivot points which allow your muscles to move up and down. That's it, nothing complicated about it. I have hidden the barcode here for obvious reasons.
Also has a Tens Function
The Revitive also comes with a port for Tens patches so you can treat pain in other areas of the body. I have not tested this yet as my focus is primarily on my circulation problems. I may or may not use this feature as I already have a Tens Machine for pain relief. This is a nice bonus feature though.
Pros and Cons
I could not find fault with this device at all. The only issue I have is that it keeps moving away from the chair as I'm using it. This is probably due to the fact that I use it on carpet. I'm sure I could find a rubber or yoga mat that might fix this. This is not a big issue anyway and I normally just pull the machine back towards the chair with my feet between active sensations.
You might find that some days the contact is less because your feet are dry. I don't normally have this issue because I use the Revitive after my workouts when my skin is damp from perspiration. You can buy conductive gels but you may get the same result by wiping a damp cloth across the soles of your feet.
I tried Aloe Vera moisturiser after a review mentioned it was ok for conducting, it worked but my feet kept sliding off the unit. My view is that buying a conducting gel is an unnecessary expense.
Further Advice
If I'm going to take advice from anyone, I would like to get it direct from someone in the same boat as me. As a Diabetic and a sufferer of Peripheral Neuropathy, my experience might save you time, money and a bit of pain and lead you on a path to healing. The symptoms of PN are no joke when they start so if you are Diabetic or have circulation issues; prevention is better than cure!
Another Pro use, It can also be used by healthy sporty types for toning muscles while watching TV. In fact, anyone in your home can use the device to strengthen their lower legs and improve circulation.
Please Note: Revitive Circulation Booster®, including Medic Knee should not be used by people who are: Fitted with an electronic implanted device such as a heart pacemaker or Automatic Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (AICD) Being treated for, or have the symptoms of, an existing Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) or Pregnant.
In Conclusion
Don't worry about the price, I did and I went ahead with the purchase anyway. I now believe it was worth every single penny. I bought the unit in Boots online, I will share that link and one to Amazon so you can read more if you like. I am not affiliated with either and you are free to buy the unit anywhere you wish.
Check out the Revitive Circulation Booster in Boots Ireland Please note, prices are subject to change.
Check out the Revitive Circulation Booster on Amazon Please note, prices are subject to change.
If you are suffering from PN, I hope this device brings the same relief to you as it did to me. If this review has helped, I would love to hear from you in the comments below. All the Best, David
Addendum After Writing this Blog Post
While I was getting these PN foot pains I was also getting a kind of squeezing pain in the toes of my left foot while sitting down. This was down to reduced circulation and was hard to ignore. Even warm slippers failed to relieve the pain. This was all during Summertime so imagine what the Winter was going to be like.
I searched for anything I could wrap around my foot while sitting down watching TV. I could not find anything suitable until I eventually came across a Foot Cast Sock on Amazon UK. I initially ordered the XL but found that far too big. I then ordered the next one down, size L and that seemed to fit much better. I bought a second one soon after. I wear these anytime I feel any bit of cold. If you struggle with the same thing, maybe these will work for you. I'm a UK size 11 shoe and the L is loose fitting for me. Try a size down from your normal size, you can always send it back. There are no grips underneath so they are not suitable for walking around the house. I hope that helps!
Medical Check-up
Maybe I should have pushed this paragraph further up but it needs to be said somewhere. If you are experiencing Peripheral Neuropathy, your first stop should be to a Doctor to get a blood test. This will rule out any mineral deficiencies or any more serious illnesses that you need to know about. A circulation Booster is a great health aid regardless but getting a Check-Up will give you piece of mind.
Additional Note after using Revitive for a few months
Now that I have been using this device for a few months I felt a little update was in order. I still experience the benefits of using the Revitive although I might miss a day here and there. One 30 minute session a day is all that is required to maintain my feet and calves in top condition. The device still performs perfectly although I have something to report.
I have been using the Revitive daily on battery mode without connecting the charging cable, I generally don't like electrical devices connected to my body for obvious reasons even though this was designed to be used for both battery and mains use. After more than 3 sessions on battery mode I felt that the sensations were not as powerful as when the battery was at full charge. It still felt like it was doing something and I initially dismissed the issue.
I recommend you limit it to 2 or 3 uses on battery mode and then recharge the unit. This way you will get the best benefit from it. Someone else might not notice the weaker sensations but I definitely did. I thought maybe my feet were not conducting the signals properly at the time but I used it with a full charge after that and it was back to normal again. I hope this helps!
Something for your next Holiday?
I seem to be getting hits from outside Ireland on this Blog. If you ever find yourself on holiday in the South West of Ireland, maybe you'd like to try out one of my Woodturning Experiences?
