Ever get caught out by the electric fence as a child? You may recall the sensation of that sudden shock or maybe the feeling after of pins and needles? Electrical stimulation for pain control was used in ancient Rome, 63 A.
It was reported by Scribonius Largus that pain was relieved by standing on an electrical fish at the seashore. From the 16th to 18th centuries various electrostatic devices were used for headaches and other pains, even Benjamin Franklin was a supporter of this method for pain relief.
Electrotherapy uses electrical signals to interfere with the transmission of neural pain signals into the brain. It effectively slows down or distracts the message from the nerve to the brain.
Electrotherapy can also involve the use of this electric current to speed tissue healing where tissue damage has also occurred. TENS is widely used around the world for a variety of painful conditions such as;. A small electrical device think back to the days of the Walkman! Lightweight versions not much bigger than a credit card are available these days. This can be clipped to your jeans or placed in your pocket. The device is connected by wires to sticky pad electrodes, which are placed on the skin in the area of the pain.
This allows a small, low-intensity electric charge to be passed across the area. Most people can use a TENS machine but it is unsuitable for:. TENS users should experiment with various electrode placements. Electrodes can be placed over the painful area, surrounding the painful area, over the nerve supplying the painful area, or even on the opposite side of the body. Electrotherapy is a gentle and non-invasive modality that works by stimulating nerves and muscles through the surface of the skin.
Though it varies based on which device your practitioner uses, electrotherapy is thought to work in a variety of ways:. Though there are many types of electrotherapy treatments available, most sessions involve the same basic set up. In some forms, you will have electrode pads placed on your skin with adhesives.
The pads are connected to via wire to the physiotherapist's battery-powered device — which then transmits the electrical signals to your body. In other forms of electrotherapy, your physiotherapist will use a transducer with gel to transmit specialised ultrasound waves into your body. When you go for a session, your physiotherapist might use one of these methods in treatment:. One of the most common electrotherapy treatments, Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation TENS makes use of small devices which deliver pulses of electrical stimulation.
The goal of the TENS machine is to stimulate sensory nerves to achieve pain relief and is often used for both nerve pain and chronic pain conditions. When used in physiotherapy, therapeutic ultrasound in physiotherapy uses a deep heating effect on different tissues — like muscles, ligaments, and tendons — to boost circulation and stimulate the healing process.
This method makes use of a transducer instead of electrode pads and is often used to treat strains, tendonitis, and knee meniscus tears. Also known as IFT, interferential electrotherapy uses low-frequency electrical stimulation to stimulate muscles, increase blood flow, and reduce pain. Ordinarily, acupuncture makes use of thin needles inserted at specific points which target different organs or bodily systems. Electroacupuncture follows the same principles, except it uses two needles with an electric current that passes between them.
It's often used to treat chemotherapy side effects and acute pain. In shockwave therapy, acoustic waves with high energy are used to treat conditions. Like therapeutic ultrasound, shockwave therapy makes use of a transducer with gel.
This therapy is used to help stimulate collagen production, release painful trigger points, and reduce inflammation in the body. It's also very useful for musculoskeletal conditions like plantar fasciitis, tennis elbow, and Achilles tendinopathy.
While some methods of electrotherapy target nerves, EMS targets muscle tissue. This specialised form of electrotherapy stimulates your motor neurons which causes your muscles to contract. This is often used in cases to treat and prevent muscle atrophy. Your physiotherapist can help you figure out which electrotherapy method works best for you and your needs.
Depending on your medical or musculoskeletal condition, electrotherapy can offer several key benefits:. Those who suffer from nerve pain experience numbness, tingling, burning, muscle weakness, and general pain throughout the body. Though the causes for nerve pain vary, the pain is attributed to your body's nerves sending out electrical impulses that carry pain signals. In cases of nerve pain, a physiotherapist can use a TENS machine to target and reduce nerve pain by interfering with or "confusing" the pain signals your body transmits.
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