Modern TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) therapy has been around since about the 1970s. Since then, it has evolved to become a sophisticated, non-invasive therapy for pain that has helped millions of people around the world.
Rumor has it that even the ancient Romans knew electrical stimulation could assist pain sufferers. Mind you, they applied electric eels to do the job. We don’t use those at Back & Body Medical (we promise). The TENS machine is the 21st Century answer to the Roman Empire’s “eel therapy” and infinitely more pleasant.
TENS is a therapy which is growing in popularity for the treatment of pain from fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis and other conditions which require pain relief. At Back & Body Medical, we’ve seen measurable, short-term results from the use of electric stimulation therapy. Every day at our state-of-the-art facility, those results are borne out in excellent patient outcomes when employing this treatment as part of an integrated care program.
How it works.
TENS therapy uses a small machine which generates an electrical current, run through adhesive pads placed on the patient’s skin. The controlled current used in TENS produces contractions in the muscle or muscles in the targeted area.
While it may not be quite as off-putting as the electric eel of Ancient Roman days, some patients bridle at the thought of electricity being applied to their bodies. We understand. You’re not Frankenstein’s monster.
But what the TENS machine actually does is reproduce the natural electrical impulse which drives your musculature during normal activity. Electric stimulation isn’t at all dramatic or painful. It’s a non-invasive treatment which works by reproducing the natural electricity which makes your body’s musculature work.
Electric stimulation is known to enhance the flow of blood to the treated area. This results in improved strength in the muscle under therapy and expedited healing. Electric stimulation uses a current which is controlled, according to the intensity of the patient’s pain and individual sensitivity, making it a sophisticated means of treating pain.
Fooling the brain.
Electric stimulation is even more sophisticated than replicating the natural electrical impulses active in the body. It also “fools” the brain by blocking the pain messages your nerves are sending it, effectively scrambling them. Electric stimulation can also provoke increased production of endorphins, your body’s natural pain relievers. That’s infinitely more complex than anything the Ancient Romans imagined their eels might do, don’t you agree?
Contact us for 21st Century pain relief.
Electric stimulation using TENS therapy is not intended as a cure for chronic pain. It’s intended to provide short term relief. At Back & Body Medical, we’ve been able to help many patients using this non-invasive therapy in concert with a suite of other pain-relieving treatments.
Our team of pain relief professionals specializing in chiropractic, physical therapy, sports medicine and acupuncture, assemble effective therapeutic programs which employ TENS to help patients on their way to a pain-free life.
Contact Back & Body Medical. We’re the 21st Century pain relief specialists. We’ve come a long way from the electric eel.
