Electricity is used in many areas of medicine. Most of the time it is used to power medical equipment, but a newer trend is to use electrical currents to treat pain. From old techniques to new ones, electricity is being used more and more as an alternative to treat many pain conditions. Below is a look at how electricity is being used.
TENs
A TENs unit is transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. This technique uses a small battery powered pack to transmit an electrical signal between skin patches. Usually two or four patches are used and a variety of electrical signals can be programmed. The patches are placed around the painful area, often the neck, shoulders, or low back and the signals are used to block the transmission of pain sensation. Pain related to tight muscles and sometimes spine pain can be effectively managed with TENs unit. Computer chips and miniaturization has allowed a small battery pack to deliver a wide variety of electrical signals superficially to block pain.
Cefaly
This is a trade name device for cutaneous electrical nerve stimulation of the head for migraines. It is a headband type device that is battery powered and available by prescription only. It has been approved by the FDA. The device is supposed to generate a small current that will stimulate the trigeminal nerve peripherally. The unit runs for 20 minutes and stops automatically. Trials over in Europe indicated that the frequency and intensity of migraines were reduced by using this device.
Alpha-Stim Aid
This is another prescription cranial electrical stimulation device. This device has electrodes that attach to the earlobes and it passes a low level current between them. Apparently studies have shown the device to help decrease pain, improve moods and sleep quality. The device is used at night and the low level currents affect the brain’s normal electrical signals, and according to the manufacturer, studies have shown reduction in pain, anxiety and improved sleep after only five treatments.
Spring TMS
This is a transcutaneous magnetic stimulator used by prescription to treat migraine headaches. At the onset of a migraine headache, the magnet stimulator is placed on the back of the head, at the top of the neck. When turned on the unit delivers short magnet pulses to the back of the head, to the occiput region of the cortex. Within 2 hours, this affects the electrical activity in the brain and in about 38% of those treated, the migraine is gone.
If you’re looking for something fun to do next Sunday, considering checking out the Minnesota RSD Coalition Potluck Picnic! The event will take place from noon until 3 p.m. at Hidden Valley Park in Savage, located at 5000 W 132nd street.
You can see the flyer in the sidebar, but here’s what the text says:
Bring a dish to share and don’t forget a blanket and/or chair to sit on in addition to your sunscreen. It’s going to be an afternoon jam-packed with fun, food, laughter, socializing, games, balloons and more for all ages, with maybe even a few surprises tossed in!
Some of the planned events include:
Silent auction
Speaker event
An awards/recognition ceremony
One-on-one support
Balloons for the kids
Playground activities
Walking trails
Lawn Games: croquet, lawn Yahtzee, ball games (kickball, 500, etc).
Water will be provided by the RSD Coalition, but if you want other beverages, you’ll need to bring them yourself. Alcohol is not permitted at the event.
I’m still working on managing my schedule so I can stop by, but I hope some members of the chronic pain community will consider heading over to the potluck picnic next Sunday!
More About The RSD Coalition
The Minnesota RSD Coalition is an organization dedicated to providing support for those affected by Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome (RSD), more recently referred to as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) since 2002.
The MN RSD Coalition believes a positive outlook is a vital part of our care. Everyone has a right to be heard, believed, and treated with respect and dignity. By using a humanistic approach, they encourage each member to become more self-aware, find their inner strengths, learn positive ways of communication, and use various pain reduction techniques.
In my practice I see numerous patients with Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome and Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. It’s not easy to treat, and persistence and a positive attitude are key, two things that are easier done in word than in practice. I commend the RSD Coalition for their work and hope that I can make it out to the potluck next Sunday.
Late last month in the Star Tribune, there was a large article in the opinion section on pain relief titled “Medical Cannabis as a Valid Alternative to Deadly Opioids.” The second part of the lead says that in states where medical marijuana is available, opioid overdose deaths are down 25 percent. Now one might think that cannabis is a treatment that is good for pain, and that marijuana decreases opioid abuse and death, however, if is important to think about where this article was placed in the paper, in the opinion section.
Just because someone wrote an article on a subject does not mean it is fact. It may be even more important to find out who wrote the article. A medical doctor wrote this article. However, if you read the very last sentence of the article, this doctor just happens to be the co-founder of Leafline Labs, one of two companies producing medical cannabis for Minnesota. If enough people can be sold on his product, he will make significant money. The whole article is making a case for opioids being potentially deadly, and thus a bad treatment for pain. Then comes the pitch how some people have found cannabis helpful in treating pain. Lastly, it states that doctors should certify patients who have pain to be treated by medical cannabis.
It is very true that opioids have potential for addiction and death. It is also true that they can be used to treat pain, and very effectively. Long-term use of opioids is often not overly successful for chronic pain, but for many people it is the only medication currently available, often with other treatment that makes symptoms manageable.
The Cannabis Conundrum
Cannabis is a combination of over a hundred compounds. Scientifically we know very little about any of these compounds. We definitely do not know the long-term side effects to any significant degree. We do not know if there is any single compound in cannabis that helps with pain. We do not know if it is a combination of chemicals that may be helpful. There absolutely needs to be good scientific studies done on whether cannabis can help in certain forms of pain. If there is any benefit, then we need to know what are the risks and side effects of the compounds. Just like opioids, we once thought they were generally very safe, but now we better understand the range of dangers. Cannabis does have risks, as a variety of different compounds can cause problems.
Before everyone jumps on the bandwagon for medical cannabis, one should realize that very little is known about the compound. It may be reasonable for some people where all standard treatments for pain have failed. What is needed is that the United States needs to change its DEA schedule and good research needs to be done on the efficacy and safety of cannabis. Even better, we need research on what each compound in cannabis does do to the human body. Lastly, better understanding is needed on what causes pain and what will effectively treat and prevent pain.
Technology and computers are taking over many tasks in society. For instance, in the past in grocery stores, a clerk typed in the price of an item into a cash register to sum up the total of items. Now, a scale is built into a barcode scanner and cashiers are not really needed. In law offices, smart scan machines are reading legal documents and checking for errors, a job that used to be reserved for new lawyers. So if computers are invading the world, will doctors be necessary to see patients and determine the right treatment? The answer is complex.
The Future of Telemedicine
Computers are currently used for a multitude of tasks in the medical field. There are robots that assist in surgery, and in some hospitals, robots are the carriers of medications and supplies throughout the premises. Specialized computers are now scanning X-rays and looking for abnormalities, as sometimes subtle changes are better spotted by computers than humans. In intensive care wards, computers often monitor the extensive data of each patient and can spot trends and suggest treatment options based on extensive data analysis. With increasing data in medicine, computers can often analyze any number of problems and help determine solutions based on the probabilities suggested by the information.
Telemedicine is also a burgeoning field. This can be a variety of medical activities from providing long distance consults with video chats through a remote clinic and provider or specialist, to a visit that is with a nurse, patient or a long distance provider. Remote monitoring of data by a specialist for an intensive care unit and remote reading of radiology imaging is also being done.
Computers can analyze information and find patterns in data if programmed well, however, they cannot yet substitute for the personal interactions of a patient and doctor. A computer still is unable to do a complete physical exam and understand subtle abnormalities portrayed by a patient. Assembling the information from a history, exam and studies, as well as interpreting responses to treatment performed to determine what may be beneficial next in management is also currently beyond the ability of a computer without extensive interaction with a physician.
Computers can be a great assistant in medicine. The human factor of personal interaction with a patient and performing a physical exam is essential in the ability to treat any patient. Many times I have reviewed a patient’s history and studies prior to a visit in order to form a tentative plan, and after the visit found a totally different problem with a need for a different treatment plan. The human factor is often essential in patient treatment, the compassion and the individualized management coordinating a plan. At this time computers may be an assistant but they are not ready to replace the doctor.
Our post on Daith piercings has been by far our most popular blog post, and it’s clear many people are fed up with their chronic migraines. We’ve never touted the Daith piercing as a surefire fix to migraine pain, we’ve only stated that it’s a relatively cheap alternative option for individuals who are fed up with failed treatments. Some people took issue with the fact that the piercing isn’t backed by clinical science, and while it draws on some of the same pain pathways as acupuncture, we made it clear that there was no hard science behind the pain management technique.
Well, our readers have taken to the comment section of the original post, and many have shared their first-hand experience with the piercing. Again, it may not be for everybody, but here’s what patients who have had the piercing are saying about it.
I’ll provide more anecdotal, non-scientific “evidence.” Mine cost $25 each. BEST money ever spent. Ever. Chronic migraine sufferer for over 20 years. This has been the only thing that has consistently worked. Now I can deal with the sinus/hormone headaches and not have them compounding and piggybacking each other. Given a choice between a piercing I could remove or narcotics, it would be a piercing every single time. My piercer is great, though. I don’t know that I would have trusted any one else to do it- unless she gave the ok.
I just had my daith piercing done a week ago in hopes of helping with my chronic migraines. So far I’ve had two migraines since, so I don’t think it is helping, but I believe mine are largely hormone related so I don’t know that a piercing would be able to help. Just wanted to say that I still think it’s a cute piercing and will keep it regardless AND the pain really wasn’t that bad. I went to a local tattoo shop with a great reputation and the pain was no worse than my other cartilage piercing that I had had done before. It hurt worse putting the actual earring in, but overall really not a bad pain level. Good luck!
I have suffered from migraines for the past several years. I would get one and it would last for several days, then 1 day off, then back to migraines. I was desperate and had heard of the daith piercing. I did not put much stock into it. Again, I was desperate, so I got it done. I was a little painful (pain is subjective). My piercer said that he was not a doctor and could not cure migraines, but just about everyone that he had done, had good results. I wasn’t expecting a miracle. Even if it just cut down on the frequency, that would have been fine. It has been 2 months and I have not had a single migraine. I stopped taking my preventative when I got the piercing to see if it would work. This doesn’t work for everyone, but it worked for me. Even if my migraines come back, I had a few months pain free and that is so worth it.
I suffered from migraines and headaches. I gotten the daith piercing and it helped a lot I don’t get them any more. My tattoo artist is also a piercer and done it for me. The only thing that really hurt was the clamp cause where it’s in the ear it’s a hard place to get too and you’ll feel some pressure for a couple days but it’s worth it in the end.
I’ve had migraines for 44 years. Mostly left sided. Many times in cycles of 2-3 weeks of either waking up with one, or going to bed with one. Nausea, noise, light sensitivity… the whole bit. I can’t take most migraine meds because of a heart issue. Not much to help with them, pretty much most meds might as well be candy. Went in for the piercing during the third day of a migraine. Yes, it hurt for a brief moment, but compared to weeks of headaches, it was NOTHING!!! As soon as the piercing went in, the intense pain behind my eye and the nausea were gone! And the next morning, absolutely no headache and no ‘headache hangover’ as after most migraines. So far, so good. If it doesn’t work, I have not lost much, and will take it out. If it continues to work….GREAT! Many people seem to want many scientific studies done on this, but, I believe for the most part, most studies are funded by pharmaceutical companies, and what company that makes lots of money on migraine meds, would want to study something that could cut down on their business?!?! Just my opinion, but drugs aren’t always the answer to fix things, like some doctors believe. If you truly suffer with debilitating migraines, then you are always looking for a way to make the pain stop. What do you have to lose?
Hi, I had suffered with migraines for 35 years. I used to get around 3 a week but my tablets did work if I took them in time or didn’t wake up with the migraine. I was told to get the piercing on the side I have the most frequent migraines which is my left side. I had the piercing 3 months ago and have had no left sided migraines since, just 2 on my right side buy I can cope with only 2 migraines in 3 months. The piercing does hurt when you have it done but for me, well worth it.
I have been a migraine sufferer since I was a young girl and now I am 57 yrs. old, I have tried it all, Botox worked the best but still had many Migraines and insurance eventually stopped paying, I recently had the daith or rook piercing done, the next day I had the worst migraine but since then I am in shock how, (So Far) it is working for me, I sure hope it continues, its been about 8 weeks, I NEVER go that long without a migraine, so hoping it continues!
I had nearly daily migraines. Imitrex made me too groggy but Excedrine Migraine deadened the pain enough to “function”. Avoiding triggers wasn’t always an option since I had barometric migraines (trigger: weather changes). It was only a week ago I got a Daith Piercing….I have not had any headache all week…a record for the last several years. I feel better so I’ve gotten better sleep than I remember for ages.
So as you can see, it’s certainly helped some patients. For more information, or to read more comments from readers, check out the original post!
Electricity is used in many areas of medicine. Most of the time it is used to power medical equipment, but a newer trend is to use electrical currents to treat pain. From old techniques to new ones, electricity is being used more and more as an alternative to treat many pain conditions. Below is a look at how electricity is being used.
