Electrical stimulation therapy is a type of physical therapy that uses electrical impulses to stimulate the muscles and nerves to reduce pain and improve muscle function. It is commonly used to treat patients with back pain, as it can help to reduce muscle spasms, increase blood flow, and promote healing. In this article, we will discuss the indications, administration, benefits, and potential risks of electrical stimulation therapy for back pain.
Indications
Electrical stimulation therapy is used to treat a wide range of back pain conditions, including chronic low back pain, muscle spasms, and sciatica. It is also used to help patients recover from back surgery, such as spinal fusions and laminectomies. The therapy can be beneficial for patients who have not responded well to other treatments, such as medications, physical therapy, and exercise.
Administration
Electrical stimulation therapy is typically administered by a physical therapist in a clinical setting. The therapist will place electrodes on the patient’s skin, near the area of pain or muscle spasms. The electrodes are connected to a machine that generates the electrical impulses. The intensity, frequency, and duration of the electrical impulses will be adjusted to suit the patient’s condition and needs.
The therapy is usually administered several times a week for a period of several weeks or months. The therapist will also provide the patient with exercises and techniques to practice between therapy sessions, to help reinforce the muscle strengthening and coordination work that is done during therapy.
Benefits
Electrical stimulation therapy has been found to be an effective treatment for back pain. It can help to reduce muscle spasms, increase blood flow, and promote healing. It can also help to reduce pain and improve muscle function, which can improve the patient’s mobility and reduce the risk of falls.
In addition, electrical stimulation therapy can be beneficial for patients who have not responded well to other treatments, such as medications, physical therapy, and exercise. It can also be used in conjunction with other treatments to enhance their effectiveness.
Risks
Electrical stimulation therapy is considered to be a safe and non-invasive treatment option, but it does carry certain risks. The most common side effect of the therapy is skin irritation at the site of the electrodes. However, this is usually mild and temporary. Other potential side effects include muscle cramping, pain, and burns, but these are also rare.
It is not recommended for certain groups of people, such as pregnant women, people with a history of heart disease, or people who have a pacemaker. Electrical stimulation should not be applied over the eyes, on the head, or over cancerous tumors. It’s important to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for use and consult with a healthcare professional before starting electrical stimulation therapy. It is also important to monitor the skin for any signs of irritation or burns, and to discontinue use if any adverse reactions occur.
There has been a lot of interest in using electrical stimulation to cure back pain. But is this really a cure or just another gadget being pushed by companies looking to make a quick dollar. In other words is there any science behind the claims. I asked my physical therapist this after he recommended that I try a battery operated unit.
Supposedly this unit is battery operated and fits onto my belt. Patches are applied to my back and connected to the belt unit. Mild electrical current is then applied blocking transmission of pain signals along the nerves. Electrical stimulation also results in promoting the release of endorphins which are natural painkillers produced by the body.
This all sounded interesting but the idea of having electrical charges shooting though my body did sound a bit dangerous and reminded me of all those electrical devices that were sold years ago that were nothing more than medical quackery. However my therapist assures me this was not the case. The electric current is very low and not dangerous and there has been a lot of solid research on the effectiveness of this apparatus. Another thing that convinced me to try it was the approval of my surgeon and my insurance company.
Is Electrical Simulation A Cure For Your Aching Back?
Well ever situation is unique. But studies do indicate that electrical stimulation can be part of an overall treatment program. Now this device doesn’t take the place of other treatments such as losing weight, physical therapy and exercise. How it allows the patient to participate in these therapies without pain or at least with a minimum of pain.
Whether the device is for you depends on your situation and your doctors’ okay. I will stress however that whatever option you take it is important to also follow a program or system of exercise that is designed specifically for your condition and has a proven track record of success.
How Electrical Stimulation Closes the Gate on Your Pain
Have you ever stubbed your toe and then rubbed it to help ease the pain? If you have, you’ve demonstrated the concept of the Gate Theory. The Gate Theory states that your brain can only interpret one sensation at a time coming from a particular body part. So by rubbing your toe you’re intercepting the pain stimulus with the sensation of rubbing.
It’s this same theory that’s put to use when we use electrical stimulation, or stim, as part of your treatment routine. We attach two pads near the muscle, joint or tendon where you’re feeling pain. The pads produce an electrical current that sends a tingling sensation to the brain, temporarily relieving your pain.
Don’t leave with more pain than you came in with. Most times we’ll use stim at the end of your treatment. Since we’re working on tissue or muscles that are injured, we don’t want you to leave with more pain than you came in with. So we set you up with stim and ice so you can leave feeling less pain. The ice reduces any swelling while the stim works on the pain.
But what if you come to the office in pain?
Let’s say you have a back injury and performing your exercise routine proves too painful. This is a situation where we may put you on stim before your treatment. After having an stim session the pain is lessened to a degree that you’re able to do exercises to help strengthen and improve your condition. These are exercises you wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise.
This is why stim is a nice adjunct to therapy. It’s important to note that stim is just a temporary fix. It should only be used as a part of a full course of treatment. It helps alleviate pain so you can function properly to do the exercises and treatments that help you achieve desirable results.
There are sometimes you wouldn’t want to use stim. You wouldn’t want to use it if you had a pacemaker, or on big blood centers to the brain like an artery. Never on the eyes or over the belly of a pregnant woman. When it comes to spinal injuries the pads should be placed on the side of the spine not directly on it because it could negatively affect the spinal fluid.
Here’s what you should remember:
• Stim temporarily relieves pain so you can perform your daily activities and exercises to improve your condition
• Stim should be used in conjunction with full treatment. Without treatment you will not improve your condition
Now you know why we use stim as part of your treatment routine. It helps us take care of those injuries a bit more serious than a stubbed toe. And helps close the gate on pain so you can move forward to recovery.
Functional Electrical Stimulators Used to Assist in Activating Nerves
For many people that are paralyzed by injury or neurological disorders, functional electrical stimulators (or FES) can make a huge difference in their recovery. This process of using electrical current to activate nerves in paralyzed areas of the body has been used for a long time all over the world. Japan has an especially active interest in implanting FES in the brain and spinal cord to increase cerebral blood flow. In the United States, one of the more common uses of FES is to stimulate the right median nerve to help wake up injured human brains. The right median nerve is used as the electrical portal mainly because there is a very large cortical representation of that particular nerve in the left side of the brain.
When the spinal cord gets injured, the damage can interfere with electrical signals between the brain and the muscles, which causes paralysis everywhere below the spot that is injured. FES is used in an attempt to restore the use of limbs and organs that are paralyzed, though it is also used to treat pain, pressure and to prevent sores. There are several different applications of FES, including neuroprotheses that let patients with paraplegia walk and patients with quadriplegia grasp things with their hand. Issues of bowel and bladder functionality are also handled with FES.
Since our nervous system is electrical, the impact on our bodies using functional electrical stimulators can be profound. Even with complete paralysis at the thoracic level of the spinal cord, a patient on a demanding training program can walk an average of 450 meters. That is an amazing achievement when you consider that the process of walking is an intricate combination of balance and muscle coordination. FES is used in paralyzed patients for improving blood flow to their lower extremities as well as improving bone density.
Being paralyzed whether by injury or nerve issues impacts a patient in so many ways. Using functional electrical stimulators to improve the abilities of paraplegics, increase blood flow to paralyzed limbs, or allow for the use of prostheses that let people use their limbs. FES is truly a life changing technology that scientists have only just begun to explore.
Conclusion
Electrical stimulation therapy is a type of physical therapy that uses electrical impulses to stimulate the muscles and nerves to reduce pain and improve muscle function. It is commonly used to treat patients with back pain, as it can help to reduce muscle spasms, increase blood flow, and promote healing. It is a safe and non-invasive treatment option that can be administered by a physical therapist in a clinical setting. However, as with any medical treatment, it’s important to consult with a healthcare professional and monitor for potential risks.