Is it difficult to keep your pain under control? Over the counter prescription medication relieves your symptoms, but can often cause side effects such as nausea, dizziness, and other side effects. These side effects can make working, exercising, or taking care of your family a very difficult task. Electrotherapy on the other hand is a great option for pain relief without the side effects.
How Does Electrotherapy Work?
Electrotherapy prevents pain by not allowing pain signals to reach your brain by stopping pain signals from reaching your brain. Electrotherapy uses low voltage electrical impulses to interrupt the pain signal on its way to the brain. If the pain signals cannot reach your brain, you won’t feel pain. Treatment also triggers the release of endorphins, which are your body’s natural pain killers.
Along with providing pain relief, electrotherapy can be used to loosen tight muscles, promote muscle healing, tone your muscles, reduce swelling, improve range of motion, and strengthen muscles. While electrotherapy is helpful anytime after an injury, it is especially helpful immediately after an injury.
During treatment, electrical impulses are sent through electrodes that are placed on your body with an adhesive. Electrodes can be placed either on the painful area or on the nerves that surround the area. Electrotherapy is not usually painful, although, some people to mention feeling a tingling or pricking sensation when the current is activated. Electrotherapy can reduce pain for up to 24 hours after treatment.
Is Electrotherapy Right For Me?
- Electrotherapy can be helpful if you have the following:
- Muscle Spasms
- Migraines
- Whiplash
- Endometriosis
- Arthritis
- Shingles
- Sports Injuries
- Bursitis
- Tendonitis
- Muscle or Joint Pain
- Trigeminal Neuralgia
- Sciatica
- Incontinence
- Cluster or Tension Headaches
- Pain After Surgery
- Menstrual Pain
- Sprains and Strains
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Fibromyalgia
- Back or Neck Pain
- Phantom Limb Pain
- Muscle Atrophy
Electrotherapy can help decrease your reliance on painkillers or can relieve your pain completely. In a study published in the Western Journal of Emergency Medicine, they found that 100% of the emergency patients treated found it helpful in reducing their pain when combined with other treatments. Electrotherapy may not be a good option if you are pregnant, have a heart condition, epilepsy, a pacemaker, defibrillator, infusion pump, or metal implant.
What Types of Electrotherapy Treatments are Available?
Electrotherapy may be part of your chiropractic treatment plan, along with other chiropractic care treatments. Your chiropractor might recommend one of these types of electrotherapy treatments.
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS). TENS treatment uses high and low-frequency electrical pulses to lower chronic or sudden pain. A dial controls the intensity of the pulses. Portable home TENS units are relatively small and can be worn during your daily activities.
Inferential Current (IFC). IFC treatment may be the next step if your pain does not respond well to the TENS therapy. The IFC device creates currents that penetrate the muscles and deeper layers of the skin.
Galvanic Stimulation (GS). The galvanic stimulator generates short bursts of pulsed electrical currents. Depending on the setting, the GS machines can be used to either reduce swelling or improve blood flow. Increasing blood flow to an injured area offers a simple way to speed recovery time while reducing swelling and can help to improve the range of motion of an injured or painful area.
You don’t have to let pain control your life, electrotherapy and chiropractic treatments can help to ease your pain as well as improve your mobility. Contact us today to schedule your appointment.
Sources:
SPINE-health: All About Electrotherapy and Pain Relief, 4/21/17
Medical News Today: What Is a TENS Unit and Does It Work?
Healthline: Transcutaneous Electrical Stimulation Unit
Western Journal of Emergency Medicine: Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) in the Emergency Department for Pain Relief: A Preliminary Study of Feasibility and Efficacy, 89/18