|
Electrical stimulation, including transcutaneous electrical stimulation
(TENS), implanted electric nerve stimulation, and deep brain or spinal cord
stimulation, is the modern-day extension of age-old practices in which the nerves
of muscles are subjected to a variety of stimuli, including heat or massage.
Electrical stimulation, no matter what form, involves a major surgical procedure
and is not for everyone, nor is it 100 percent effective. The following techniques
each require specialized equipment and personnel trained in the specific procedure
being used:
TENS uses tiny electrical pulses, delivered through the skin to nerve
fibers, to cause changes in muscles, such as numbness or contractions. This
in turn produces temporary pain relief. There is also evidence that TENS can
activate subsets of peripheral nerve fibers that can block pain transmission
at the spinal cord level, in much the same way that shaking your hand can
reduce pain.
Peripheral nerve stimulation uses electrodes placed surgically on
a carefully selected area of the body. The patient is then able to deliver
an electrical current as needed to the affected area, using an antenna and
transmitter.
Spinal cord stimulation uses electrodes surgically inserted within
the epidural space of the spinal cord. The patient is able to deliver a pulse
of electricity to the spinal cord using a small box-like receiver and an antenna
taped to the skin.
Deep brain or intracerebral stimulation is considered an extreme treatment
and involves surgical stimulation of the brain, usually the thalamus. It is
used for a limited number of conditions, including severe pain, central pain
syndrome, cancer pain, phantom limb pain, and other neuropathic pains.
Exercise has come to be a prescribed part of some doctors' treatment
regimes for patients with pain. Because there is a known link between many types
of chronic pain and tense, weak muscles, exercise-even light to moderate exercise
such as walking or swimming-can contribute to an overall sense of well-being
by improving blood and oxygen flow to muscles. Just as we know that stress contributes
to pain, we also know that exercise, sleep, and relaxation can all help reduce
stress, thereby helping to alleviate pain. Exercise has been proven to help
many people with low back pain. It is important, however, that patients carefully
follow the routine laid out by their physicians.
Hypnosis, first approved for medical use by the American Medical Association
in 1958, continues to grow in popularity, especially as an adjunct to pain medication.
In general, hypnosis is used to control physical function or response, that
is, the amount of pain an individual can withstand. How hypnosis works is not
fully understood. Some believe that hypnosis delivers the patient into a trance-like
state, while others feel that the individual is simply better able to concentrate
and relax or is more responsive to suggestion. Hypnosis may result in relief
of pain by acting on chemicals in the nervous system, slowing impulses. Whether
and how hypnosis works involves greater insight-and research-into the mechanisms
underlying human consciousness.
Ibuprofen is a member of the aspirin family of analgesics, the so-called
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. It is sold over the counter and also comes
in prescription-strength preparations. Low-power lasers have been used occasionally
by some physical therapists as a treatment for pain, but like many other treatments,
this method is not without controversy.
Magnets are increasingly popular with athletes who swear by their effectiveness
for the control of sports-related pain and other painful conditions. Usually
worn as a collar or wristwatch, the use of magnets as a treatment dates back
to the ancient Egyptians and Greeks. While it is often dismissed as quackery
and pseudoscience by skeptics, proponents offer the theory that magnets may
effect changes in cells or body chemistry, thus producing pain relief.
Prepared by: Office of Communications and Public Liaison
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, MD
Continue this article...
|
