What is Electro-Therapy and How Can It Help?

First, let's ask the question: What is Pain?

When we feel pain it is the body’s process of informing us that something is wrong. To feel pain is important, without this feeling abnormal conditions may go undetected, creating damage or injury to critical parts of the body. Although pain is essential in warning our body of trauma or malfunction, the body may have gone too far in its design.  Continued long-term chronic pain has no useful value apart from its importance in diagnosis. Pain only begins when a coded signal travels to the brain where it is decoded, and analyzed.  The pain message travels from the injured area of the body along small diameter nerves leading to the spinal cord.  At this point the message is switched to a different kind of nerve that travels up the spinal cord to the brain area. The brain then analyzes the pain message, refers it back and the pain is felt.

What is TENS?

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) uses a small battery operated unit to provide a non-narcotic and non-invasive method of controlling acute and principally long term intractable pain. It can also be used as an adjunctive treatment in the management of post surgical traumatic pain problems. In TENS mild electrical impulses are transmuted through the skin via surface electrodes to modify the body’s pain perception. TENS does not cure problematic physiological conditions; it only helps to control the pain perception. TENS will not work for every user.  However Physical Therapists and Physicians throughout the world prescribe TENS extensively and it is generally seen to work for the majority of users. There are millions of small nerve F throughout the body and it only requires a few impulses to produce chronic pain. In addition to small fibers, which allow the sensation of pain to be felt, the body is also made up of larger diameter nerve fibers. These larger nerve fibers transmit less unpleasant sensations such as touch or warmth, assisting us to form an impression of our environment. Stimulating the larger nerve fibers using TENS may have the effect of inhibiting the transmission of pain along the smaller nerve fibers to the spinal cord [known as the ‘Pain Gate Theory’].

What is NMES?

Neuromuscular Stimulation has been used for many years to stimulate muscle to treat a number of muscle and nerve related conditions. Devices use dual channels to combine several treatment programs into one unit. Neuromuscular Stimulation is increasingly understood by therapists and doctors. There is a better understanding of the mechanisms which exist between nerves and muscles that makes it possible to stimulate the neuromuscular system with precise electrical signals. Good devices offer precision giving full controls of Pulse Widths, Rates, Ramp up times, Work / Rest cycles as well as alternating or synchronous application if two channels are used.

TENS programs can help with:

• Adhesive Capsulitis
• Frozen Shoulder
• Ankle Strain
• Sprain
• Bicipital Tedinitis
• Bunionectomy
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)
• Cervical Pain
• Cervical Spondylosis
• Cervical Strain, Sprain (Acute)
• Cervical Strain/Sprain (Chronic
• Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) Cervical
• Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) - Lumbar
• Elbow Pain (Chronic)
• Fibromyalgia
• Foot Pain
• Hip Pain (Acute)
• Intercostal Pain
• Neuralgia
• Knee Pain (Acute)
• Lateral Epicondylitis ("Tennis Elbow")
• Low Back Pain/Strain (Chronic)
• Mastectomy
• Medial Epicondylitis ("Golfer's Elbow")
• Neuralgia (Lower Extremity)
• Osgood-Schlatter Disease
• Osteoarthritis of Cervical Spine
• Osteoarthritis of Hip (Chronic Pain)
• Osteoarthritis of Knee (Chronic Pain)
• Osteoarthritis of Lumbar Spine
• Patellar Tendinitis
• Peripheral Neuropathy (Lower Extremity)
• Peripheral Neuropathy (Upper Extremity)
• Phantom Limb Pain
• Radial Nerve Compression
• Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD)
• Rotator Cuff Sprain/Strain
• Sciatica (Post-Lumbar Laminectomy)
• Shoulder Pain (Chronic Pain)
• Thoracic Spine Pain
• TMJ Dysfuntion (TMD
• Trigeminal
• Neuralgia

About the contributor of this article:

Roger Luttrell is the owner of Rehab Care for the Carolinas Inc. and the Carolina TENS TENS/NMES combo device. He was born in Knoxville, TN and has been a PGA Professional since 1993. Roger has played golf professionally and taught professionally for 16 years. He has been married to Jenny for 18 years where they live in Charlotte with their four children.

Roger injured his back while playing on the varsity golf team in college.  For years he dealt with the pain through medications, but suffered from side effects.  In 2004 he was approached by a friend who gave him a TENS device for his back pain. According to Roger, "The rest is history.  I couldn't believe the immediate relief that I received and started using it when I had back pain. No more pain medications.   Wanting to customize my own device, the Carolina TENS TENS/NMES combo device was born and now I offer it to everyone.  I want to help those with pain in a conservative non-narcotic way.  So far the Carolina TENS device is used by thousands of individuals and is growing in popularity."

For more information or to find out how to order the Carolina TENS TENS/NMES device, see http://www.carolinatens.com.