Electrical
stimulation for symptomatic relief in people with a diagnosis of cancer –
treating cancer and the musculoskeletal symptoms with electrical stimulation,
the literature and safety concerns in palliative care.
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation
(TENS) is used throughout the world to manage painful conditions as it is
inexpensive, noninvasive, safe and is simple to use. Presently, it is commonly
used to treat a number of conditions such as arthritis, lower back pain, post-surgical
pain, fibromyalgia and to help spread topical steroids. However, there is much
controversy surrounding its use for palliative cancer patients, who, in our opinion are the most in need of its beneficial effects.
The relief of pain is obviously the prime
objective in providing palliative care. Therefore, when a patient’s pain is
difficult to control, exploration of pharmacologic alternatives may be
warranted. TENS is one such alternative to the current basic methods of
analgesia. It is intended that TENS will enhance the effects of
conventional pharmacologic analgesics, effectively reducing their usage and
improving overall quality of life for palliative cancer patients. In addition,
research is being undertaken to investigate the proposed relief of nausea,
vomiting and fatigue; symptoms of cancer patients.
TENS is a physical modality of pain control that delivers non-painful electrical currents to the skin and tissue beneath to reduce pain sensation. Effectively it works by disrupting the pain cycle, modulating the way we process pain sensation from that area. TENS closes the pain gate, so to speak. In addition, it can also trigger the body to release endorphins, which acts as natural painkillers, and thereby promote a feeling of well-being.
A very tentative start - always provide references and a clear context for your images. - CY
ReplyDeleteOne of my fav devices which is an tens unit I bought on amazon. It’s like getting a personal massage. I’m using the electropathy right now after doing yoga.
ReplyDeleteTens Unit