History of Electrical Pain Relief

Anyone who has had an X-ray, used a heart rate monitor, or had an MRI scan is familiar with the use of electronic medical devices for diagnostic purposes. Less familiar though, may be the use of electronic medical devices for treatment purposes.

One of the most common therapeutic applications of electronic medical devices is pain relief. These electrotherapy devices are accepted as a viable alternative to pharmaceutical methods for pain relief and are routinely used both at home and in hopitals by physiotherapists and other medical professionals.

Early Origins of Electrotherapy

Believe it or not, electricity has been used to relieve pain since circa 2750BC when the ancient Egyptians took advantage of the unique characteristics of the Torpedo fish. Rather like electric eels, this fish is capable of producing powerful electrical shocks.

Our ancestors used these electrical shocks to relieve pain by placing the fish on painful regions of the body. This technique was also used in 47 AD by Scribonium Largus, physician to the Roman emperor Claudius, who said:

"...For any sort of foot gout, when the pain comes on it is good to put a living black torpedo fish under his feet while standing on the beach, not dry but one on which the sea washes, until he feels that his whole foot and ankle are numb up to the knees."

18th Century - Man-made electricity

Little progress in the field of electrotherapy was made until man discovered how to generate electricity for himself:

• In 1752 Benjamin Franklin used electrostatic machines to treat patients in pain.
• In 1892 the Thomas Edison laboratory produced machines that could induce local anesthesia during surgery.

1967 onwards - Modern Electrotherapy

Modern electrotherapy has moved on someway from its aquatic origins. Perhaps the biggest single advance in electrotherapy to date was made by Ron Melzack and Pat Wall when they published their landmark paper describing a "gate control theory of pain reduction" in 1967.

Their work led to the development of the first Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) device. Today, TENS is used worldwide to combat a vast range of pain conditions in a non-invasive, non-addictive, and drug-free manner.

Electrical stimulation of the spinal cord for pain relief started in the early 1970's, when electrodes were implanted in the spinal cord to block the sensation of pain. This technique is called Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS). Spinal Cord Stimulation is often effective against longstanding pain, but has the disadvantage that surgery is required to implant the electrodes.

1991 - The Discovery of TSE

Inspired by the success of SCS, in the early 1990's Drs Alex Macdonald and Tim Coates found that if TENS pulses were reduced in time, but increased by a corresponding amount in voltage, the pulses would penetrate deeper into the tissues. Furthermore, the intensity of these pulses could be increased far beyond the level at which longer TENS pulses became intolerable.

Drs Macdonald and Coates had discovered Transcutaneous Spinal Electroanalgesia (TSE). They were granted patents in 1995 and 1997 and on further developments of the technology in 2007.

TSE uses very short electrical pulses which activate nerves in the spinal cord via electrodes on the skin. These pulses are only a few millionths of a second in duration, but up to 250V, the voltage of a mains socket in Australia. However, because of their very short duration, too short to cause any more than a mild tingling sensation in nerves under the skin, the therapy is comfortable and very safe to use.

TSE has been used as a form of electrical pain relief since its discovery in 1991. No serious side effect or interaction with medication has been reported despite being used in over 100 NHS hospitals and by thousands of patients in their homes.

TSE will work alongside drug therapy without harmful interactions and is complimentary to physiotherapy, osteopathy and acupuncture. TSE has also been clinically proven to improve mood and aid relaxation.

This discovery allowed Macdonald and Coates to build a machine that could provide higher power output than that of a traditional TENS machines available to home users. Importantly, because their machine could produce the intensity necessary to stimulate nerves entering the spinal cord, which lies about 5cm under the skin, it was found that pains anywhere on the body could be relieved. Furthermore, several painful areas could be treated simultaneously.

After much research, Macdonald and Coates were able to develop a modern and highly sophisticated product to deliver TSE, called Acticare TSE.

Find out more about Acticare TSE in the following sections...