It might seem like something out of a science-fiction movie. A small electrical device relieving pain by disrupting pain signals in the body—but the device, called TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation), may be the answer to the growing opioid epidemic in the United States.
By using only electricity to relieve pain, it is a non-habit forming and safe alternative to traditional narcotic pain relievers. It completely eliminates the risk of addiction and overdose, the two major issues with opioid pain relievers. The device is also easy to use and highly effective which is why it is starting to emerge as true viable alternative to narcotic pain killers—and that’s good news for pain sufferers.
The U.S. is currently experiencing one of the worst opioid epidemics in history. Since the late 1990s, after drug companies convinced the government opioid pain relievers were safe to sell on the prescription drug market, both opioid addiction and opioid overdose deaths have risen at a frightening pace.
In 2015 opioid overdoses killed 33,000 people prompting the DEA to say they had reached epidemic levels. In 2016 the toll increase to 42,000 people with 40% of those deaths involving prescription painkillers.
Drug companies earn staggering profits from opioid pain relievers like OxyContin, Percocet and Fentanyl. The total market for opioids is over $11 billion and projected to grow to over $17 billion in 2021.
Pain sufferers are now at a crossroads. They must ask themselves tough questions before seeking pain treatment; how can I trust a doctor to prescribe the right pain medication? Or, where do you turn for safer pain relief?
The new technology may be an answer to opioid pain relievers. It is part of a class of non-narcotic pain relievers (also called non-drug pain killers). Highly effective, safe and non-habit forming, it is starting to emerge as the most viable alternative to opiate painkillers.
It is also easy to use and fully customizable. So, how does it work? The TENS machine delivers low-current electrical impulses to the body in the area of pain. These electrical pulses override or “confuse” pain signals blocking them from traveling to the brain. Since the pain signal has difficulty reaching the brain, this helps slow the pain signals to be less intense. In some cases some users had completely stopped taking narcotic pain medication.
This futuristic-sounding approach is called electroanalgesia and it is actually based in ancient science similar to pain relief methods used thousands of years ago by the Egyptians.
Patients can also treat pain right in their home. There is no need to travel to a doctor’s office. Here’s how a patient uses a TENS device. First, they place electrodes on the area causing pain. Then they set the frequency of the electric pulses on their unit. The electrodes send tiny electronic pulses through the body to override and disrupt the pain impulses.
The electrical pulses can be set from wide to narrow or low to high. A patient can adjust the unit until the right setting is found for their particular pain. Once set correctly pain relief is immediate.
Many patients say this non-narcotic pain treatment is really effective and it can relieve pain better than a pharmaceutical narcotic in certain cases because it is customizable. Since patients adjust the settings until feeling relief, they don’t have to estimate how many pills they need for their level of pain that day—guesswork that can often lead to problems like dependency or even an overdose.
To better understand the concept behind TENS, you first must understand how pain travels through the body and also understand the “cycle of pain”. The brain and spinal cord have a gate mechanism allowing pain sensations to move into the brain where pain is “felt”. In the gate control theory of pain, a non-painful input (like the electrical stimulation of a TENS machine) closes these “gates”. If the gates are closed pain is not experienced. Pain also works in a cycle where it starts with pain and muscle guarding and over time causes much mental issues such as Anger, Frustration, and Helplessness.
That scientific principle is different than narcotic drugs where the pain is overridden by drugs.
The units are faster acting and less expensive than some painkillers on the market today. Smaller devices start out at $20 - $120 and you only need to buy the unit once. The only ongoing expenses are the batteries and electrodes.
But the big benefit is being able to help live your life normally without the risk of becoming addicted to painkillers.
TENS units come in a variety of sizes and models. There are floor-standing units that combine electrotherapy and pain relief, and smaller, portable models with adhesive mini pads that fit underneath your clothing. These “wearable” tens units can manage pain throughout the day while you are active.
With an ever-increasing number of people becoming addicted to opioid pain medication, these non-drug pain relievers may be one more example of how technology can improve lives.
* This is a contributed article and this content does not necessarily represent the views of techtimes.com
