Three Leading Technologies for Chronic Pain Treatment

Alex D'Souza, Medical Tech Outlook | Friday, December 04, 2020

IR light therapy is a procedure that adopts specific wavelengths of light carried to the surface of the skin to trigger pain relief response to sections of the body.

FREMONT, CA: Chronic pain is growing more prevalent due to different factors, such as environmental factors and aging populations. Effective chronic pain treatment techniques can be classified into general categories, including self-care, therapies, exercises, medications, and interventional procedures. It is unnecessary to choose only one treatment option, and a combination of several treatments might prove to be the most suitable choice.

Here are three major pain relief technologies offered for chronic pain treatment.

Electrical Stimulation

Electrical stimulation, also referred to as E-stim, is a technology that delivers mild electrical pulses through the skin to target muscles or nerves. These electrical pulses help stimulate nerves to relieve pain because they block the delivery of pain signals from nerves to the brain and the spinal cord.

E-stims are small electronic devices employed externally by the patient. In electronic pain relief equipment, electrical pulses are carried through wires that link the e-stim unit to electrodes located on the skin and from there into the body. The impulses can differ in intensity, the device, frequency, and duration, based on the treated area and the patient’s tolerance.

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)

TENS is a procedure that manages mild electrical current to the skin to generate nerve stimulation and activate pain relief response. The electric current is formed by a TENS pain relief machine and distributed to the body by electrode pads connected to the skin around or close to the treatment area for pain. The electrical impulses decrease the body’s capability to transmit pain signals, and they also stimulate the body to generate endorphins that serve as natural pain relievers.

TENS devices may help with chronic pain symptoms, including chronic back pain, joint pain, and neck pain. They may also lessen the pain that results from several conditions like period pain, post-surgical pain, sports injuries, arthritis, endometriosis, and other conditions.

Infrared (IR)

IR light therapy is a procedure that adopts specific wavelengths of light carried to the surface of the skin to trigger pain relief response to sections of the body. The eye cannot see IR light; still, it penetrates the body to deliver pain relief. Unlike ultraviolet light that may be harmful, IR light is the heat that one feels when exposed to the sun, and it aids cells to regenerate or repair themselves. Additionally, a pain relief machine generates IR light.

IR therapy is applied to treat numerous health conditions, including trauma, sciatica, muscle pain, joint inflammation, injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome, diabetic neuropathy, wounds, and post-surgical incisions.