Mesothelioma TENS Alternative Therapy

Pain Management has emerged as a branch of specialized study owing to the fact that chronic pain accompanies most critical conditions including all types of cancers. TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) therapy is a highly effective pain management technique often used in mesothelioma treatment along with traditional treatments like mesothelioma surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy.

Mesothelioma TENS procedure

American Physical Therapy Association defines TENS as ‘application of electrical current through the skin for pain control.’ Electrical impulses are sent through the body by small conductions of electricity; these impulses stimulate the nerves in a manner that sensation of pain is no longer felt. A small electrode is glued to the patient's skin in the general area of pain; a very mild current is transmitted through the conductor to stimulate the nerve endings. Patients report a tingling or warming effect like that in a heat pack. Five to fifteen minutes sessions can be undergone as often as necessary. A mesothelioma TENS therapy specialist administers the procedure; at present, a portable TENS stimulator unit is also available on rent for use at home by a doctor’s prescription. These portable units are handy to use being the size of a small portable radio, no bigger than a plastic ATM or credit card.

TENS treatment

Mesothelioma TENS is used to treat acute pain as an on-the-spot treatment rather than as a sustained therapy. Some physicians who view it as a form of massage will advise patients to undergo TENS therapy as a means to get immediate relief. It is often suggested for asbestos-related cancer patients for pain relief after traditional mesothelioma treatments. The fact that TENS does not involve drugs, is non-addictive and non-invasive, and has no harmful side effects, makes it a widely used therapy for palliative effects.

Physicians and medical researchers are not completely sure how this method alleviates pain. It is possible that like a heating pad, the physical warmth produced by TENS has the desired effect. Another probability is that TENS promotes the production of the body’s own natural analgesics, special hormones that are better known as endorphins. It is also assumed that the electrical current jostles nerve impulses that seurnd pain signals to the brain making them less intense.

TENS History & Use

The first forms of this device appeared in the early 20th Century claiming to provide “cures” for everything from headaches to cancer. The first modern, portable TENS unit, the Medtronic Device, was patented in 1974. It was intended to test the patients’ tolerance to electrical stimulation before the electrodes were put in place. As it turned out, patients reported relief simply from the electrical stimulation and the subsequent placing of implants became redundant. Nowadays, TENS is used as a mesothelioma alternative method and/or therapy.

Heart patients with pacemakers and patients of epilepsy should not use TENS.