WHAT IS ELECTROMEDICINE?


Electromedicine is a field of study by scientists, researchers, doctors and laypeople around the world that involves the use of electrical currents to help relieve the symptoms of medical illnesses. Depending on the type of electrical stimulations that are used, the electrical currents run through electrodes usually to a number of contacts at the end of each lead. The electrodes run electricity to an area on the outside of the body or are implanted within the body or brain to combat disorder. Medications, computer chips, lasers, holistic medicine and crystal therapy and acupuncture needles are just some of the other forms of electromedicine that are understood to change or block signals to the energy systems or chemical structures within an individual to help with symptoms of disorder. Some people relate this phenomenon, for explanation purposes, to the workings of a computer. The human body is much more complex than a computer. So far, electromedicine is only proven to help relieve symptoms of illness. Like with medications and other proven surgical procedures and treatments, some electromedical devices work and some do not. Some electromedical procedures are not yet FDA approved for specific disorders. Please check with trained and licensed medical professionals on everything related to electrometrical processes and procedures before undergoing any treatment. Past, present, and future research proposes that electromedicine will eventually help to cure individual disorder while other research and studies project unethical practices and limited use of electromedicine. What scientists, researchers and laypeople do know is that research and development can take a lot of time.


THE CONTROVERSY


Electromedicine; perhaps any new treatment or procedure, sounds very scary to many. As with any scientific research, controversy on the use and development of electrical forms of medicine products has always existed. It is important to remember that survival, recovery or maintaining a better quality of life takes time, research and the willingness of society, scientists, doctors and individuals with disorder to improve electromedical devices, procedures, medications and treatments. Within the next 100 or even 200 years can anyone imagine what new research will develop? Ethically speaking, everyone involved with any medical treatment needs to research and think about the risks and benefits of enhancing and improving upon new electromedical technology. From the beginning of time, someone had to eat poisonous plants to discover what to do and what not to do. As the years go by, the development of electromedical therapies has improved immensely.





A SHORT HISTORY


Electromedicine is technically not new. Research and development of electromedical therapies started as early as the 1700’s. In the 1700’s Anton Mesmer developed Mesmerism. Mesmerism is a form of hypnotism that relied on the theory of magnetic currents running through the body that could be controlled through thought processes. Mesmerism was used to control pain and in surgical settings for anesthesia. This treatment sometimes caused convulsions or seizures. In the 1880’s Harold P. Brown and Thomas Edison developed the Electric Chair. Electrodes were attached to the body and high voltages of electricity were passed through the body to cause electrocution of inmates in prisons until years later when gas chambers became more prevalent. In the 1900’s Antidepressants were being developed. Medications produce a chemical change within individuals that changes the chemical, “electrical,” structure within the body to combat disease or disorder. Even in the 1900’s, researchers believed that antidepressants could produce suicidal tendencies and other medications could cause certain side effects depending on each individual. In 2004, suicidal side effects from some antidepressants are being taken seriously. In the 1930’s Ugo Cerletti happened upon Electroconvulsive Therapy by testing his electrical theories on pigs. Sylvia Plath and Earnest Hemingway were just two well-known people that used this treatment to combat mental illness.



In the 1940’s research and development on many more electrical devices evolved. In the 1960’s Lars Leskell of Sweden developed the Gamma Knife. 201 beams of cobalt radiation are used to destroy tumors and combat pain. In the 1960’s Dr. Norman Shealy developed Transcutaneoues Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS), in conjunction with Medtronic. In the 1980’s Medtronic along with Professors Benebid and Pollack of France developed Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) for tremor. Is was not until the 1980’s that electromedicine became more widely known with more research, development and use of electromedical devices.



TYPES OF ELECTROMEDICINE TODAY


There are many, many types of electromedicine, from the holistic to the altered or synthetic.

The following is only a sample of the types of electromedical devices being researched and used today:


Acupuncture and Electro-acupuncture
Usually for pain and energy balancing to combat disorder


Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)
Usually for tremor from Parkinson’s disease, Tourette’s syndrome, Dystonia, Multiple Sclerosis, Facial and other types of pain and some mental illness.


Gamma Knife
Usually for tumors and some forms of pain.



Gastric Stimulation (GS)
Obesity


Heart Pacemakers
Heart disorders-when there is a problem with the heart’s natural pacing system, implants of artificial heart pacemakers are often used.

Holistic Foods and Supplements
Usually for pain, relaxation, stress and general well-being.

Inthrathecal Pumps
Severe pain including cancer pain


Implants for hearing and Cochlear Implants
to improve or restore hearing.


Lasers
Usually used in dermatology, plastic surgery, eye restorative surgeries, etc.

Median Nerve Stimulation
Median Nerve Stimulation (MNS) is similar to electro-acupuncture, motor cortex stimulation and other stimulation methods to "awaken" the senses.


Motor Cortex Stimulation or Transcranial Nerve Stimulation
Usually for obsessive compulsive disorder, Trigeminal neuropathy, etc. MCS is being researched and developed for several types of disorders including epilepsy.


Occipital Nerve Stimulation
Similar to spinal cord stimulation. Usually for intractable migraine headaches and other types of pain.

Peripheral Electrical Nerve Stimulation (PENS)
Usually for facial, headache, dental pain and other types of pain


Phrenic Nerve Stimulation (PNS)-diaphragm pacing system
The device is being tested as an experimental breathing system used for respiratory failure. Superman had this done and it helped!


Physical Therapy and Exercise
Usually for pain, relaxation, stress and general well-being.


Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)
Usually used for pain. Attached on the outside of body to direct currents to painful area.

Spinal Cord Stimulation
Usually for back pain, facial and dental pain and headaches.

Spiritual Meditations and Exercises
Usually for pain, relaxation, stress and general well-being.

Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS)
Usually for Epilepsy and Depression




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