Alternative Treatments for Chronic Pain

Many health professionals use infrared laser light therapy to help their patients with chronic pain. It is usually used in addition to other pain relief modalities such as TENS ( Trans cutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) TENS is a non-invasive, safe nerve stimulation intended to reduce pain, both acute and chronic.

A number of systematic reviews or meta-analysis have confirmed its effectiveness for postoperative pain, osteoarthritis, and chronic musculoskeletal pain including fibromyalgia and other chronic pain conditions.

TENS units are also available to use at home and is also approved by the FDA.

TENS electrodes should never be placed:

* Over the eyes due to the risk of increasing intraocular pressure
* Transcerebrally
* On the front of the neck due to the risk of a acute hypotension (through a vasovagal reflex) or even a laryngospasm
* Through the chest using an anterior and posterior electrode positions, or other transthoracic applications understood as "across a thoracic diameter"; this does not preclude coplanar applications
* Internally, except for specific applications of dental, vaginal, and anal stimulation that employ specialized TENS units
* On broken skin areas or wounds, although it can be placed around wounds.
* Over a tumour/malignancy (based on in vitro experiments where electricity promotes cell growth)
* Directly over the spinal column

You may want to consider a TENS unit as part of your pain elimination regiment.