Someone approached me about using an electrical stimulation device for my back pain. Is it proven to work well for pain relief?
Electrical stimulation can indeed be used to relieve pain, including back pain. An example of this use is peripheral neurostimulation, commonly called TENS, which stands for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. TENS stimulates nerves through electrodes that are placed on the skin, hence the term “transcutaneous”. The information transmitted by the nerves stimulated by the TENS is sent to the spinal cord, where it will activate networks that will “close the door” to painful information and prevent it from reaching the brain. This is the gate theory, developed by Melzack and Wall in the 1960s in Montreal! This theory allows us to understand why we tend to rub or massage a painful area, for example after banging our little toe on the corner of a piece of furniture. The TENS activates these nerve fibers that reach the spinal cord to close the gate, relieving the pain as if you were massaging a sore area. The advantage of TENS is that it allows for easy, prolonged stimulation of these nerve fibers (not easy to massage your back for several minutes or hours). The fact that it is light and portable (the devices are about the size of a smart phone and are powered by batteries) also makes it possible to benefit from these analgesic stimulations while going about our daily lives, for example while walking, shopping or gardening.
There are different types of electrical stimulation devices and protocols. Unfortunately, not all devices and protocols are as scientifically sound as TENS. The best thing to do is to consult a health care professional, such as a physiotherapist, who can advise and teach you how to use this type of device. Don’t forget to tell him or her that you would like to use it yourself, to take advantage of the portability of TENS, so that you can relieve your pain yourself, at home, at work or outside, when you need it!