| Many years ago, 1979 to be exact, I was hosting a | | | | upon closure an interferential unit were applied and |
| seminar on the use of tens for pain, especially gas | | | | the stimulation started. The old reasoning of Dr. |
| pain post surgically, and one of my guests was an | | | | Mazur still applies but now we know that electricity |
| anesthesiologist, Dr. Mazur. At that time a perplexing | | | | can actually accelerate tissue repair and the patient |
| problem was how did tens reduce post operative | | | | can regain normal function and mobility quicker by the |
| pain and at our seminar we had two of the most | | | | addition of interferential. |
| knowledgeable physical therapists in the world | | | | This is not to say that in all post operative situations |
| explaining how tens worked to reduce pain, however | | | | the use of interferential is necessary as it certainly is |
| none of the explanations appeared to address the | | | | not. We've found through experience there are many |
| "why" of post operative pain. | | | | situations where the pain is really not that great nor |
| This was during the time that electrotherapy was | | | | long lasting that the use of non habit forming drugs |
| showing it could accelerate bone repair ( non-union | | | | may be totally sufficient, but there are some |
| fractures) and soft tissue repair such as was seen in | | | | surgeries that the patient is better served by the |
| healing decubitus ulcers ( bed sores ). No one was | | | | use of interferential post operatively. |
| actually advocating the use of electrotherapy for | | | | Breast cancer surgery, thoracotomies, cancer |
| accelerating healing following surgery, but the level of | | | | surgeries, most intestinal surgeries, amputations, |
| sophistication for the industry, was simply post | | | | orthopedic surgeries such as knee replacements, hip |
| operative pain control. | | | | joint replacements are some of the surgeries where |
| I remember remarking to Dr. Mazur that I was sorry | | | | the patient is better served by preventing undue pain |
| we could not supply a better answer about his use | | | | rather than deal with it after it has started. |
| of tens for post operative pain to which he replied, | | | | Of course anytime you cut tissue or bones there will |
| and to this day I have always remembered the | | | | be more pain than originally but the goal of good |
| following. | | | | surgeons is to cause no further harm to their |
| "Bob that's not complicated at all. What is going on is | | | | patients and reduce the painful episodes following the |
| upon the cutting of muscle tissue the tissue loses it's | | | | surgery. |
| tension or tone and becomes flaccid. If this is in the | | | | I'm sure many folks are aware of patients who have |
| abdominal areas then the flaccidity of the muscles | | | | refused additional needed surgeries such as in knee |
| allows the gas to increase and pain starts. The | | | | replacements and hip joint replacements in their other |
| electricity being supplied externally is maintaining the | | | | joint because of the pain following the first joint |
| muscle tone or restoring it quicker than you would | | | | replacement surgery. We can help prevent this |
| have without it. To me it's no more complicated than | | | | reaction now by preventing pain prior to surgery |
| that. " | | | | rather than trying to treat it after. |
| I found that to be a pretty good answer, for the | | | | Easier to catch a horse in the barn rather than one |
| next two decades, until now. What is unfortunate is | | | | you've let out to pasture. |
| so many patients are suffering post operative pain | | | | P.S. Today interferential therapy is indicated over |
| needlessly, when it could be greatly reduced, if only | | | | tens. |