Alternative and Complementary
Electricity and Wellness
By: Michael W. Loes, M.D.
Electrical stimulation is being heralded as the new wave of health hopes. While it is true that electrical, electromagnetic, and magnetic therapies may have potential benefit, I also know that when the invitations went out to various experts to submit a book chapter for the 2005 edition of the textbook for the American Academy of Pain Management, an acceptable science-based chapter on electrical medicine did not come forth.
This does not mean that there is nothing of therapeutic value for people in pain that can be found among the various promotions of such devices, but it does say that extreme caution is warranted before purchasing these devices.
On a personal basis, I am convinced that electro-acupuncture works, though only in the hands of those individuals who are well trained in acupuncture. I also know that TENS units (trans-electrical electrical nerve stimulators) work if properly placed by a physical therapist with training in myofascial pain syndromes. I also know that DCS units (dorsal column stimulators) work when properly trialed and placed by appropriately trained individuals – interventional anesthesiologists or neurosurgeons.
There is a concept in the medical literature called "the tomato effect," which means that if a therapy does not work 95 times out of 100 times, you throw tomatoes at it. When a therapy does not work almost all of the time, it does not meet science criteria for being effective – in other words, it gets pelted.
This approach is called the probability factor, often referred to as "p equals less than .05" – which is the 5 times out of 100 that the therapy failed. While this makes sense for an antibiotic or a drug expected to lower blood pressure or cholesterol, we all know that sometimes this level of expectation is sometimes too lofty.
For example, if a therapy works 75% of the time to slow or reverse a particular kind of cancer, multiple sclerosis, schizophrenia, or obesity, would you want to throw tomatoes? I hope not. Deliberately not being specific here, there are lots of therapies that have gone to the delete bin that would have helped a lot of people. From personal experience, I know many patients that have responded to various types of electrical therapy, such as magnets, though I do not recommend or promote them. I do recommend a lot of nutritional supplements – including B12, co-enzyme Q-10, and magnesium – that have a lot of supporting data, but effective rates that have been scorned for not meeting scientifically accepted criteria.
On the flip side, I recommend that patients do not live near high-powered electrical power lines, though to date, if medical legal suits are any indicator, there have been no successful law suits in this arena because of "lack of scientific basis." As a physician trained in acupuncture, I tell patients not to wear watches that have batteries because they do exert electrical energy over the very sensitive acupuncture meridian called "master of the heart" on the flexor aspect of the wrist. It's unlikely that I could pull data to support this aspect of my beliefs, but it makes sense to me to avoid putting batteries over sensitive areas of energetic function.
I also tell my patients to stay away from too many computer screens, or anything that hums, buzzes or bleeps. And at night, I tell them to turn off all those little green and red lights that may not seemingly do anything. Why do I do this? Because, when all the calculators finish clicking, health is about empowerment – learning what is useful to you and doing it. It is also about asking your health care providers what they think and believe. As a physician, I will tell you if you ask, and provide data when I can. Data – even compelling data – does not always provide the complete answer, so I offer some knowledge, experience and even intuition to empower you to make a decision about your health.
This does not mean that there is nothing of therapeutic value for people in pain that can be found among the various promotions of such devices, but it does say that extreme caution is warranted before purchasing these devices.
On a personal basis, I am convinced that electro-acupuncture works, though only in the hands of those individuals who are well trained in acupuncture. I also know that TENS units (trans-electrical electrical nerve stimulators) work if properly placed by a physical therapist with training in myofascial pain syndromes. I also know that DCS units (dorsal column stimulators) work when properly trialed and placed by appropriately trained individuals – interventional anesthesiologists or neurosurgeons.
There is a concept in the medical literature called "the tomato effect," which means that if a therapy does not work 95 times out of 100 times, you throw tomatoes at it. When a therapy does not work almost all of the time, it does not meet science criteria for being effective – in other words, it gets pelted.
This approach is called the probability factor, often referred to as "p equals less than .05" – which is the 5 times out of 100 that the therapy failed. While this makes sense for an antibiotic or a drug expected to lower blood pressure or cholesterol, we all know that sometimes this level of expectation is sometimes too lofty.
For example, if a therapy works 75% of the time to slow or reverse a particular kind of cancer, multiple sclerosis, schizophrenia, or obesity, would you want to throw tomatoes? I hope not. Deliberately not being specific here, there are lots of therapies that have gone to the delete bin that would have helped a lot of people. From personal experience, I know many patients that have responded to various types of electrical therapy, such as magnets, though I do not recommend or promote them. I do recommend a lot of nutritional supplements – including B12, co-enzyme Q-10, and magnesium – that have a lot of supporting data, but effective rates that have been scorned for not meeting scientifically accepted criteria.
On the flip side, I recommend that patients do not live near high-powered electrical power lines, though to date, if medical legal suits are any indicator, there have been no successful law suits in this arena because of "lack of scientific basis." As a physician trained in acupuncture, I tell patients not to wear watches that have batteries because they do exert electrical energy over the very sensitive acupuncture meridian called "master of the heart" on the flexor aspect of the wrist. It's unlikely that I could pull data to support this aspect of my beliefs, but it makes sense to me to avoid putting batteries over sensitive areas of energetic function.
I also tell my patients to stay away from too many computer screens, or anything that hums, buzzes or bleeps. And at night, I tell them to turn off all those little green and red lights that may not seemingly do anything. Why do I do this? Because, when all the calculators finish clicking, health is about empowerment – learning what is useful to you and doing it. It is also about asking your health care providers what they think and believe. As a physician, I will tell you if you ask, and provide data when I can. Data – even compelling data – does not always provide the complete answer, so I offer some knowledge, experience and even intuition to empower you to make a decision about your health.