This chapter explains how chronic pain can be stopped or blocked by understanding the pain pathways from the area of the pain through to the brain. This type of intervention may reduce medication and medical consultations, as well as unnecessary investigations and procedures.

Chapter 13 - What is Electrical Stimulation Analgesia (ESA)?

Electrical stimulation analgesia is the method of blocking pain

using electrical currents (TENS) to break the pain cycle.

This chapter explains:

• Treatment with TENS
• Important information about the use of TENS
• Recommendations for the use of TENS
• Rules of TENS
• TENS electrode placement diagrams

In more detail:             

• The treatment of the pain site   
• Hypersensitive areas of pain    
• Pain in large areas of the spine
• Specific treatments-   
• pain centrally/unilaterally at L5 
• pain referred from L5/S1 into sacroiliac joint, buttocks, leg and/or feet  
• pain in the jaw after teeth surgery       
• pain after healed fracture of the clavicle  
• pain referred from thoracic spine or costovertebral joints into the anterior chest wall 
• pain in both the costovertebral region and the anterior chest wall  
• Combination of TENS and Modified Direct Current (MDC) treatment for pain in the medial aspect of the knee