Stop Post Surgical Pain Before it Starts – Prevention
Many years ago, 1979 to be exact, I was hosting a seminar on the use of tens for pain, especially gas pain post surgically, and one of my guests was an anesthesiologist, Dr. Mazur. At that time a perplexing problem was how did tens reduce post operative pain and at our seminar we had two of the most knowledgeable physical therapists in the world explaining how tens worked to reduce pain, however none of the explanations appeared to address the “why” of post operative pain.
This was during the time that electrotherapy was showing it could accelerate bone repair ( non-union fractures) and soft tissue repair such as was seen in healing decubitus ulcers ( bed sores ). No one was actually advocating the use of electrotherapy for accelerating healing following surgery, but the level of sophistication for the industry, was simply post operative pain control.
I remember remarking to Dr. Mazur that I was sorry we could not supply a better answer about his use of tens for post operative pain to which he replied, and to this day I have always remembered the following.
“Bob that’s not complicated at all. What is going on is upon the cutting of muscle tissue the tissue loses it’s tension or tone and becomes flaccid. If this is in the abdominal areas then the flaccidity of the muscles allows the gas to increase and pain starts. The electricity being supplied externally is maintaining the muscle tone or restoring it quicker than you would have without it. To me it’s no more complicated than that. “
I found that to be a pretty good answer, for the next two decades, until now. What is unfortunate is so many patients are suffering post operative pain needlessly, when it could be greatly reduced, if only upon closure an interferential unit were applied and the stimulation started. The old reasoning of Dr. Mazur still applies but now we know that electricity can actually accelerate tissue repair and the patient can regain normal function and mobility quicker by the addition of interferential.
This is not to say that in all post operative situations the use of interferential is necessary as it certainly is not. We’ve found through experience there are many situations where the pain is really not that great nor long lasting that the use of non habit forming drugs may be totally sufficient, but there are some surgeries that the patient is better served by the use of interferential post operatively.
Breast cancer surgery, thoracotomies, cancer surgeries, most intestinal surgeries, amputations, orthopedic surgeries such as knee replacements, hip joint replacements are some of the surgeries where the patient is better served by preventing undue pain rather than deal with it after it has started.
Of course anytime you cut tissue or bones there will be more pain than originally but the goal of good surgeons is to cause no further harm to their patients and reduce the painful episodes following the surgery.
I’m sure many folks are aware of patients who have refused additional needed surgeries such as in knee replacements and hip joint replacements in their other joint because of the pain following the first joint replacement surgery. We can help prevent this reaction now by preventing pain prior to surgery rather than trying to treat it after.
Easier to catch a horse in the barn rather than one you’ve let out to pasture.
P.S. Today interferential therapy is indicated over tens.
The main reason is it works better and provides carryover pain relief. Also there was not a home device until 4 months ago. Historically the patient would have had to stay in the hospital for the interferential treatments (IFT).
Bob Johnson is owner/founder of MedFaxx, Inc. and has multiple patents for non pharmacological treatment of chronic pain, decubitus ulcers, using electrotherapy and ultraviolet F.D.A. approved medical devices.
More information is available at the web site, http://www.medfaxxinc.com.
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