Historical "TENS".

I was taking a class today on migraines and there was a discussion on historical treatments.

There are modern applications of electricity for pain relief in the TENS treatment (Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation). However, I learned today that Galen, Dioscorides, Largus and others were using electric fish (eels, rays, torpedo fish) to alleviate pain from headaches, arthritis, gout, prolapses, epilepsy, etc., as early as the first century AD. It was called the “Torpedo” effect (after one of the fish species). It wasn’t until the 18th century that it was discovered that the fish have electricity producing organs. But these fish were the beginnings of electrotherapy.


Comments

  • marjstratton
    marjstratton Posts: 1,132 ✭✭✭✭

    Wow, that is fascinating and more than a bit scary. Getting electrocuted to get rid of your pain. There would be no way, that I can think of, to calibrate the power produced by a fish so as to be able to get the right amount of charge.

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,576 admin

    @marjstratton Maybe they used smaller to bigger fish to match the person? I just wouldn't want to be the one that was first experimented on.

  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,679 admin

    Apparently, the different fish have different charges. The eels have the biggest charge at around 600 volts. The others are 30-200 volts.

    As little as 42 volts of DC power can be deadly to humans but we can withstand AC shocks of over 2000 volts depending on where you are standing and whether or not water is involved. Fish generally produce AC electrical charges.

    I just found another reference that says Egyptians were using the fish treatment even earlier than the Greeks.

    I wouldn't want to be experimented on either.

  • annbeck62
    annbeck62 Posts: 1,028 ✭✭✭✭

    Interesting. I say I wouldn't want to be experimented on either but I do get bad headaches and in the moment I'm usually willing to try anything that may help.

  • marjstratton
    marjstratton Posts: 1,132 ✭✭✭✭

    I'm with you in declining to be a guinea pig for such experiments.

  • vickeym
    vickeym Posts: 2,134 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Here, hold this fish on your head and see what happens! LOL I think I would need to be in a lot of pain before I could be talked into trying these.