Cover Story:
How Mobile Electro Therapy (MET) Relieves Pain.

Therapy Closeup:
Low Back Pain.

Bit's n' Pieces:
South African Market says 'Yes' to Sportsmed.

User Profiles:
Web developer and regular gym patron tells how Sportsmed has helped him.

Just Imagine:
Just imagine what would happen if...

The Fact Files:
Medical research from around the world.

Extracts from 'Textbook of Pain'. Edited by Wall and Melzack. (Churchill Livingstone, 1984)
Chapter 3.D.1 - Transcutaneous and implanted nerve stimulation by Clifford J. Woolf (Lecturer, Department of Anatomy, University College London, London, UK)

Regarding Transcutaneous Electrical Stimulation

"The ability of the clinician to reduce pain in a patient exploiting the patient's own in-built neurophysiological control mechanisms must surely rank as one of the great achievements of contemporary medical science. Acute pain can be successfully diminished in over 60% of all patients, and chronic intractable pain, refractory to all conventional treatments, can be controlled for prolonged periods in up to 30% of patients."

"Of great interest is the phenomenon of post-stimulation analgesia. Meyer & Fields (1972) ... found the post-stimulation effect lasted from 5 minutes to 10 hours in different patients. Andersson et al (1976) found a post-stimulation effect of 30 - 60 minutes, while Augustinnson et al (1976) report pain relief up to 18 hours after stimulation. Bates & Nathan (1980) have found that 30% of patients with post-herpetic neuralgia [shingles] have a permanent reduction in pain after long-term TENS."

" ... the use of transcutaneous electrical stimulation is remarkably free from side-effects. The only common problem relates to an allergic dermatitis [skin rash] which some patients experience ..."