Cover Story:
Mobile Electro Therapy
& Drug Withdrawal.

Therapy Closeup:
Wrist to Wrist Stimulation.

Special Guest Contributor:
Pat Searles, Snr. Counsellor
Drug Users Parents' Aid Foundation (DUPA).

User Profiles:
Two ex-drug users tell their stories.

The Fact Files:
Medical research from around the world in support of Electrical Stimulation in drug withdrawal programs.

Wrist to Wrist Stimulation

Wrist to wrist therapy can be of benefit to the user of electrical stimulation equipment in two important ways - pain relief and sedation. The wrist is an excellent stimulation point, because there are three major nerves that run through the area to supply the hand. These nerves are made up of both motor fibres (which carry messages from the brain to the muscles about movement), and sensory fibres (which carry tactile information about pressure, temperature, etc. back to the brain). It is the information carried by sensory nerve fibres that are of prime importance, because it feeds directly into the brain to make up our overall perception of the world around us.

When we stimulate the nerves in specific ways, it produces certain effects in us. The two most important of which are the production of endorphins and the entrainment of brain waves.

Endorphin Release
Endorphins are the bodys' natural pain killing hormones. In addition to analgesia, endorphins can have a relaxing and sedative effect. The body will release endorphins at frequencies of stimulation less than 10 pulses per second. Both the LOW and MEDIUM settings on any BioStim™ device are suitable for enducing an endorphin release.

If one sets a BioStim™ to HIGH and MODULATED (meaning that the output fluctuates between fast and slow), this will also induce an endorphin release. In effect, this means there will be short bursts of 100 pulses per second, followed by a run of slower pulses. As it happens, the body interprets this cluster of fast pulses as being one pulse, meaning the overall pattern falls into the range that will release endorphins. In fact, research suggests that this setting is the most effective for endorphin release.

Entrainment of Brain Waves
The frequency of the brain's own electrical activity has a tendency to adopt the same rate as the dominant external source (entrainment). This is seen daily in mood changes experienced when one listens to music. Slower, rhythmic sounds can induce relaxation, as with new age music, for example. The faster, up-tempo beats of dance music can arouse and invigorate. Whereas music stimulates auditory nerves (specialized sensory nerves), BioStim™ advanced TENS acts directly on sensory nerves that supply the skin (as with wrist stimulation).

There are actually four brain 'rhythms' associated with different states of consciousness.

When using BioStim™, a MEDIUM setting will effect both suitable brain wave entrainment and an endorphin release. For those withdrawing from drugs, this can be a very positive combination. As well as relaxing the user, it raises depressed opiate levels in the body. In practice, it is difficult to say which of these two factors has the greater effect on the individual.

Maximizing feed-back to the brain will maximize endorphin release and brain wave entrainment. For this reason, electrodes are best positioned in an area of high nerve density. The face, hands and feet all meet this requirement - but for practical reasons, are rarely used. Instead, stimulation is usually applied through the ear lobes (using specialized electrodes) or to the wrists.