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| Scribonius
Largus describes the use of torpedos (aquatic animals capable
of electrical discharge) for medical applications. "The
live black torpedo when applied to the painful area relieves
and permanently cures some chronic and intolerable protracted
headaches ... carries off pain of arthritis ... and eases
other chronic pains of the body." |
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| William
Gilbert, physician to Queen Elizabeth, published De Magnete,
in which he describes the use of electricity in medicine.
Gilbert re-discovers that when certain materials are rubbed,
they will attract light objects - originally known to be
true of amber by the ancient Greeks. He coins the name
'electricity' from the Greek 'electron' for amber. |
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| Krueger,
a Professor of Medicine, suggests in lectures that electricity
might be used in the treatment of paralysis. |
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| Kratzenstein
publishes a book on electrotherapy. He details a method
of treatment which consists of seating the patient on a
wooden stool, electrifying him by means of a large revolving
frictional glass globe and then drawing sparks from him
through the affected body parts. |
| |
| Galvani,
Professor of Anatomy at the University of Bologna, first
observes the twitching of muscles under the influence of
electricity (prepared from the leg of a frog). Galvani
then proves that atmospheric electricity, as manifested
in lightning, will produce the same effects on muscular
movement. |
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| Carlo
Matteucci shows that injured tissue generates electric
current. |
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| The
start of Sinusoidal Stimulation. This occurs with the advent
of Alternating (Symmetrical bi-phasic) current. |
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| Michael
Faraday, Professor of Chemistry at the Royal Military Acadamy
in Woolwich from 1830 to 1851 discovers electro-magnetic
induction. This leads to the wire-wound transformer that
permits the modern control of electricity in electric motors
and voltage control. |
| |
| England's
first electrical therapy department is established at Guy's
Hospital, under Dr. Golding Bird. The electrical discovery
of Galvano leads to the use of mechanically pulsed Galvanic
currents. |
| |
| The
start of Faradic Stimulation. Bristow develops the Bristow
Coil, using Faraday's principle of electro-magnetically
controlling the voltage of electricity. |
| |
| Galen
reproduces Largus' work with torpedos, noting in the Dictionnaire
de Thérapeutique "I therefore applied a living torpedo
to the head of a person suffering from headache because
I thought the remedy would have a calming effect as do
all things which numb sensation, and I have seen that it
was so." |
| |
| Nicola
Tesla presents a paper in "Electrical Engineer", about
the medical application of high frequency currents. He
notes that when the body is transversed by alternating
currents above a certain frequency, heat is perceived.
This is the forerunner of Longwave, Shortwave and Microwave
diathermy devices, used for di-electric heating of deep
body tissues. |
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| |
|
| D'Arsonval,
in a communication to the Société de Biologie,
shows that a high frequency current (greater than 10,000
hertz) can be passed through the body without producing
any sensation other than heat.
[Below 10,000 hertz, muscle
contraction is illicited. Ed.] |
| |
| D'Arsonval
demonstrates the ability of high frequency currents to
modify physiological processes, including: respiratory
exchange, dilation of peripheral blood vessels arterial
blood pressure. |
| |
| The
electrical discoveries of Galvano, Faraday and Tesla were
therapeutically adopted by activating the electrical phenomena
of the human body with the use of Galvanic, Sinusoidal
and Faradic currents. These become the standard methods
of applying Electrical Body Stimulation. There becomes
a preference to use the more comfortable and less harzardous
Faraday method. The Longwave Diathermy Spark-Gap device
is produced. |
| |
| Lee
de Forest builds the first thermonic triode vacuum valve.
This produces higher frequency transmission and leads to
the replacement of the spark-gap method. |
| |
| Von
Berndt, Von Preiss and Von Zeyneck publish a paper on the
treatment of joint disease by high frequency currents. |
| |
| World
War I casualties are treated by medical therapists at Guys,
St. Dunstan and other hospitals for exercise, pain management
and healing. The therapists performing the treatment are
named Medical Masseurs, Medical Gymnasts and Medical Electricians.
These Electrotherapists use Faradic, Sinusoidal, Galvanic
and Longwave diathermy currents. |
| |
| Combined
Faradic, Sinusoidal, Galvanic and Switched Galvanic clinical
switch tables are produced. Shortwave diathermy devices
are produced. |
| |
| Australian
therapists responsible for treating World War I casualties
at Guy's, St. Dunston and other hospitals with electro-medicine
sucessfully obtain certification under the Victorian Registered
Massuers Act of 1923. The act is later changed to the Victorian
Registered Physiotherapy Act. |
| |
| Interferential
currents are developed. Two alternating, medium frequency
sine wave current paths were crossed to give low frequency
pulsed modes of electrical stimulation. Interferential
currents are much more comfortable than anything else available
at this time. |
| |
| In
1946 William Schockley of Bell Laboratories produces the
first transistor, which eventually replaces the vacuum
valve. In 1953 Texas Instruments produces the Silicone
transistor. |
| |
| Russian
Stimulation is developed. 50% ON and 50% OFF tone bursts
of 4000Hz, alternating currents with 50 tone bursts per
second. This is used by athletes for building muscle and
increasing power. |
| |
| Lamers
manufactures Australia's first, and possibly the world's
first, portable electronic stimulator. |
|
| |
|
| Transcutaneous
Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) is acknowledged as
a viable method of pain management by America's Food and
Drug Administration (FDA). Many American companies begin
production of TENS systems. The heart pacemaker is developed. |
| |
| Melzak
and Wall propose the 'Pain Control Gate' theory, by which
strong afferent nerve stimulation by chemical, mechanical
or electrical means overrides painful sensations at hypothetical
Pain Control Gates in the spinal cord. |
| |
| Lamers
develops the Bi-Phasic Capacidance Discharge Micro-pulse
device, with equally active stimulation from both electrodes.
Most devices to this point are only active through one
electrode. |
| |
| Clinical
researchers Ericsson and Sjolund publish a series of articles
in various scientific and medical journals. They compare
constant, high frequency TENS to bursts of high frequency
TENS (termed acupuncture-like TENS), finding that the latter
offers better pain relief and does in fact release endorphins. |
| |
| High
voltage Galvanic stimulation of up to 500 volts is used
in table-top clinical use devices. |
| |
|
Becker
electrically induces limb regeneration in frogs and rats. |
|
| |
|
| Professor
Grahame Clark develops the Bionic Ear. Models are produced
for adults and children. |
| |
| Advances
in electrically conductive polymers and self-adhesive electrically
conductive gels allow for production of electrodes which
are much more user friendly than anything previously available. |
| |
| Lamers
manufacturers the world's first multi-function stimulator,
combining a TENS (for pain relief, accelerated healing,
and sedation) with an EMS (for muscle stimulation). |
| John
McDonald of Washington University uses intensive applications
of EMS to exercise the muscles of a quadraplegic of 8 years.
The patient defies medical science by regaining limited
sensation and movement in his body. The regimen includes
2 hours of EMS and hydrotherapy weekly. |
| |
| Lamers
produces the EziStim® PainEze plus™ - a single-function,
advanced TENS device. The product is designed to be low
cost and highly effective, to make electrical therapy available
to all. |
| |
| Lamers
recommends 'prolonged therapy applications' to increase
the efficiency of Electronic Body Stimulation (EBS) self-care,
drug free pain relief, healing and exercise. The addition
of a triple-function models to the EziStim® range now
makes it possible to have pain relief, healing and exercise
in one matchbox sized device. |
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