1089

 

 

 

 

 

Date

 

 

 

Organization

 

 

 

Location

 

 

 

Author

 

 

Indications

 

 

October 27, 2000

 

 

 

Universitair Ziekenhuis Antwerpen

 

 

Antwerp, Belgium

 

 

Patrick De Bock, P.T.

 

 

 

Pain

 

 

 

universitair
ziekenhuis
antwerpen

wiirjikstraat 10
b-2650 edegem
telefax (03) 829.05.20

Daniel L. Kirsch, PhD, DAAPM, FAIS
Chairman of the Board
Electromedical Products International, Inc.
2201 Garrett Morris Parkway
Mineral Wells, TX 76067-9484 USA

Antwerp, 27 October 2000

Dear Dr. Kirsch,

I started to use portable TENS units in physical therapy about 12 years ago. I had the feeling that this was the best possible solution to do something about pain. But still too many patients kept complaining about pain and the additional use of drugs was often the only way out. On the other hand I realized that this way of treating pain is still only a symptomatic treatment. In April 1998 I started using the Alpha-Stim 100. From the very beginning I noticed that this microcurrent device offers much more and better possibilities than any TENS device.

I use the Alpha-Stim in a variety of pathologies, as they are common in physical therapy, i.e. tendonitis, periostitis, traumatic ankle distortions, facet joint and intervertebral disc pain, etc. I had the opportunity to compare the Alpha-Stim to two other microcurrent devices and it is remarkable that there is still quite a difference. The Alpha-Stim shows its effects in less treatments and has a greater effect of decreasing the pain, i.e., the treatment of tendonitis of the supraspinatus muscle is sometimes only a matter of two treatments in three or four days. Of course this is in combination with manual therapy techniques but one of the remarkable effects is that further no drugs, such as NSAID’s, are being used. This leads to the conclusion that the Alpha-Stim microcurrent probably has its effects much closer to the cause of the injury or disease. Which is a welcome alternative to the variety of symptomatic treatments in physical therapy. I think that according to the need for evidence based physical therapy the Alpha-Stim technology is what PT’s are waiting for.

The Alpha-Stim offers even more. The CES option is in physical therapy a welcome solution for the treatment of pathologies that include an overactivated sympathetic nervous system, such as in RSD and whiplash. CES was completely new to me and in this matter I want to thank you for lecturing here at the university in May last year. Your explanations on CES have been of great value to me and together with your book it helped me write the CES chapter in my book on electrotherapy.

Patrick De Bock, P.T.
Physical Therapist / Manual Therapist

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