| Fibromyalgia is a serious medical condition and is | | | | area was painful then with interferential the entire |
| generally associated with low serotonin levels. | | | | area could be treated by eliminating the painful |
| Fibromyalgia affects about 3 million to 6 million people | | | | sensory input at the same time the interferential |
| in the United States each year. The disorder mostly | | | | treatment triggers additional opioid production. |
| affects women, aged 30 to 59 and typically develops | | | | An interferential unit is simply a small unit weighing |
| in early-to-middle adulthood. Fibromyalgia pain is more | | | | less than 12 ounces that can be plugged into a wall |
| common in the trunk, neck, low back, hips, and | | | | outlet or use rechargeable/disposable batteries when |
| shoulders, and it is rare in the hands and feet. It | | | | not convenient to use wall outlet. It is small, portable |
| usually develops gradually and can interfere with even | | | | and can be worn by a patient while the patient is |
| simple daily activities. Often the diagnosis requires | | | | receiving treatments. It consists of a generator, |
| having 11 of 18 identified possibly tender points on | | | | wires leading to electrodes which are placed on the |
| the body such as elbows, front of chest etc. Pain is | | | | body. The method of distributing the electricity from |
| the most prominent symptom of fibromyalgia and | | | | the unit we know but the resultant chemical |
| many patients report pain on the TPS pain scale of 8 | | | | physiological changes occurring in the body are |
| out of 10 with 10 being highest. The pain cycle often | | | | actually best described by Giovanni De Domenico, |
| results in the patient having what is described as | | | | Ph.D and world expert when he states it as "giving |
| fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) which is categorized by | | | | the patient electrical energy with particular |
| stiffness and constant fatigue. Often the fatigue is | | | | characteristics." |
| brought on by lack of sleep and that is the area | | | | The strength of interferential treatments which have |
| where lack of serotonin is a factor. | | | | been historically only done in a clinic or hospital setting |
| Serotonin is an important initiator of sleep. In | | | | is there is a carryover effect that lasts for days or |
| numerous studies 5-HTP has been shown to | | | | weeks. It is believed the carryover effect is the |
| decrease the time required to get to sleep and to | | | | result of the interferential treatment triggering the |
| decrease the number of awakenings.[1] | | | | production of the natural pain killers which have a long |
| Serotonin mediates several important physiological | | | | clinical life cycle in the blood and inhibit the return of |
| functions including neurotransmission, gastrointestinal | | | | the pain. The actual pain killers themselves are active |
| motility, hemostasis, and cardiovascular integrity. | | | | until neutralized by competing neutralizing agents |
| Serotonin is produced when you eat starchy or | | | | produced in the body. |
| sweet carbohydrates by themselves or with very | | | | Now that patient's have the availability of a take |
| little protein or fat. Serotonin is produced as needed | | | | home interferential a new treatment method is |
| by the nervous system, mainly the brain, but also | | | | emerging for fibromyalgia patients. In preliminary |
| special cells in the bronchial tubes (lungs) and | | | | observations it appears that interferential treatments |
| gastrointestinal tract. It helps transmit nerve impulses | | | | done more frequently are producing longer term |
| and constrict blood vessels, participates in the | | | | carryover effects. The patient can treat pain and get |
| wake-sleep cycle, and affects mood. | | | | immediate results and the moment the pain starts |
| It is widely known that the use of electrotherapy, | | | | returning then the patient does another treatment |
| specifically interferential (IFT) and tens (TNS) , can | | | | which extends the pain relief. Over time the |
| trigger increased production of a broad spectrum of | | | | treatments become less frequent as the carryover |
| opioid peptides, or pain killers, serotonin being one of | | | | effect keeps extending longer and longer. |
| those peptides. Interferential has the ability to | | | | It is anticipated many new treatment protocols for |
| immediately isolate pain relief over specific areas and | | | | fibromyalgia patients will now emerge since the |
| can be expanded for treating the patient's pain | | | | technology has caught up with the disease process. |
| regionally. Regional application is if the patient's chest | | | | |