RSI leads to pain, depression, financial hardship and to the victims being stigmatised with labels such as ‘kangaroo paw’. Thus, the need had become increasingly obvious for a concerted effort by a closely knit team of interested practitioners to make the right diagnosis and to develop the most effective therapies.

This team concept of several professionals, all with a common interest and expertise, has gained increasing popularity.

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For them, the most appropriate form of therapy is narcotic medication combined with other mind-changing or psychotropic medication which enables them to lead as normal a life as possible.

In some cases, terminal cancer pain can be treated in the same way as non-malignant pain. In other words, it is possible that by using hypnosis, imagery techniques or TENS therapy the pain can be brought to a level at which they can function as normally as possible for as long as possible.

Such cancer pain is usually caused by the tumour growth blocking organs, displacing those organs from their intended position in the body. Or it can come frorh the destruction of bones, organs and other tissues by tumours and/or from a direct attack by the cancer on the nervous system.

One complication of the treatment of certain cancers is the destruction of nervous tissue and other tissue by radiation therapy used in the treatment of cancer.

Cancer pain is often treated in specialised cancer hospitals, though many could be treated at home for much longer periods if appropriate alternative therapies were used.

Professor Kathleen Foley, chief of the pain service of the world’s largest cancer institute, Sloan-Kettering Memorial Hospital, New York, says pain is one of the most feared consequences of cancer.

But, unlike chronic pain, it is readily diagnosable and can be attributed to either the tumour or the treatment methods such as surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

She estimates that 25 million people with cancer annually suffer significant pain that is not effectively treated. One-third of those on active treatment, and two-thirds of the 50 million a year who die, experience ‘significant’ pain in their lives.

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Alternatively, the recommendation may be to hire a unit at the approximate cost of $55 to $85 a month for a sophisticated TENS machine prior to purchasing a unit.

Most insurance companies, and the Transport Accident Commission of Victoria, will purchase a TENS unit on the recommendation of a doctor or physiotherapist.

Questions most commonly asked about TENS include: /. How recent is the use of electricity to control pain? In the year 54 AD the Romans are reported to have used electric eels for the treatment of headaches and arthritis. There is also even earlier evidence that the ancient Egyptians used the torpedo fish to produce an electric charge to ease pain. For several centuries electricity generated by animals was used in many places throughout the world. However, such treatment then lapsed into disuse for a long time. Electric stimulation regained popularity in modern times when electricity became more readily available.

About one hundred years ago, the use of electricity was very much in vogue for treating almost every kind of complaint. In the 1920′s and 1930′s very crude TENS machines were sold by a number of companies. The subject of TENS then came under the scrutiny of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Because of the many unfounded claims of benefits to be derived from electrical therapy, its use was stopped.

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