The History of Electro-Therapeutics
By Sandra Sitzmann
This writer, after 30 plus years as a masseuse is delighted to see that “Essential Massage” has now gone mainstream, and is considered more acceptable as a medical profession than when she first became certified. This writer views her role as a massage therapist to being that of a facilitator, not a healer, nor a” fixer” (you fix me). “Everyone's body is innately capable of repairing itself.” It is possible for all to be a conduit, drawing directly from the pool of universal energy, and transferring it to self or others, like when a person is energized by massage. It is similar to drawing energy from a charged battery and passing it through the circuitry of a facilitator, to be received by someone needing the electromagnetic charge for renewed vitality. Research supports the concept of Essential Massage from ancient to modern times. Chinese medicine is about 5,000 years old. The use of electricity/electrotherapy in medicine is young in comparison. It pre-dates the 1850's, but saw a revival of “renaissance for health” since that date, as noted and recorded in Medicology, by Joseph G. Richardson, M.D. Other medical practitioners, lecturers, and teachers contributed to this amazing edition of “20 books in one volume” with 1432 pages published in 1902. These scholars represented Colleges of Standing in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Asia. Later versions of electrotherapy included the works of Nikola Tesla, Georges Lakhovsky, John Bedini and others with newer modern equipment. Pioneering physicians from the late 1800's and into the World War II era of the 1940's actually prescribed specific kinds of massage for certain conditions and ailments as a natural way to help individuals. Doctors prescribed, while nurses administered treatments as part of their normal routine. Doctors published medical books that were written in “easy to understand English” so that the ordinary layperson could comprehend how to medically take care of their families. They taught the value of massage, electrotherapy, light therapy, hydrotherapy, herbs and more. This writer has collected a variety of these “antique medical books” and has been intrigued as well as mesmerized by the knowledge, the natural methods implemented, and the unusual equipment that they had produced and used. It appeared to be a common practice that doctors and scientists were trained in what today might be considered rather unusual or not acceptable techniques. They in turn offered public education for the public and built health resorts, spas and clinics. In Modern Medical Counselor, 1943, Hubert Swartout states, “There are some simple procedures and movements that are easy to learn, and there are some fundamental principles underlying their use that everyone should understand. There is scarcely a tissue or organ of the body that cannot be affected by massage, but the effect may not be good unless the treatment is suited to the desired purpose and properly given.” Swartout explains saying, “Massage can hasten the circulation of the blood and the lymph. Muscles must always be in a relaxed state if massage is to have its best effect on blood circulation. Because lymph flow is normally very slow, massage has a relatively greater influence upon lymph circulation than upon blood circulation. Squeezing, rolling and kneading of the muscles and subcutaneous tissues therefore are effective ways to reduce edema and to promote the absorption of fluids beneath the skin. It is because of this effect, however, that massage is liable to be perilous in the case of acute infection –it increases the danger of scattering the germs.” “Any type of massage that reduces the blood supply to the brain and to the spinal cord has a general sedative effect. Comparatively light general massage through either stroking or kneading, avoiding motions that speed the return of the blood to the heart, and ending with gentle stroking of the spine, often produces restful sleep. Stroking or friction of the forehead, scalp, back of the neck, and spine may relieve a nervous or congestive headache. A fatigued muscle will recover more rapidly as a result of moderate stroking or kneading plus rest, than it will from rest alone, as evidenced by the well-known effect of “rubbing down” athletes and race horses.” He cites that, “Massage is useful as a tonic in anemia, convalescence from acute illnesses and surgical operations, and in cases of malnutrition and underweight. It is useful for sedative neurasthenia, insomnia, headache, and muscle or joint pains. It helps to overcome cold extremities due to sluggish circulation, and to reduce edema and joint effusions. It can do much to maintain normal circulation and nutrition in muscles affected by infantile paralysis and paralysis due to other causes, including nerve injuries. It tends to soften or break up scars, adhesions, and fibrous nodules in or about muscles or joints. It helps to restore motion and function after sprains, fractures, and operations on bones, joints, tendons, and nerves, and generally stimulates the overall being of individuals.” Vibrational Massage uses an electro-mechanical apparatus. Large equipment was used in the early days, often in a sun room or a movement room, under the direction of a doctor or health professional. Modern versions of this may include the hand held massager, belt massager, shiatsu back massager, chair/bed massagers, therapy tables, and other similar marketable products, used at home or in a spa environment. Dr. Richard Brocklesby, Reflections of the Power of Music, published in 1749, includes in this book his musical remedies for the excesses of various emotions – particularly fear and excessive sadness. Dr. Raymond Bahr, head of the Coronary Care Unit at Baltimore's St. Agnes Hospital states, “A half hour of music produces the same effect as 10 milligrams of valium.” More recently, there was a study of 18,000 premature babies by a doctor and medical research scientist from the Harvard Medical School. The study proved that the premature infants who were traumatized by “blood draws”, positively responded when lullaby music was played immediately following the blood draw. Greatly elevated respiration, blood pressure and heart rates returned to normal very quickly in those who received the musical treat. It is significant to note that the early pioneers who recommended massage, vibrational massage, and electrotherapy were the “founding fathers” or “forerunners” to the more technically advanced equipment of today that scientists and physicists have developed. In the use of Electrotherapy devices, for example, electricity is produced with the use of generators, batteries, coils, and electrodes that attach or touch the body, or with antennae that do not touch the body, thereby massaging the muscles and tissues superficially or deeply (skin to cellular levels). In electrotherapy, the electricity/electrical energy has been altered from 60 cycles, to very high frequency alternating currents of extremely high voltage and very low volume. Electrotherapy is considered safe and acceptable when used appropriately for plant and animal applications, it is not the common household kind used for electrical appliances power, heating and cooling. In the early years, the most high frequency devices were developed by Tesla, D'Arsonval and Oudin. Keep in mind that these machines had different modifications, and could be different in currents of frequency and intensity. In those days it was acceptable to use for rejuvenation of impaired functions of the body, and now it is considered “bogus medicine” by some of the medical community, as influenced by the pharmaceutical companies. Noble M. Eberhart, M.D., PhD.,D.C.L., in his book, Frequency Manual, from 1911, further differentiates low, medium and high frequencies in application, mainly in regards to the safety when used on individuals' bodies. He states, “An alternating current of 110 volts and 60 cycles is a low frequency current.” Concerning bodily applications - a low frequency application to a muscle will contract the localized muscle, and may be strong enough to be unbearably painful. As the frequency of the current is increased to a medium level, the painfulness decreases, and more than a muscle tends to contract. At a high frequency of 10,000 cycles, these tetanic contractions disappear, and above that frequency there is neither pain nor gross muscular contractions. High frequency is painless, and non-traumatic within proper therapeutic limits.” This is due to the fact that the human body is high frequency, and readily accepts the matching high frequencies without harm. In contrast, certain low frequencies, such as 60 cycles damage our cells, and can electrocute. One perfect example is the electric chair, invented by Thomas Edison. Household 60 cycle circuits can “fry you” when playing with unprotected wiring. “Live power lines” that have fallen to the ground unnoticed due to severe storms can seriously harm or kill anyone coming in contact with them. Any faulty wiring, or over loaded electrical circuits can present similar hazards and fires. Eberhart explains the difference, “To an electrician, a current of only a few hundred alternations per second seems a high frequency current. To the electrotherapeutist, a high frequency current means having a frequency of oscillations figured in hundreds of thousands or even millions per second.” In medical terminology, a high frequency current is at such an extremely high rate of alternations or oscillations that living cells/tissues/organs do not even attempt to contract under each pulse. It simply depends upon the ratio of frequency of alternations to the voltage employed. If the voltage is sufficiently high there will be a definite response in the muscles, as well as a sudden concentration of ions, which requires a higher frequency, and is necessary for health.” Author Franklin B. Gottschalk, in his book, Practical Electro-Therapeutics, published in 1908, stated that every application of static electricity (electrotherapy) to the human body, whether general or local, is accompanied by transformation of electrical energy into some other form of energy, either physical or chemical. Static electricity increases metabolism by mechanical and chemical processes. It causes a contraction of the protoplasm, thus causing a mechanical disturbance of the molecular arrangement, resulting in modification of metabolism and the processes of nutrition. R.V. Pierce, M.D., in The People's Medical Adviser, 1918, supported electrotherapy, as well as the value in purifying the blood. It is useful to produce ozone, to increase the quantity of oxygen, to increase circulation, and to expel poisonous waste. Electrotherapy gives better capacity for work and walking, lessens unhealthy fat, relieves asthma and chronic rheumatism, helps intestinal action to relieve constipation, and helps relieve dizziness, headaches and hardening of the arteries. To be continued in the Spring Issue – the work of Tesla and Lakhovsky in electro-therapeutics. 8 The West Old & New Winter 2012