Electricity may be the new medicine
Medications might not improve every condition, but a zap might do the trick. Scientists are looking at electricity—specifically at electroceutical devices—to treat illnesses, according to Stat.
In one test, patients with overactive bladder syndrome had electrodes placed on the soles of their feet. Patients in the study went to the bathroom less often and had half as many accidents as they typically would have with overactive bladder syndrome medication, Stat reports. They also didn’t suffer the side effects of other standard drugs.
The early results provides more evidence that electricity could work as a treatment for maladies. Scientists are researching the possibility of treating conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and arthritis with electroceutical devices.
“Everyone wants to use devices to replace drugs,’’ neurosurgeon Kevin Tracey, president of the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research on New York’s Long Island told Stat. “Every cell in the body is within shouting distance of sensory neurons, so in principle bioelectronics have great potential.’’
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