Apple iPod/iPhone
It might not be immediately obvious why I've included the iPhone (or iPod) in this blog, but I can assure you that it has been one of the mainstays in my "arsenal" for a long time. In times of crisis, soothing music and calming words have been life-savers. When Julien was in pain for prolonged periods of time, I would grab the iPod and select one of the playlists created specifically for those times. When things were particularly bad I had a playlist that included a voice recording of one of her healthcare practitioners repeatedly reassuring her that what was happening was time-limited and that if she paid close attention to her body, she might even notice that things were getting better. If I couldn't be with her, or had to run an errand, I would leave her with iPod and a phone, so when the iPhone came out it was one thing less that she might have to reach for since both the phone and the playlists were now on the same device. Additionally, when GPS became available with the iPhone, I felt better knowing that if she was out on a walk or otherwise out and about, I would be able to locate her if she was in trouble. Until GPS became available with the iPhone, I actually had another solution for this issue, but that will be covered in another blog entry...
The ALPHA-STIM® 100
With so many products to choose from, believe it or not, it was a bit of a challenge to choose which one would be the first. In the end, I chose the Alpha-Stim 100® because it is a product/technology that really works and has quite a few benefits.
My initial reason for looking at Alpha-Stim technology was specifically as a way to relieve pain. Pain is a hugely complex issue. For anyone interested in diving a little deeper, there are a series of very interesting articles on the subject in the September 2009 issue of the magazine Scientific American MIND. Since a lot of pain signaling mechanisms are electro-chemical in nature, I felt that it made sense that a device that potentially disrupts those signals might be of benefit.
The Alpha-Stim was invented by Dr. Daniel Kirsch, a pioneer in the field of electro-medicine. For an introduction to the role that electricity can play in treating and healing various conditions in the body I suggest reading "The Body Electric
I won't go into detail about how it works because the Alpha-Stim.com website has plenty of information on that subject. What was, however, very interesting to me was the fact that there is quite a bit of published scientific research on it's efficacy. Again, for the details please visit their website.
There are three devices based on this technology available. The ALPHA-STIM® SCS (Stress Control System), The ALPHA-STIM® PPM (Personal Pain Manager) and the ALPHA-STIM® 100, encompassing all the functionality of both other units, and more expensive than the other two. I chose the ALPHA-STIM® 100 because I was interested in evaluating/using it for more than just pain. It just so happens that the ALPHA-STIM® 100 is also very effective in treating anxiety, insomnia and depression in addition to pain, all of which were affecting Julien in some way or another. The ALPHA-STIM® 100 was not cheap, costing $895 compared to $495 for the ALPHA-STIM® SCS, but when you are witnessing someone in severe pain for extended periods of time, no price seems like too much! I should also point out that the ALPHA-STIM® 100 can not be purchased without a prescription in the United States, but that should not present a problem to anyone who is working with a somewhat open-minded healthcare practitioner. For us, it just took a quick phone call to our chiropractor...
The ALPHA-STIM® 100 turned out to be quite effective, and is a great "tool" to have in the arsenal. We have not needed to use it in quite a while (thank goodness) and often find ourselves lending it to others for extended periods of time. All of them have reported that it has really helped!