Electrical therapy is used to treat a variety of acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term) pain conditions. They include:

• Back pain. Back pain is one of the most common medical conditions in the United States. Pain due to conditions such as back sprain or strain, degenerative disc disease, sciatica and scoliosis are sometimes treated with electrical therapy. Techniques such as transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) can ease spasms and pain resulting from vertebral fractures caused by osteoporosis.

• Neck pain. Most conditions affecting the neck, such as whiplash, cause pain and stiffness along the base and sides of the neck. However, problems with the structures of the neck can also cause pain over the top of the head (tension headache), pain over the upper back (neck strain and fibromyalgia) or pain over the shoulder (neck strain or a pinched nerve in the neck).
  
  
• Joint pain. Most people experience joint pain at some time during their lives. Pain can be the result of a short-term injury or condition, but can also be chronic. Some examples of joint pain that may be treated with electrical therapy include:
  
  
• Arthritis (inflammation of the joints). Common types of arthritis include osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

• TMJ disorder. The temporomandibular joints (jaw joints) connect the lower jawbone (mandible) to the skull. Many people experience pain and dysfunction in these joints at some point in their lives. This can affect the jaw and jaw joint as well as muscles in the face, shoulder, head and neck.
  
  
• Tendinitis (inflammation of a tendon). The most common cause of tendinitis is overuse, frequently from a sports activity.
  
  
• Bursitis (inflammation of a bursa). A bursa is a fluid-filled sac that functions as a gliding surface to reduce friction between the tissues of the body. The body has 160 bursae, located in areas such as shoulders, elbows, hips and knees.
  
  
• Nerve pain. Electrical therapy may benefit people with conditions including peripheral neuropathy, complex regional pain syndrome, cranial neuralgias, postherpetic neuralgia or phantom limb pain.

• Headaches. Headaches affect millions of Americans. The three most common types are tension headaches (sometimes described as a tight band around the head), migraines (characterized by throbbing pain and other symptoms, such as nausea) and cluster headaches (marked by excruciating, piercing pain on one side of the head).
  
  
• Fibromyalgia. A chronic pain condition characterized by musculoskeletal aches, pain and stiffness, tenderness in soft tissues, general fatigue and sleep disturbances.
  
  
• Pelvic pain. Electrical therapy may be recommended for conditions including interstitial cystitis, prostatitis and menstrual pain.
  
  
• Chest pain. Conditions such as costochondritis and heartburn have been treated with electrical therapy.
  
  
• Post-surgical pain. A patient-controlled device uses iontophoresis to deliver an opioid for relief of post-operative pain.
  
  
• Cancer pain. Techniques such as electrical acupuncture have been studied in relieving nausea and other side effects of chemotherapy. TENS may help cancer patients with mild to moderate pain, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Forms of electrical therapy have also been used or studied on conditions including depression, obesity, wound care, edema reduction, stroke rehabilitation, multiple sclerosis and prevention of premature birth.