Device Offers Headache Aid

Using a hand-held transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation unit (TENS) twice daily can relieve and prevent chronic tension headaches that afflict about 25 million Americans, says a Beverly Hills neurologist who presented his findings Sunday in San Francisco.

In a 6-month study of 60 patients, an ultrahigh-frequency TENS unit worked better than antidepressants, Dr. Gary W. Jay reported at the 30th annual scientific meeting of the American Assn. for the Study of Headache.

The device is believed to work by increasing levels of serotonin, a brain chemical associated with decreasing pain, said Jay, medical director of the Pain Control Center of Beverly Hills. (TENS units are also used to relieve dental and other pain.)

Headache pain decreased significantly for all patients during the first eight weeks of the study, Jay said, but patients in the groups receiving TENS and other physical therapy methods (such as heat packs and massage) had a more rapid reduction of headache frequency and severity than those who received only drugs or drugs and biofeedback.

“Use of a TENS unit or physical therapy is not advisable until the correct diagnosis of a particular patient’s headache problem is made,” he said.

Overweight and Exercise

Aerobic classes aren’t just for the svelte; a growing number of businesses are now targeting the overweight.

And for them, experts recommend exercising caution. Peg Angsten, vice president of communications for the Aerobics and Fitness Assn. of America in Sherman Oaks, advises a longer and slower warm-up to gradually raise the heart rate--”10 to 12 minutes, instead of the usual 7 to 10 minutes.” Low-impact classes (in which one foot always stays in contact with the floor) are best for overweight exercisers, who should avoid forward flexion movements from the waist to minimize the chance of back strain, she said.

Obtaining a pre-exercise physical examination, including a cardiovascular evaluation, is vital, added Dr. Ronald Mackenzie, medical director of Centinela National Athletic Health Institute in Culver City.