‘Detox Centers’ for ‘Electrical Abuse’?

Your article on use of electrical stimulation to relax seemed too good to be true. Maybe it is (“Getting Wired for Relaxation,” March 6).

A couple of questions come to mind. What does electrical stimulation chronically do to the body? Will we be developing a generation of electrical junkies who require a 20-minute zap to feel their best? Already, one week after Cloris Leachman purchased an Alpha-Stim unit, she “won’t leave home without” it. Will there be a rebound loss in one’s normal alpha state when the artificial stimulation is discontinued?

Please note that the units are FDA approved for pain relief, not relaxation.

Hopefully, these questions will be answered before usage becomes commonplace. I can already envision commercials for detox centers to treat electrical abuse.

DR. ROBERT W. EITCHES, Beverly Hills