History of Neurostimulation

Abstract

The use of electrical current has been an area of human interest since ancient times, most notably in Greece, where the development of ideas concerning electricity was abundant. It was the ancient Greeks who coined the word elektron to describe amber, a fossilized resin used to create sparks, and later this term would become the modern root of the word electricity. The use of electrical current to treat pain was first described by Greek physicians. The first documented use involved the release of electrically charged torpedo fish in clinical footbaths to treat prolonged headache. The use of electricity continued to develop in both Greece and Rome, and was more common in some communities, than herbs and other medicinal treatments. After the classical age of electrical medicine, published accounts of successful use of electricity to improve symptoms of pain were limited for many centuries, and the dark age of electrical treatment persisted for several centuries.