A question about recovery: are electrical injuries a life sentence?
 Aquatic massage has brought tremendous pain relief. "I can feel the benefits of aquatic massage up to three days after the treatment," says Albert. "The massage really helps to relieve tension and just makes me feel happier and less worried." |
Imagine not being able to do daily chores such as raking leaves or sweeping floors because it hurts to move. Or, not being able to sit or stand in one place for more than 15 minutes because the pain builds even when you are still.
For Albert Organ, managing chronic pain after an electrical injury is a daily battle.
In June 2005, the 46-year-old former construction worker grasped a metal handle of a truck's door. The truck started rolling and hit a power line, causing a powerful electrical current to surge through his body.
The pain from the severe nerve damage, as well as the psychological and emotional trauma of the accident, makes it difficult for Albert to stay active and participate in the activities of daily living.
St. John's Rehab Hospital is helping people like Albert combat chronic pain through an interdisciplinary approach that combines medicine, cognitive and behavioural therapy, and complementary therapies such as acupuncture, chiropractic, and aquatic massage.
"Pain is a highly individual experience and there is no one treatment," says Dr. Joel Fish, Chief Medical Officer at St. John's Rehab Hospital and the leader of the Electrical Injury Clinic. "The key is to combine therapies so we can reach all sources of pain."
Our experts have worked closely with the Ross Tilley Burn Centre at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in a study that confirms the effectiveness of our approach. The study shows that from assessment to discharge, electrical injury patients identified improvements in their levels of pain in almost all areas of their bodies. The study will soon be published in the Journal of Burn Care and Research, with hopes of leading to future improvements in pain control.
Another study has shown that, although everything may look fine on the outside, electrical injury survivors can experience long-term neurological dysfunctions, like muscle fatigue, weakness, or loss of sensation. They may have difficulty doing simple things like walking or using everyday tools. The medical community needs to be aware of these findings to ensure people can get the treatment they need following an electrical injury.
Our researchers will continue to explore the treatment, prevention and diagnosis of these complex, often invisible, injuries.