Back pain detector reveals best spot for treatment

SCIENTISTS have created a device that digitally maps the back, plotting any areas that need treatment. The torch-like device is passed over the skin, measuring electrical impulses.

areas with the lowest flow of electricity are where pain levels are at their highest.

The information is then fed into a computer that creates a digital ‘pain map’ of the patient’s back, highlighting regions where pain is strongest.

These are treated with an electrical stimulator that stops pain signals from the back reaching the brain.

The device is being trialled at Vrije Universiteit, in Brussels, on 39 people with back pain. all patients will be mapped, but only half will have six 20-minute sessions of real electrical stimulation. The other half will have sham stimulation.