When you think about effective, reliable, and reputable methods of medical treatment, you probably don't think about electroshock therapy. In fact, when you think of electroshock, you probably imagine a white-walled room with a one-way mirror and a frightened and unwilling patient strapped down inside. And you imagine grubby-smocked doctors watching and taking notes about the reaction of the screaming patient... as if he or she were a rat in a lab.

Basically, you imagine every creepy movie scene in a 1930's insane asylum that you've ever watched.

The word "electrotherapy" doesn't bring up much nicer images than the word "electroshock" (they're more or less the same thing). But while electroshock therapy doesn't have a great reputation among the general public (most of us think of it more as a science project thought up by wacky scientists than as a legitimate form of medicine), it does have a good reputation among most of the medical community. Why? Because electrotherapy has changed vastly from the screaming torture it seemed in movies like "A Beautiful Mind." Now it's relatively painless, it's convulsion-free, and it's effective.

What Electrotherapy Does

Electrotherapy uses electrical currents to treat a variety of physical and mental problems, such as pain, loss of muscle mass, and depression. Today, it's one of the safest ways to treat these sorts of problems, leaving behind no traces and with very few side effects. Its growing popularity even has celebrities touting its effectiveness. Recently, Carrie Fisher (yep, our very own Princess Leia) came forward with her electrotherapy story. After suffering for years from drug addiction and depression, she finally gave in and underwent electro convulsive therapy. And it was the only thing that worked against her "medication proof" depression. Without any side effects, she is now free from depression.

Electroshock therapy was essentially created by Guillaume DuChenne, who discovered in 1855 that the effects of electrical stimulation on the nervous system could be used to both harm and help the body. It was introduced medically in the 1930's, growing in popularity in the 40s and 50s. Along the way, however, it gained a bad reputation because of its use on unwilling psychiatric patients.

Kinds of Electrotherapy

There are several different kinds of electrotherapy, which all work in essentially the same way. Each delivers a small pulse of electrical current into muscles and nerve endings, which causes them to tense and then relax. These muscle contractions eventually ease pain and strengthen muscles.

The main types of electrotherapy used for pain and muscular problems are TENS and IFC. TENS (or Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulators) machines send electrical currents into the muscles, and can be used at home or in a clinic. These have adjustable frequencies, allowing the patient to control the intensity and duration of the treatment. They are generally used for back or other chronic pain. IFC (Interferential Current) treatments are similar, but they penetrate more deeply. This allows the area to be stimulated more intensely but with less discomfort.

For the treatment of depression, different methods of Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation are used. With this sort of treatment, the patient will receive anywhere from 3 to 12 cranial treatments. While there are some short term mental side effects in some, many depression and mental illness suffers see relief from their symptoms

In the end, whether this kind of therapy is right for you is a decision to be made between you and your doctor. When making any decision about your health, it's important to do your research and act wisely. There are many disreputable companies out there offering electrotherapy to unsuspecting "patients." So while electrotherapy has been show to be effective for stubborn pain and depression, there are some risks that come along with it. Be sure to do your research and talk extensively with your doctor before making any decisions about this form of treatment.