title: The history of electrotherapy of pain--or: what Voltaren has to do with voltage.
abstract: To reasons not yet completely understood, the pharmaceutical trademark Voltaren or Voltarol refers to the Italian scientist Alessandro Volta (1745-1827) who played an important role in the history of electricity. It is shown that electrotherapy has been used for the treatment of pain, gout and rheumatic disorders from ancient times to the present day. This therapeutic attempt was also discussed in scientific literature in the late 1960s, the time Voltaren was under development. Therefore, it is suggested that the electrotherapy of pain in history is a background for chosing this trademark.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Frankfurt/Main, Germany. helmstaedter@em.uni-frankfurt.de
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Helmstädter
mesh_terms: D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000266:history*; D049672:History, 19th Century; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D010146:Pain / Q000266:history*; D059408:Pain Management; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000266:history / Q000628:therapy