Pain Gone Pen: too good to be true?

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I have received literature about the Pain Gone Pen, which is supposed to be amazingly effective in treating everything from travel sickness to shingles to sciatica. Does it work?

Dr Fred Kavalier answers your health question:

The Pain Gone Pen is a small device, about the size of a chunky ballpoint pen. It contains piezoelectric crystals that generate a charge when the button on top of the pen is pressed. The manufacturers claim that when the pen is used on a painful area, the electric charge stimulates a nerve pathway, which sends a "call to help" message to the brain. The brain and spinal cord respond by sending natural painkillers endorphins to kill the pain. Does it work? I have no experience of using it and am reluctant to trust the claims of manufacturers, as they may be biased. Stimulating nerves may have some physiological effect, but without reliable evidence, I remain sceptical. And the retail price of 59.95 seems pretty steep.

Please mail your questions for Dr Fred to health@independent.co.uk. He regrets that he is unable to respond personally to questions.