Have you heard about the Winks Greene Transeva?

Winks Greene Transeva is an electrotherapy device based on faradic principles. Originally used in horses, it later progressed to humans (Figure 1) (History of the Transeva, 2002). Currently there is little evidence behind the usage of Winks Greene Transeva, with the only notable sources being a newspaper article and the product manufacturer’s website (Stelling, 2002; Winks Greene Transeva, 2002).

Figure 1: Winks Greene treating a patient with her transeva

Figure 1: Winks Greene treating a patient with her transeva

Based in South Africa, the machine was very popular in Europe, however the Winks Greene Transeva has never been implemented into Australia (History of the Transeva, 2002). The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) of Australia has rejected the use and importation of the Winks Greene Transeva into clinical practice. The reasons for refusal of this device include:

• Poor clinical evidence of the effects of the machine
• Long term safety breaches  
• Compromises of Workplace Health and Safety (Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing, 2011). 

Currently safer machines such as TENS present similar results to that of the Winks Greene Transeva, without the negligible side effects and with more evidence based research. Side effects of this machine include:

• Electrical burns
• Reddening of skin 
• Peeling of skin
• Skin irritation beneath the electrodes (Jones & Johnson, 2009)

References

Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing. (2011). Australian Regulatory Guidelines for Medical Devices (ARGMD). Canberra, Australian: Author. Retrieved from http://www.tga.gov.au/industry/devices-argmd.htm   

Jones, I & Johnson, M. (2009). Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation. Continuing Education in Anaesthesia, Critical Care & Plan, 9(4), 130-135. doi: 10.1093/biaceaccp/mkp021

Stelling, K. (2002, August 4). Miracle worker: On a remote farm in South Africa, 71-year-old Winks Greene is achieving remarkable results healing crippled horses and injured athletes. The Observer. p.46.

Winks Greene Transeva: History of the Transeva. (2002). Retrieved March 13, 2012, from http://www.winksgreenetranseva.com/History/history.html

Winks Greene Transeva. (2002). Retrieved March 13, 2012, from http://www.winksgreenetranseva.com