Question

What often happened to patients in the early years of using electroshock therapy?

A. broke their backs
B. cured them
C. had no effect
D. put them in a coma

Answer 1

In the early years of electroshock therapy, patients sometimes broke their bones, including their backs, due to uncontrolled muscle contractions during treatment. The correct answer is option: A. broke their backs.

Step-by-step explanation:

Patients in the early years of using electroshock therapy, or electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), often experienced significant and serious side effects.

One of the severe side effects was that patients sometimes broke their bones, including their backs, due to the uncontrolled muscle contractions caused by the electrical currents used in the therapy. ECT was initially performed without muscle relaxants, which led to these forceful muscle spasms.

Over time, advancements in ECT practice have included the use of muscle relaxants and anesthesia to greatly reduce the risks of physical harm to patients undergoing the treatment.