Micro Current was being tested 30 years ago when I was in school to help heal fractures and the results were very positive. Microcurrent therapy is becoming a more popular and progressive physical therapy technique used for treatment. It is also referred to as Microcurrent Electrical Neuromuscular Stimulation (MENS). As the name suggests, a very low-voltage microamperage (millionths of an ampere) current is passed onto the affected cells or tissue trigger points in order to stimulate the body's healing process. The current used in microcurrent therapy is much smaller than the previously recommended currents for clinical treatments.
Each and every cell of the body has its own electric impulses. Due to abnormal conditions or injury, the bioelectric frequency of the cell is disturbed. Microcurrent therapy is based on the principle that, application of current that is similar to the body's bioelectric current enhances the tissues response to healing and repair. Microcurrent therapy has been very effective for such conditions as soft tissue inflammation, muscle pain, fibromyalgia, neuropathy, bone bruising and old fractures and shingles.
Microcurrent Therapy: Procedure and Healing Process
In microcurrent therapy, microamperage current is administered to various parts of the patient's body by using vinyl graphite gloves or electrodes. The duration for microcurrent application may last anywhere from 15 - 90 minutes depending on the condition being treated.
Studies have revealed that microcurrent therapy helps in restoring metabolic processes that are responsible for healing. It is believed that FSM can regulate the energy levels of the body by promoting ATP (adenosine triphosphate) production, which is the major energy fuel for all the biochemical reactions of the body. As energy levels increase, the body's ability to remove metabolic wastes is enhanced, hence preventing accumulation of toxic substances, enhancing nutrient distribution and improving blood circulation, thus, helping the body produce new healthy cells and replace the injured ones. Infra-red therapy saunas are used to support this process at our clinic.
Microcurrent therapy can also promote the glycogen utilization by the muscle cells. Therapeutic Exercise is used to support this process.
Microcurrent therapy is more effective than other electrotherapy procedures. In this technique, the current is so small that there is no tissue resistance, which is observed in case of electrotherapy. Consequently, the patient does not feel the current during the treatment. The only contra-indications for microcurrent therapy are for those people who have pacemakers and it is suggested that it be avoided during pregnancy. In order for FSM to be fully effective,iIt is very important that those receiving FSM are well hydrated prior to and during their treatment.
The following are excerpts from the web site on FSM (Frequency Specific Micro Current): In the early 1900’s, before 1934, medical physicians and osteopaths were using electromagnetic therapy devices and frequencies to treat patients.
Microcurrent was first used in the 1980s by physicians in Europe and the US for stimulating bone repair in non-union fractures. There are numerous studies published on the effects of single channel microcurrent showing that it increases the rate of healing in wounds and fractures. There is one study showing that microamperage current between 10 and 500 micro amps increases ATP (cellular energy) production by 500% in rat skin.
Effects of microcurrent
In 1982 Ngok Cheng published, The Effect of Electric Currents on ATP Generation, Protein Synthesis and Membrane Transport in Rat Skin in Clinical Orthopedics volume 171: pages 264-272. This study showed that microcurrent increased ATP production in rat skin by 500%. ATP is the chemical that the body uses for energy. The current also increased amino acid transport into the cell by 70% and waste product removal. The implications for human healing and repair are obvious. ATP production was increased as long as the current was below 500 microamps. When the authors increased the current to 1000 micro amps, or one milliamp, a current range delivered by TENS devices and other types of electrical stimulation therapies, the ATP production was actually reduced.