I will explain what microcurrent treatments are used for, how they work and how they compare to other methods. Arthritis, arthrosis, rheumatism, spinal diseases and many other musculoskeletal conditions are associated with almost constant pain. Patients return to the doctor’s office again and again, mostly because of unrelenting pain. And most doctors are already writing prescriptions for painkillers. But there are other options.
Musculoskeletal conditions tend to persist for years, even decades, so medicines are essential in most cases. But taking them for long periods of time causes side effects for almost everyone.
The alternative to drugs for such persistent conditions has been TENS therapy, which has had two weaknesses. The first was that after a few treatments, the effect of TENS diminished (habituation and a break in treatment). The second was that it had no therapeutic effect on the disease itself.
A new method has recently emerged, microcurrent therapy, which can be divided into two forms, depending on whether it is used for pain relief or for healing.
- MENS, or microcurrent nerve stimulation, which is significantly more analgesic than TENS and
- MCR (microcurrent), is also referred to as MCT, or microcurrent therapy. The aim is to repair damaged tissue and aid the healing process. It not only relieves pain but also eliminates the cause of pain.
Application of microcurrent treatment
If you use microcurrent for pain relief only, then we refer to it as MENS or microcurrent nerve stimulation. As little as 10-20 minutes of MENS relieves pain in 95% of patients, a significantly higher rate of relief than TENS. Wallace’s research showed that chronic pain decreased in 55% of patients following the first treatment, 61% after the second, and 77% after the third. In less than 10 treatments, 82% of patients reported complete pain relief, with an average of four treatments. You should use microcurrent treatment for particularly persistent and severe pain, such as arthritis, arthrosis, herniated discs, lumbago, sciatica, rheumatism, fibromyalgia, shingles, etc.
MENS can reduce pain with a few treatments, but if you use it long-term, it can also eliminate the problem by helping healing.
Microcurrent itself doesn’t cure the disease; it’s the cellular changes it induces that bring about a cure. Without microcurrent, this would not happen.
Of course, it doesn’t happen overnight. Reversing chronic inflammation, persisting for years, can’t occur in 1-2 days. Nevertheless, consistent treatment can achieve full success within a few weeks.
I collected some devices that have microcurrent treatment features built-in (click here to find reliable devices).
What is microcurrent?
Microcurrent differs from all other forms of electrotherapy in the strength of the current applied.
All other electrical treatment modalities (e.g. TENS, EMS, Iontophoresis, Kotz, Interferential, etc.) use milliamps (i.e., thousandths of amperes) of current. Microcurrent is considerably less than this! The millionth of an ampere! This is already the same magnitude as the electrical potential of the cells and therefore capable of cellular effects.
For example, during TENS treatment, a current of 10-20 milliamps (mA) is experienced as a tingling, prickling, burning sensation. Lower-quality devices are very uncomfortable to use. Pepper TENS devices burn and sting, but they do not actually treat the area.
The microampere (μA) current used for microcurrent treatment is a thousandth of that used for TENS treatment. The current is so low that the treatment goes unfelt, making it suitable for individuals unable to endure the burning sensation from TENS currents.
You might think that if you can’t feel it, it doesn’t work. But it does. Let’s see what makes it effective!
Microcurrent and TENS. What is the difference?
Both methods quickly relieve pain. TENS has a downside, especially with cheaper devices: it requires some adaptation. After 4-5 treatments, effectiveness decreases and eventually stops. In this case, a break of 2-3 weeks is necessary, after which it is effective again for a few treatments. It is important to know that TENS has no real curative effect, i.e. it does not treat the source of the pain, so the pain will return soon after treatment (after 2-6 hours). TENS treatment has no curative effect, i.e. the disease itself does not improve.
Microcurrent (MENS) is more effective than TENS in relieving pain. The effect of the treatment does not diminish over time, i.e. there is no habituation, so it can be used in long-term conditions. Studies show that MENS is significantly more effective than TENS. While TENS only reduced pain in 60-70% of patients, MENS eliminated pain in 95%.
The main advantage of microcurrent (a form of MCT), however, is that it acts on the painful condition itself. It stimulates the healing process and regeneration. This not only reduces pain but also permanently improves and eliminates the disease itself.
For this reason, microcurrent treatments are now eclipsing TENS in developed countries (e.g. USA, Canada, Japan, UK, etc.) Microcurrent is becoming the most commonly used method of pain relief at home.
How does microcurrent therapy work?
It requires illuminating and understanding a tiny part of how the cells of the body work.
You probably recognize that a “sheath” known as a cell membrane envelops every cell. This is both the boundary of the cell and the way in and out of the nutrients and waste products produced during the cell’s function. A healthy, functioning cell membrane has a positive charge on the outer surface and a negative charge on the inner surface. The difference between the two is between -30 and -50 microvolts. We refer to this as the resting membrane potential.
When a cell becomes diseased, the distribution of electrical charges on both sides of this cell membrane changes, and the charge balance is disrupted. The potential of the damaged area becomes negative and the electric current flows towards this damaged area. This current is referred to as the injury current. The strength of the injury current varies between 10 μA and 30 μA; in other words, the injury current is a microcurrent.
When this condition occurs, i.e. the cell becomes “sick”, it stops working. The substances needed for energy production and protein synthesis cannot pass through the diseased cell wall. These are essential, for example, for regeneration processes, i.e. for the cell to repair itself.
Microcurrent (MCR) treatment uses currents between 200 and 800 microAmps, which is slightly higher than the membrane potential of the cell. This current restores the charge balance, i.e. it eliminates the damaged current, restores the cell to a healthy state and allows the transport of substances across the membrane to resume. Mitochondria trigger ATP production (the cell’s energy source) and protein synthesis, thereby accelerating the healing and regeneration of damaged tissue.
Studies have demonstrated that 500 microamps increase cellular energy production (ATP) by 500%, and 100-500 microamps boost amino acid transport by 30-40%. These are essential for good cell function and regeneration processes.
Benefits of microcurrent treatment
- The treatment is safe and comfortable as the mild electrical pulses are imperceptible, ensuring no discomfort
- Excellent for both acute and chronic pain relief
- Accelerates regeneration in inflammation, wear and tear, degenerative diseases
- Accelerates the healing of injuries, wounds, fractures
- Stimulates collagen fibre production increases skin elasticity, and stimulates healing of scars and ulcers (hence its extensive use in beauty care!)
- No habituation.
- No side effects.