Microcurrent – pain relief (MENS) and healing (MCR) effects

Musculoskeletal diseases usually persist for years or even decades, so medications are indispensable in most cases. Long-term use, however, causes drug side effects in almost everyone.

For such chronic conditions the alternative to drugs used to be TENS treatment, which had two weak points. One was that after a few treatments the effect of TENS decreased (tolerance developed and treatment breaks were necessary). The other was that it had no real healing effect on the underlying disease.

Recently a new method has appeared: microcurrent treatment, of which two forms can be distinguished depending on whether it is used for pain relief or healing.

1. MENS, i.e. microcurrent nerve stimulation, which has a markedly stronger pain-relieving effect than TENS; and
2. MCR (microcurrent), also mentioned as MCT, i.e. microcurrent therapy. Its goal is the restoration of damaged tissues and the support of healing processes. It not only relieves pain but also eliminates the underlying cause.

Why "microcurrent"?

Microcurrent differs from all other electrotherapy methods in the strength of the current applied.

All other electrical treatment methods (e.g., TENS, EMS, iontophoresis, Kotz, interferential, etc.) use milliampere (that is, thousandths of an ampere) current strengths. Microcurrent is significantly smaller than that — the millionth part of an ampere! This is of the same magnitude as the electrical potential of cells and therefore can have cellular-level effects.

For example, during TENS therapy, a current of 10–20 milliamperes (mA) is experienced as a tingling, stinging, or burning sensation. With lower-quality devices the treatment can be very unpleasant. Cheaper TENS units sting and burn, yet no substantial treatment effect occurs.

The microcurrent treatment uses currents in the microampere (μA) range, which are a thousand times smaller than those used in TENS. This current is so gentle that the treatment is imperceptible, so it can be used even by those who cannot tolerate the burning sensation of TENS.

You might think that if you don't feel it, it can't work. But it does. Let's see why it's effective!

Microcurrent and TENS. What's the difference?

Both are used for rapid pain relief, however…

TENS effectively reduces pain. Its drawback (especially with cheaper devices) is tolerance. After 4–5 treatments the effectiveness decreases and eventually stops. In such cases a 2–3 week break is required, after which it becomes effective again for a few treatments. It is important to know that TENS has no real healing effect — it does not treat the source of pain, so the pain soon returns after treatment (after 2–6 hours). TENS treatment does not improve the underlying disease.

Microcurrent (MENS) relieves pain more effectively than TENS. The effect of the treatment does not diminish over time — there is no tolerance — so it can be used in chronic conditions. Studies show it is significantly more effective than TENS. While TENS reduces complaints in only 60–70% of patients, MENS eliminated pain in 95%.

The main advantage of microcurrent (in its MCT form) is that it also affects the disease causing the pain. It stimulates healing processes and regeneration. Thus it not only reduces pain but also durably improves and can eliminate the disease itself.

For this reason microcurrent treatments are displacing TENS in developed countries (e.g., USA, Canada, Japan, UK, etc.). Microcurrent is becoming the most commonly used home pain relief method.

How does microcurrent work?

To explain this, we need a short clarification about how the body's cells work.

You probably know that every cell is surrounded by a "shell" called the cell membrane. It both defines the cell and allows nutrients in and waste products out. The outer surface of a healthy, functioning cell membrane is positively charged, while the inside has a negative charge. The difference between the two is between -30 and -50 microvolts. This is called the resting membrane potential.

When a cell becomes diseased, the distribution of electrical charges across the cell membrane changes and the charge balance is disrupted. The potential of the injured area becomes negative and electrical current flows toward the injured area. This is called the injury current. The strength of the injury current ranges between 10 μA and 30 μA; in other words, the injury current is a microcurrent.

When this state occurs — when the cell is "diseased" — its functions stop. Substances necessary for energy production and protein synthesis cannot pass through the damaged cell membrane. Yet these are essential for regeneration processes, i.e., for the cell to repair the damage and heal itself.

During microcurrent (MCR) treatment currents between 200–800 microamperes are applied, which are somewhat higher than the cell membrane potential. This current restores the charge balance, eliminating the injury current, returning the cell to a healthy state and allowing membrane transport to resume. ATP production in the mitochondria (the cell's energy source) and protein synthesis are restarted, accelerating the healing and regeneration of damaged tissues.

Studies have shown that at 500 microamperes cellular energy production (ATP, adenosine triphosphate) increased by 500%. Currents of 100–500 microamperes caused a 30–40% increase in amino acid transport. These changes are fundamentally important for proper cell function and regenerative processes.

Advantages of microcurrent treatment

• safe and comfortable treatment — the electrical impulses are so mild that they are imperceptible, causing no discomfort
• excellent for both acute and chronic pain reduction
• accelerates regeneration in cases of inflammation, wear and degenerative diseases
• speeds up healing of injuries, wounds and bone fractures
• stimulates collagen fiber production, increases skin elasticity, and promotes healing of scars and ulcers (therefore it is widely used in beauty care)
• no tolerance
• no side effects

Application of microcurrent treatment

Microcurrent can be used solely for pain relief, in which case it is called MENS (microcurrent nerve stimulation). Just 10–20 minutes of MENS relieves pain in 95% of patients, which is a significantly higher success rate than TENS. Research by Wallace showed that chronic pain decreased after the first treatment in 55% of those treated, 61% after the second, and 77% after the third. After fewer than 10 treatments, pain completely disappeared in 82% of patients (on average after four treatments)! Microcurrent treatment is particularly worth considering for persistent and severe pain, such as in arthrosis, arthritis, herniated discs, lumbago, sciatica, rheumatism, fibromyalgia, shingles, etc.

MENS reduces pain after a few sessions, but if you use it consistently it will help eliminate the problem by supporting healing.

The disease is not cured by the microcurrent itself but by the cellular-level changes it induces. Without microcurrent these changes would not occur!

Of course, this does not happen overnight. A chronic inflammation that has lasted for years cannot be reversed in 1–2 days. But with persistent treatment complete success can be achieved in a few weeks.

The spread of the method is hindered by the fact that only a few devices provide true microcurrent therapy (you can buy reliable devices here) and their price still exceeds that of a simple TENS device. But it is worth it!