Arthritis, arthrosis, rheumatism, spine disorders, and many other musculoskeletal diseases are accompanied by almost constant pain. Patients mostly return to clinics repeatedly due to persistent pain. Most doctors promptly prescribe pain relief medication. However, there is another choice.
Musculoskeletal diseases usually persist over years or even decades, so medications are indispensable in most cases. However, their prolonged use causes side effects in almost everyone.
For such chronic diseases, the alternative to medications was TENS treatment, which had two main weaknesses. First, after a few sessions, TENS effectiveness decreases (due to tolerance development and the need for a treatment break). Second, it has no therapeutic effect on the underlying disease itself.
Recently, a new method has emerged: microcurrent treatment, which can be distinguished into two types depending on whether it is used for pain relief or healing.
- MENS, or microcurrent nerve stimulation, which has a significantly stronger pain relief effect than TENS; and
- MCR (microcurrent), also called MCT (microcurrent therapy). Its goal is to restore damaged tissues and support the healing process. It not only relieves pain but also removes its root cause.
What makes it microcurrent?
Microcurrent differs from all other electrotherapy methods in the intensity of the applied current.
All other electrical treatments (e.g., TENS, EMS, iontophoresis, Kotz, interferential, etc.) use milliamperes (thousandths of an ampere) of current. Microcurrent uses a current much smaller—millionths of an ampere! This aligns with the cells' electrical potentials and thus can exert effects at the cellular level.
For example, during a TENS treatment, currents of 10-20 milliamperes (mA) are perceived as tingling, pinching, or burning sensations. Treatments with lower-quality devices can be very uncomfortable. Thousands-forint TENS devices burn and sting, but no meaningful therapy occurs.
Microcurrent treatments use currents measured in microamperes (μA), which are a thousand times less than those used in TENS. This current is so mild that the treatment is imperceptible, making it suitable even for those who cannot tolerate the burning sensation of TENS currents.
You might think that if you can'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 in cheaper devices) is tolerance. After 4-5 sessions, effectiveness decreases and eventually ceases. A break of 2-3 weeks is then required before it becomes effective again for a few treatments. It is important to know that TENS has no significant healing effect—it does not treat the source of pain, so pain returns soon after treatment (within 2-6 hours). TENS does not improve the underlying disease.
Microcurrent (MENS) relieves pain more effectively than TENS. Its effect does not diminish over time, so there is no tolerance, making it suitable for chronic conditions. Studies show it is significantly more effective than TENS. While TENS reduces symptoms in 60-70% of patients, MENS eliminates pain in 95% of cases.
The biggest advantage of microcurrent (MCT form) is that it also affects the disease causing the pain. It stimulates the healing process and regeneration. Thus, it not only reduces pain but also permanently improves and resolves the disease itself.
For this reason, in developed countries (e.g., USA, Canada, Japan, England, etc.), microcurrent is gradually replacing TENS. It is becoming the most frequently used home pain relief method.
How does microcurrent work?
Let's take a small step to understand the cellular function in the body.
You probably know that every cell is surrounded by a "membrane" called the cell membrane. It encloses the cell and regulates the entry of nutrients and exit of waste products. The healthy cell membrane has a positive charge on the outside and a negative charge on the inside. The difference between these is between -30 to -50 microvolts, known as the resting membrane potential.
When a cell becomes diseased, the electric charge distribution across the membrane changes, disrupting the charge balance. The damaged area's potential becomes negative, and electric current flows toward this site. This is called injury current. The injury current ranges between 10 μA and 30 μA; in other words, the injury current is microcurrent.
When this happens—that is, the cell becomes diseased—the function stops. The damaged cell membrane no longer allows materials necessary for energy production and protein synthesis to pass through. These substances are essential for regeneration processes—to repair damage and heal the cell.
Microcurrent (MCR) treatments apply currents between 200-800 microamperes, slightly higher than the cell membrane potential. This current restores the charge balance, eliminating the injury current, restoring the cell to a healthy state, and enabling transport across the membrane. Mitochondria increase ATP production (cell energy source) and protein synthesis, accelerating healing and regeneration of damaged tissues.
Studies confirmed that 500 microamperes increased cellular energy production (ATP, adenosine triphosphate) by 500%. Currents between 100-500 microamperes caused a 30-40% increase in amino acid transport. These are fundamental for good cellular function and regenerative processes.
Benefits of microcurrent treatment
- Safe and comfortable treatment—the electrical impulses are so mild they are not felt, causing no discomfort
- Excellent for reducing both acute and chronic pain
- Accelerates regeneration in inflammation, wear, and degenerative diseases
- Speeds healing of injuries, wounds, and bone fractures
- Stimulates collagen fiber production, enhances skin elasticity, promotes healing of scars and ulcers (widely used in beauty care!)
- No tolerance development
- No side effects
Application of microcurrent treatment
Microcurrent can be applied solely for pain relief, called MENS (microcurrent nerve stimulation). Just 10-20 minutes of MENS relieves pain in 95% of patients, significantly higher effectiveness than TENS. Wallace’s research showed that in chronic pain, 55% of patients reported pain reduction after the first treatment, 61% after the second, and 77% after the third. After fewer than 10 treatments, 82% of patients were pain-free (on average after four sessions)! Microcurrent treatment is recommended for persistent, severe pain such as arthrosis, arthritis, herniated discs, lumbago, sciatica, rheumatism, fibromyalgia, shingles, etc.
MENS reduces pain within a few sessions, but with ongoing use, it supports healing and eliminates the problem.
The disease itself is not cured by microcurrent, but by the cellular-level changes it induces. Without microcurrent, these changes would not occur!
Of course, this is not an overnight fix. Chronic inflammation existing for years cannot be reversed in 1-2 days. But with persistent treatment, full success can be achieved within weeks.
The spread of this method is hindered by the fact that few devices offer microcurrent therapy and their prices are higher than TENS devices. But it’s worth it!
