Beware: the term "microcurrent" is being misused!
Medical studies confirm that microcurrent effects occur in the range below 800 microamperes. The greatest ATP-boosting effect is experienced in the 200–800 microampere range.
Currents greater than 800 microamperes do not provide the cell-level effects described above.
It's worth knowing this because there are some manufacturers (e.g. the Italian iTech and some Chinese ones) that "play tricks" with the term microcurrent. They include the word microcurrent in the device name or description or offer a "microcurrent" program (e.g. iTech T-One devices). In reality, however, the device cannot produce "true" microcurrent. The smallest adjustable current value is given as 1000 microamperes. But that is actually 1 milliampere (=1000 microamperes), which is outside the effective treatment range, so it has no microcurrent effect.
It's like a car advertisement that says: very fast, because it can travel at 500 m/min. Five hundred... that sounds like a big number, fast. The deception is that they provided the figure in a unit (meters per minute) you rarely use and which looks large. In fact, 500 meters per minute is only 30 km/h, and you can be faster than that even by bicycle.
TENS – EMS – MENS. What's the difference?
All of these belong to electrotherapy treatments, but there are significant differences in their effects.
- TENS relieves or even eliminates musculoskeletal pain,
- EMS relaxes muscle stiffness, stimulates blood circulation, and (re)strengthens muscles,
- MENS reduces pain, decreases inflammation, and aids tissue regeneration.
Microcurrent is a more modern and more effective pain-relief method than TENS. The main difference is that microcurrent (if you weren't cheated when buying) has a healing effect, whereas TENS has no such effect.
TENS current is perceptible and gives a pinching, tingling or burning treatment sensation, while microcurrent cannot be felt, making it ideal for those who dislike TENS because of its unpleasant sensation.
EMS acts only on muscles. Consequently, it can have pain-relieving effects, for example by relaxing a stiff muscle. But EMS itself is not good for immediate reduction of, say, knee pain, unlike TENS and MENS treatments.
At present I know of three microcurrent device manufacturers whose products have proven effects: Alpha-Stim (USA), Globus (Italy) and JeeCee (Belgium). Of these, JeeCee makes devices only for clinics, while the other two manufacturers produce devices specifically intended for home use.
In my opinion, microcurrent will soon take over the leading position currently held by TENS. According to some information, this has already happened in wealthier countries — in the USA, the UK, Japan and Australia people tend to buy and use microcurrent devices. Its spread domestically is hindered by the fact that, relative to already low wages in Europe, a microcurrent device is still considered expensive.
Article recommendation: Overview of electrotherapy methods
Electrotherapy does not mean a single method, but a variety of treatments using different electrical currents. My article helps you understand what each is used for.
