The Science of Microcurrent Soft Tissue Therapy
Microcurrent Soft Tissue Therapy is the application of very low levels of electrical stimulation to muscles, tendons and ligaments to provide pain relief and promote tissue healing. The electrical currents are set at approximately the same level of the normal electrical exchanges which take place in the body’s cellular system (49µ microamps).
Human Microcurrent therapy procedures and equipment were initially developed in the 1970’s by Dr. Thomas Wing, D.C., N.D., L.Ac.. Since that time, different variations of Microcurrent Therapy devices have been invented and a variety of microcurrent therapy protocols have been developed to treat a wide range of muscular/skeletal conditions. Researchers have also developed microcurrent therapy devices and protocols to treat medical conditions other than muscular/skeletal issues, one example is wound healing. You may be familiar with microcurrent devices that are currently sold online to provide stimulation of the facial muscles as a nonsurgical face lift.
Human and Equine Physical Therapists and Athletic Trainers have been using microcurrent therapy since the 1980’s to provide their clients with pain relief from:
Acute soft tissue injuries
Chronic soft tissue discomfort
Chronic skeletal discomfort
Traditionally, the microcurrent devices were bulky, expensive and required on-site treatment and monitoring by a trained specialist. Many microcurrent devices are approved by the FDA for human therapy but with the restriction that the therapy be provided under the supervision of a licensed health care provider. The FDA does not regulate equine microcurrent therapy. Some of these devices have been and are currently being used to provide a type of microcurrent therapy to horses.
The Microlief™ Advantage
Microlief™ is powered by patented technology which has been medically tested and approved by the FDA for human microcurrent soft tissue therapy and which has been declared safe for Over-the-Counter (OTC) sales.
Microlief™ provides horsemen a new, natural, non-pharmaceutical way to manage the muscular stress and injuries that occur so often in equestrian sports.
Microlief™ is a tool that can be used both to help prevent soft tissue injuries and to noninvasively assist with recovery when soft tissue injuries do occur.
Microlief™ cannot mask serious pain or aggravated lameness. Microlief™ is a non-medical method for managing pain commonly experienced by performance horses and should never be used as a replacement for veterinary care. That being said, if your horse encounters a serious injury, your veterinarian may want to include Microlief™ in the care plan.
What makes Microcurrent Therapy so special?
The microcurrents are able to penetrate cells. This is a revolutionary scientific breakthrough.
Microcurrent Therapy is the only electrical therapy whose currents can penetrate the cell wall. Microcurrent therapy assists with the resolution of soft tissue problems by re-establishing normal cellular activity.
The currents of all other electrical therapies pass over the cells. While these therapies do help provide pain relief and promote healing, they are not acting at the cellular level. Examples of other equine electrical therapies would be Electro-acupuncture, Electro-acupressure, and TENS.
The extremely low voltage of the microcurrent means that the individual (person or horse) receiving the therapy does not feel any electrical sensation. The only feeling they will experience is pain relief. Pain relief is often experienced as quickly as within 15 minutes of application.
Microcurrent Soft Tissue Therapy stimulates the natural healing processes within the cells and reduces the need for NSAIDS.
Short Version of the Science
Inflamed, injured cells resist the body’s natural electric current. This resistance blocks the normal supply of blood, oxygen and nutrients to the cells. This resistance only serves to make the initial injury worse.
Microcurrents penetrate the inflamed cells and re-establish the normal cell activity. The external application of microcurrent has these effects on the inflamed cells:
Increases the production of ATP
Increases protein synthesis
Increases oxygenation
Increases ion exchange
Increases absorption of nutrients
Increases elimination of cellular waste products
Neutralizes the oscillating polarity of deficient cells
The external application of microcurrent restores homeostasis to the cellular system. By normalizing cell activity, inflammation is reduced and collagen producing cells are increased. Healthy cell metabolism creates a healthy, pain free internal environment.