Frequency Specific Microcurrent

Frequency Specific Microcurrent (FSM) is a therapy that was introduced to me in 2004 and I have used it with great success in treating nerve and muscle pain, inflammation and scar tissue, disc related pain, muscle and tendon injuries, stress fractures and to speed up the healing of muscles and joints after surgery.

Most of the time FSM produces immediate dramatic changes in tissue that make it an indispensable tool in treating pain and many other health concerns.

Frequency Specific Microcurrent can treat some very difficult to manage conditions because it manages the tissues that cannot be reached with other forms of manual therapy. For example, there is a specific type of fibromyalgia associated with spine trauma that is particularly painful and difficult to treat. When FSM is used, the outcome is astonishing. There is another frequency combination, (and only one frequency combination) that has been observed to eliminate pain in patients with shingles. Patients with shingles often find that their pain is eliminated in 20 minutes and causes the lesions to dry up and disappear in approximately two to three days. There is one frequency combination that so far has been 100% effective in eliminating kidney stone pain. This frequency combination does nothing to remove the stone; it only eliminates the pain. It has also been observed that patients who are treated within four hours of a new injury, including auto accidents and surgeries, have much reduced pain and a greatly accelerated healing process.

Microcurrent was introduced in the United States as a physical therapy modality in the late 1970s. Frequency Specific Microcurrent Therapy as we know it today was developed and continues to be improved upon by Dr. Carolyn McMakin of Washington. Together with other practitioners around the country and abroad, clinical protocols have been developed. Frequency protocols are sequences of frequencies observed to have a certain clinical effect in various conditions. Lab studies have proven that we can reduce inflammation and eliminate pain in many cases after treatment.

Because such small current is used, it is susceptible to the hydration level of the recipient. In order to gain full benefit from this tool, you must be well hydrated. It is recommended that on the days of this therapy, you drink 8-10 glasses of water (not tea, coffee, etc) prior to your session. At a minimum, we recommend 1 quart in the 2 hours prior to your treatment.

Benefits of FSM treatment include:

  • Acceleration in healing of acute injuries up to 200%
  • Improved oxygenation and cellular repair
  • Decreased cellular electrical resistance
  • Reduced inflammatory chemicals in tissues
  • Increased feel-good endorphin levels
  • Increased cell energy (ATP) levels by up to 500%
  • Boosts protein synthesis by 70%
  • Restored adrenal function
  • Repaired regulation of nerve tissue
  • Boosted immune function
  • Improved cellular function
  • Softening of tight tissues
  • Emotional release
  • Pain Relief
  • Reduction of muscle spasms
  • Increased blood circulation to injured areas,
  • Maintenance and/or increase range of motion to injured areas

The results are impressive and consistent. Chronic injuries clear up in record time. FSM can remodel scar tissue in one therapy session that would take months to do manually.

What is Micro-current:

Microcurrent is a faint electric current that is so small it is measured in millionths of an amp.  By comparison a TENS unit and most other electro-therapies produce milliamps, 1000 times greater.  Your own cells generate a current in the microamp range and this is why you can’t feel it - the current is so low it doesn’t stimulate sensory nerves. 

How does FSM work?

Frequency Specific Microcurrent works on the principle of biologic resonance. Microcurrent frequencies seem to be able to resonate with the biologic tissue when the correct frequency is applied. Each cell has an ideal resonant frequency. When your body experiences any type of injury, trauma, stress or increased inflammation, the normal resonant frequency of that tissue is altered.

The desired effect of FSM is to return the tissue back to its normal frequency. As a therapy, FSM uses various frequencies (often determined by the condition and tissue time) and these frequencies are transmitted through the body using Micro-currents. Microcurrent has been shown to increase ATP (energy) production in the cells of your body and in doing so, dramatically increases the tissue’s healing rate.

The almost immediate response to the correct microcurrent suggests that other mechanisms are involved as well.  The exact effects or changes that result from microcurrent frequencies have not been proven because no biopsies have been done after microcurrent has been applied.  However, the changes in the tissue are unmistakable; scars will often suddenly soften; trigger points often become less painful; swelling often drains within minutes when the “correct” frequency is applied.  Changes are often long lasting and in many cases permanent. 

FSM frequencies address a wide variety of physical conditions, reduce pain, and improve function.

Conditions effectively treated with FSM:

  • Achilles tendonitis
  • Adhesions
  • Asthma
  • Back pain
  • Carpal Tunnel syndrome
  • Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)
  • Concussion
  • Fibromyalgia associated with cervical spine injury
  • Fractures
  • Frozen shoulder
  • Kidney stone pain
  • Lymphedema
  • Migraine headaches
  • Myofascial pain
  • Neuromuscular pain and inflammation
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Peripheral neuropathy
  • Post-herpetic Neuralgia
  • Post-surgical pain
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  • Reflexive Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD)
  • Scar tissue
  • Sciatica
  • Shingles
  • Sinusitis
  • Spinal Disc Pain
  • Sports injuries
  • Sprains/strains
  • Temperomandibular Joint (TMJ) Pain
  • Tendon and ligament injury or pain
  • Tension headaches
  • Tennis elbow
  • Whiplash

Once the tissue is changed and stable, it seems to be able to stay in the new configuration with proper nutritional support.

Facts about FSM:

  • Increases ATP (the body’s own chemical energy) production by up to 500%
  • Reduces Cox-mediated inflammation by approximately 60%
  • Increases protein synthesis by 70%
  • Increases amino acid transport by up to 40%
  • Remodels and transforms scar tissue
  • Increases “feel good” Beta endorphin levels
  • Helps restore depleted adrenal function
  • Reduces fracture repair time by up to 50%
  • Enhances DNA synthesis, insulin binding, oxygenation, cellular repair, intracellular calcium uptake and immune function
  • Enhances neuromuscular recovery rate between events

What does that mean to you?

  • Decreased pain
  • Increased rate of healing
  • Increased range of motion
  • Decreased swelling

How long do the benefits last?

Every patient responds individually but the changes to the muscle seem to be long lasting. About 60-80% of the changes created in one treatment last until the next treatment, about 4-7 days. Your muscles are often used to being the way they are and may return to the old configuration if not treated again. Although patients have had permanent changes in one treatment, the average number of treatments depends on the complexity of the problem.

Treatments also need to be supported by appropriate lifestyle changes. (Ex: if the problem is chronic trigger points due to poor posture, FSM will help treat the trigger points. However, if the postural issues are not addressed the problem will likely recur.)

Why is Hydration So Important for FSM?

In order to be effective the patient must be hydrated. This means approximately 1-2 quarts of water in the 2 hours preceding treatment and then again following treatment. Athletes may need more. This will also help reduce some potential side effects. Taking a good quality antioxidant supplement can also be helpful.

How does FSM compare to other devices?

FSM works on a cellular level. Other devices such as TENS (trans-cutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) unit cannot heal on a cellular level because its current is 1000 times too large. The current doesn’t match, or resonate with the cells in a way that can invoke a healing response. As such, the TENS is limited to temporary pain relief.

Other microcurrent devices are also significantly different from FSM. Microcurrent has been used for years to speed the rate of healing, control inflammation, increase the rate of fracture repair and treat myofascial pain and dysfunction. However, early devices allowed only a limited number of frequency settings and therefore treatment options. FSM is unique in that it can deliver a large number of frequency combinations targeted to the cells that need it most. Utilizing FSM we can treat a much broader array of conditions and do so much more effectively.

How does FSM help with acute injuries?

Performing Frequency Specific Microcurrent to an acute injury or after surgery seems to assist with the swelling and healing times.  There seems to be even more effectiveness if the injury is treated within 4 hours of injury or surgery.  After the 12-hour mark, it seems that the healing proceeds as expected, but with an accelerated rate.

What are some of the Risks or Side Effects of FSM?

There are no known risks to either the patient or the practitioner as long as the FSM unit is used correctly. Side effects may occur in some, but not all patients. They are minimal, transient and can often be eliminated with proper hydration. The side effects are related to a detoxification reaction brought about by increased cellular metabolism and the removal of long-stored waste products, similar to the side effects of massage.

The side effects usually start 90 minutes after a treatment and may last for 4 to 24 hours, and can include:

  • Fatigue
  • Nausea
  • Drowsiness
  • Occasionally an increase in pain
  • Euphoric feeling due to the increased endorphins

Download the PDF’s below for further information on Microcurrent Therapy

Call Now to Find Out if You Could Benefit from Frequency Specific Microcurrent

647.560.4495

CAUTION: The above is only a guide and should not be used as a substitute for being evaluated by a regulated health care professional that has experience in managing whiplash associated disorders. If you have any questions about your condition, please feel free to contact me at your convenience. If you feel that this is a medical emergency, please visit your closest hospital emergency department.