Microcurrent Electrical Therapy (MET)

Postulated Mechanisms of MET

Microcurrent stimulation appears to affect cellular physiology and produce itseffects by reducing the electrical resistance of the injured tissue and restoring its cellular capacitance. A study by Chen et al. further indicates that applications of microcurrent stimulation (< 500mA) can dramatically increase the production of ATP in the tissue by as much as 500% and increase amino acid transport and protein synthesis int he treated area by 30-40%.

The classic works by Bjorn E. W. Nordenstrom and Robert Becker have shown that endogenous bioelectricity, and changes in the polarity of the tissue triggered by illness or injury, may represent the primary catalyst of the healing process.

More recently, Zhao et al. have shown that minute electrical fields, similar to those detected endogenously,serve as a prime directional cue to direct cell migration during wound healing and manipulation of these endogenous currents may affect wound healing in vivo.

It is then plausible to speculate that stimulation with mild electrical currents may not be limited to analgesic effects, but may also help restore or enhance the endogenous current flow and consequently facilitate the healing process.

Microcurrentelectrical stimulation, especially at low-frequencies, may also produce some analgesic effects via release of endogenous opioid peptides.