Pain Relief!

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Relief of Fibromyalgia Through Microcurrent Therapy

by W. Addington

ImmuneSupport.com

07-11-2001

Addington is a medical researcher, a patient rights paralegal, and a

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patient. As a freelance writer, he regularly publishes

on the topics of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia.

A unique treatment has been pioneered in Oregon that is bringing lasting relief

from fibromyalgia symptoms. The treatment entails application of small amounts

of electricity to tissue trigger points. Carolyn McMakin, a chiropractor, and

her associates have developed this therapy and have been using it for five years

in their Fibromyalgia and Myofascial Pain Clinic in Portland, Oregon.

For years now doctors have used electrical currents via instruments such as the

TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) unit to block pain. Further,

it has been reported that extremely low dosage electricity when therapeutically

applied can speed the rate of healing of sports injuries and fractures. Some

feel that small amounts of electricity, measured in microamperage current

(millionths of an amp, also called microcurrents), can stimulate healing on a

more cellular level. This is because studies have shown that microcurrents can

increase the cell's energy and protein production. This therapy can also improve

the functioning of cell walls, so that nutrients come in and waste materials

leave more readily.

McMakin explains that this care has been successful in a number of chronic pain

conditions including fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, temporomandibular joint

syndrome, carpal tunnel syndrome, and chronic fatigue syndrome. Additionally,

this treatment has brought persistent relief for persons suffering from head,

neck, shoulder and back pain. McMakin has published her research and presented

it at conferences around the world, including a recent presentation before the

National Institutes of Health.

The actual electrical current administered to patients is so minute that it

cannot be felt. It is applied through the fingertips of vinyl graphite gloves to

various body locations for periods up to 90 minutes. For some patients

supplemental small home microcurrent units with 2 " x 3 " conductive pads are

used. Treatments last from several weeks to two years with the microcurrent

being applied less frequently as the patient progresses.

McMakin evaluates patients on the initial visit during which she obtains a

complete history and performs a neurological and orthopedic examination. At that

time she also performs a trial microcurrent treatment. Based upon this

evaluation if the patient has fibromyalgia, McMakin determines which " type " of

fibromyalgia the patient has. She believes fibromyalgia can be divided into five

subsets according to origin in individual cases and she treats each type

differently.

The five types of fibromyalgia are: 1) toxic origin (exposure to organic

chemicals or pesticides); 2) emotional trauma or stress induced; 3) genetically

predisposed; 4) immunologic origin (resulting from viral or bacteria infection

or in response to immunizations); and 5) cases resulting from spinal cord

injuries. McMakin has had much success with all of these types except the

fibromyalgia that is immunologic in nature. That having been said she has found

in her practice that the immunologic type of fibromyalgia is extremely rare.

McMakin recently reported a very favorable outcome in a group of 31 patients who

had fibromyalgia resulting from neck trauma. These patients had had fibromyalgia

for an average of 9.5 years but recovered in less than 5 months following 2 to

17 microcurrent treatments. " Recovery " meant lasting elimination of pain in the

frequency and severity normally found in fibromyalgia patients. Physical

rehabilitation was sometimes required and all patients were able to discontinue

pain and antidepressant medications.

The exact frequency of the microcurrents required varies according to the nature

of each individual's problem. Besides the patient's subjective reporting of pain

reduction, blood tests have verified microcurrent therapy's benefit. These blood

tests reveal that when the precise microamperage is utilized, substance P

(associated with transmission of pain sensations) and inflammatory interleukins

drop while beneficial cortisol and endorphin levels substantial rise.

Although most persons tolerate microcurrent therapy well, a small percentage do

not. For instance patients who react negatively to electromagnetic fields (such

as the electrical fields one is exposed to when talking on the phone) usually

are not able to withstand this kind of therapy. A very small number also have

discontinued treatment due to irritation from the pads that are sometimes

temporarily attached to the skin.

To thoroughly manage their patients' care, this Portland clinic complements

microcurrent therapy with other treatment modalities. For many patients a

modified diet is recommended based upon the results of allergy testing. Several

different supplements may be suggested at each visit. Light force chiropractic

manipulation and gentle massage may be needed. Mild aerobic exercise is

encouraged even if to begin with this can only be done for five minutes at a

time. McMakin notes that the patients most likely to recover are those most

determined to comply with all such recommendations.

McMakin is not the only practitioner in the United States offering this kind of

therapy. She has trained numerous other individuals, some 120 in 25 different

states, on the administration of microcurrent therapy.

Neither is McMakin alone in the application of this kind of healthcare generally

for fibromyalgia. Research from other doctors has recently been published using

a similar device to bring relief. One study published this year in the Journal

of Clinical Rheumatology involved low dose electrical stimulation of

fibromyalgia patients' brains through ear clip electrodes worn for one hour a

day for three weeks. Sleep problems dramatically improved as well as the

patients feeling of well-being and quality of life. Other published research has

shown electro-acupuncture is beneficial for various painful conditions including

fibromyalgia.

For more details on microcurrent therapy, McMakin and the Fibromyalgia and

Myofascial Pain Clinic, contact or visit the Web site

www.DrCarol.org.