Is Microcurrent Stimulation Effective in Pain Management? An Additional Perspective
Smith, Ray B. Is Microcurrent Stimulation Effective in Pain Management? An Additional Perspective. American Journal of Pain Management. 2001; 11(2):62-66. Download Article
This is a peer-reviewed analysis of 2,500 consecutive survey forms from warranty cards completed by patients who were prescribed Alpha-Stim microcurrent electrical therapy (MET) and cranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES). The only inclusion criteria were that the patients used their Alpha-Stim for at least 3 weeks. 1,949, or 78% of the total listed pain as their primary diagnosis. Of those, 93% claimed significant pain reduction of greater than 25% improvement, ranging from a low of 82% in chronic regional pain syndrome (RSD) to a high of 98% in those suffering from migraine headaches and 100% in carpal tunnel syndrome. 72% of the patients were female. The age ranged from 15 to 92 years with a mean of 50 years. The length of use ranged from the 3 week minimum cutoff period to 5 years in 2 cases. The average period of use was 14.68 weeks, or just over 3 1/2 months. The results reported by these patients were only 2% off a previous physician survey of 500 patients (the patients self-reports giving slightly higher ratings overall) reported in the book, The Science behind Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation by Dr. Daniel L. Kirsch.
| Condition |
N |
Slight
<24% |
Fair
25-49% |
Moderate
50-74% |
Marked
75-100% |
Significant
>25% |
| Pain (all cases) |
1949 |
136
6.98% |
623
31.97% |
741
38.02% |
449
23.04% |
1813
93.02% |
| Back Pain |
403 |
20
4.96% |
109
27.05% |
157
38.96% |
117
29.03% |
383
95.04% |
| Cervical Pain |
265 |
18
6.79% |
69
26.04% |
125
47.17% |
53
20.00% |
247
93.21% |
| Hip/Leg/Foot Pain |
160 |
6
3.75% |
43
26.88% |
53
33.13% |
58
36.25% |
154
96.25% |
| Shoulder/Arm/Hand Pain |
150 |
13
8.67% |
41
27.33% |
63
42.00% |
33
22.00% |
137
91.33% |
| Carpal Tunnel |
25 |
0
0.00% |
5
20.00% |
17
68.00% |
3
12.00% |
25
100.00% |
| Arthritis Pain |
188 |
11
5.85% |
51
27.13% |
88
46.81% |
38
20.21% |
177
94.15% |
| TMJ Pain |
158 |
17
10.76% |
60
37.97% |
60
37.97% |
21
13.29% |
141
89.24% |
| Myofascial Pain |
62 |
6
9.68% |
18
29.03% |
18
29.03% |
20
32.26% |
56
90.32% |
| RSD |
55 |
10
18.18% |
16
29.09% |
19
34.55% |
10
18.18% |
45
81.82% |
| Fibromyalgia (alone) |
142 |
13
9.15% |
53
37.32% |
52
36.62% |
24
16.90% |
129
90.85% |
| Fibromyalgia (with other) |
363 |
33
9.09% |
131
36.09% |
152
41.87% |
47
12.95% |
330
90.91% |
| Migraine |
118 |
2
1.69% |
49
41.53% |
30
25.42% |
37
31.36% |
116
98.31% |
| Headaches (all other) |
112 |
20
17.86% |
30
26.79% |
24
21.43% |
38
33.93% |
92
82.14% |
| Psychological (all cases) |
723 |
61
8.44% |
175
24.20% |
237
32.78% |
250
34.58% |
662
91.56% |
| Anxiety (alone) |
128 |
13
10.16% |
29
22.66% |
42
32.81% |
44
34.38% |
115
89.84% |
| Anxiety (with other) |
370 |
33
8.92% |
85
22.97% |
122
32.97% |
130
35.14% |
337
91.08% |
| Anxiety/Depression |
58 |
3
5.17% |
19
32.76% |
19
32.76% |
17
29.31% |
55
94.83% |
| Depression (alone) |
53 |
7
13.21% |
11
20.75% |
23
43.40% |
12
22.64% |
46
86.79% |
| Depression (with other) |
265 |
29
10.94% |
61
23.02% |
93
35.09% |
82
30.94% |
236
89.06% |
| Stress |
123 |
6
4.88% |
30
24.39% |
39
31.71% |
48
39.02% |
117
95.12% |
| Chronic Fatigue |
50 |
3
6.00% |
30
60.00% |
10
20.00% |
7
14.00% |
47
94.00% |
| Insomnia |
163 |
10
6.13% |
47
28.83% |
47
28.83% |
59
36.20% |
153
93.87% |
| Figure 1. Self-reported results of 2,500 patients who used Alpha-Stim technology for at least 3 weeks. |
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