Many electrotherapy devices display a current value, for example
200 microamperes. But does this current actually flow? In this
episode, Patrick Walitschek examines an assumption that is rarely
questioned in microcurrent therapy: that the set value is also the
value that reaches the tissue. The discussion centres on Ohm’s law,
the often-overlooked role of voltage, and the chain of resistance
from the electrode through the skin and into the tissue. It also
covers a surprising finding from the much-cited ATP study by Cheng
et al. (1982), the human body as a capacitive system, and the
question of what the MDR requires when a device offers an SI unit
such as amperes for setting. Ultimately, it comes down to the
principle of the control loop: measure, adjust, measure again.
Chapters: 00:00 Intro – the accelerator pedal problem 01:30 The
practical question: Why not just set it to a fixed value? 02:30
Ohm’s law, voltage and resistance – with a calculation example
05:30 The resistance chain: electrode, skin, fascia, tissue 08:00
What Cheng et al. (1982) actually say 10:00 The body as a capacitor
– why frequency and current go hand in hand 12:00 The regulatory
aspect: setting AND maintaining 13:30 The control loop: cybernetics
in microcurrent therapy 15:00 Conclusion The three key points: 1.
Current is not a setting, but a result of voltage and resistance.
2. The human body behaves like a living, capacitive system that
changes during therapy. 3. Alongside frequency, the actual current
flowing is one of the most important effective parameters. Sources:
Cheng, N., Van Hoof, H., Bockx, E., Hoogmartens, M. J., Mulier, J.
C., De Dijcker, F. J., Sansen, W. M., & De Loecker, W. (1982).
The effects of electric currents on ATP generation, protein
synthesis, and membrane transport in rat skin. Clinical
Orthopaedics and Related Research, 171, 264–272. European
Parliament & Council of the European Union. (2017). Regulation
(EU) 2017/745 on medical devices, Annex I, Section 21.1. Official
Journal of the European Union, L 117. Luxxamed GmbH. (2025).
HD2000+ Technical Instructions for Use, Software Version 3.X (Rev.
23). Kassel. Schönfelder, U., Walker, ?, & Kenner, ? (2017).
[Unpublished project report]. Fraunhofer FEP, Dresden. Wiener, N.
(1948). Cybernetics: Or control and communication in the animal and
the machine. Technology Press; John Wiley & Sons. Further
information:
https://www.luxxamed.de/en/2026/11/11/the-myth-of-electric-current/
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