What You Need To Know About FSM Therapy
MAY 2023 | Dr. Ashley Southern
What is FSM Therapy?
Frequency Specific Microcurrents (FSM) is a type of electrical therapy that utilizes mild, low-dose microcurrent frequencies to help support and manage an extensive list of conditions and symptoms, including pain, injury, and chronic dysfunction.
It is a safe, non-invasive, and painless procedure that involves applying gentle electrical stimulations to the body through the use of conductive graphite gloves, moistened towels, or electrode patches. These frequencies resonate with our bodies at a deep cellular level, and work with the body’s natural functions to gently coax and return our cells back to a state of homeostatic health.
What Makes FSM Therapy So Effective?
Our bodies naturally utilize various forms of energy to power all the vital processes the body needs to survive, including nerve signalling, digestion, circulation, and movement. Research shows that at a cellular level, all these functions generate their own electric microcurrent frequencies (measured in milliamps and hertz).
Frequency Specific Microcurrent Therapy harnesses this notion and delivers microcurrents of electricity that mimic those naturally generated by our cells. Each cell has an ideal frequency it emits, and different cellular functions emit different frequencies. FSM is so effective because it can apply a variety of electric microcurrents at different intensities and frequencies.
When the right frequency is applied, these microcurrents resonate with our cells, stimulates their innate functions, and invoke natural healing responses including tissue repair. Further, studies show that once the cells have been altered by these microcurrents they tend to remain stable, which makes FSM an effective preventative therapy.
What Makes FSM Therapy Different Than TENS?
When it comes to pain management, Frequency Specific Microcurrent therapy is more effective than other electrical therapies like TENS because of how mild its frequencies are. FSM utilizes doses that are one millionth of an amp, which matches the microcurrents naturally produced by the body, and so it is able to work with the body at a cellular level.
TENS machines and other electro therapy devices produce current that is 1000 times stronger than FSM frequencies. This strength means that TENS devices can be too overpowering and do not match the body’s natural frequencies, and so is unable to invoke the same healing processes that FSM is able to unlock. In this way, TENS and other devices tend to be limited to temporary pain relief, while FSM works with the foundational systems of the body to provide lasting support by treating the root cause.
FSM is also unique to other energy therapies in that it can deliver multiple current combinations/ frequency pairs that can target the various cells that resonate with specific frequencies.
Conditions Treated with FSM Therapy
Studies show that FSM can be highly effective at supporting a variety of conditions, including:
- Achilles tendonitis
- Back pain
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Shingles
- Burns
- Asthma
- Kidney stone pain
- Disc injuries
- Fibromyalgia
- Neuromas
- Tendinopathy
- Headaches
- Chronic Regional Pain syndrome (CRPS)
- Frozen shoulder
- Lymphedema
- Myofascial pain
- Osteoarthritis
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Reflexive sympathetic dystrophy (RSD)
- Sciatica
- Sinusitis
- Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain
- Tennis elbow
- Whiplash
- Wounds
- Sports injuries
Benefits of FSM Therapy
FSM is capable of generating a wide range of frequencies, each with its own unique effect on tissues and cells. Because of this, the list of benefits of FSM is long and wide ranging, too.
Foundational benefits include (but are not limited to):
- Improved cellular oxygenation
- Improved cellular repair
- Reduced inflammatory responses throughout body
- Increased endorphin levels
- Increased energy levels by boosting ATP production by 500%
- Improved protein synthesis by 70%
- Restored adrenal function
- Repaired nerve regulation and nerve signalling
- Improved immune function
- Improved cellular function and nutrient uptake
- Promoted muscle relaxation
- Increased amino acid transport by up to 40%
- Enhanced DNA synthesis
What does that all mean for your health and your body’s functionality?
- Decreased pain and pain intensity
- Improved rate of wound healing
- Decreased swelling and inflammation throughout body
- Improved cardiovascular health and circulation
- Improved quality of sleep
- Improved stress management
- Improved range of motion
- Decreased muscle tension, muscle soreness and delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS)
Side Effects and Risks
Side Effects with FSM Therapy
FSM is considered a safe therapy with minimal side effects. Side effects of FSM are typically mild and temporary, and can be managed through being adequately hydrated, and drinking lots of water both before and after treatment.
The side effects associated with FSM are akin to those commonly associated with the detoxification reaction brought on by increased cellular metabolism, as the body gets to work processing and removing stored up waste. Side effects are typically reported approximately 90 minutes after treatment, and can last between 4 – 24 hours. These can include:
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Drowsiness
- Temporary increase of pain
- Temporary sensations of feeling “spaced out” during treatment
- Temporary euphoric feelings after treatment due to increased endorphins
Risks with FSM Therapy
FSM is not recommended for:
- People with pacemakers
- People with implanted pumps
- People who are or may be pregnant
- People with epilepsy or for those who experience seizures
- People with acute infections
- People with acute fractures
- New scar tissue formation (within 6 weeks)
If you are considering whether FSM is right for you, make sure to talk thoroughly to your healthcare provider about any of these conditions or concerns before proceeding with treatments.
How to Prepare for Treatments
The best thing you can do to prepare for treatments is to drink lots of water. Water acts as a conductor to electricity, and so ensuring you and your cells are properly hydrated will help to boost any of the effects and benefits of treatment. It is recommended to drink at least one liter of water before your appointment, or couple it with a hydration IV.
What to Expect & How Long Effects Last
During treatments, patients typically report a warming sensation and palpable tissue softening instantly once the electric microcurrents have been applied. Because the microcurrents are so mild, FSM doesn’t stimulate the body’s sensory nerves, which is what typically makes treatments so painless.
Within the first treatment, patients report:
- Scars lessen and appear softer
- Decreased pain
- Trigger points become less painful
- Decreased swelling
- Immediate relaxation and softening of muscles and tissue
- Wounds heal faster
The number of treatments required will depend on the condition being treated and severity of symptoms. Typically, 60-80% of effects from one treatment can last between 4-7 days. Repeat treatments may be required when treating muscle conditions as muscles tend to want to reconfigure themselves after the first few applications. However, studies have shown that changes are often lasting and can be permanent, as most tissues want to remain stable once changed by FSM treatments.
