Microcurrent

As you probably know, we at Beachside are big fans of acupuncture, nutrition, and essential oils, but our newest fascination - and treatment add-on - might be a surprise. Technology is not always healthy in our perspective, but when it comes to healing, the addition of microcurrent can greatly benefit the body's natural processes. 

Our bodies are not just composed of physical structures like bone and muscle; they also have an electrical component. (Think of paramedics using electricity to jump start someone's heart.) Nerves use electrical impulses to relay messages between the brain and the rest of the body, and cells use positively and negatively charged electrolytes to maintain homeostasis. When something in the body goes out of balance because of an injury or some other factor, both the electrical and structural systems need repair. In fact, the two are integrated to the point that fixing one can aid in fixing the other, which is where microcurrent can come to the rescue.

Without getting too technical, microcurrent propels the cells to generate more energy - called adenosine triphosphate or ATP - and "charges" cells to become more efficient. It stimulates C nervous fibers, creating a cascade reaction that includes the release of feel-good hormones like endorphins and circulation enhancers like nitric oxide. Additionally, microcurrent corrects the polarity of water molecules bound to collagen within the extracellular matrix - basically the place where cells live next to each other within your tissues - so that the body's messages can be transmitted back and forth without any interruption. Does this sound too complicated? No worries! You don't have to know how something works for it to work. Does this sound too simple? Read this article for much more detailed information. Wherever you are in the scientific spectrum, isn't it truly awe-inspiring to know that there are little universes in our bodies continuously working at various levels without any direction from us?

After reading all of this you may be thinking, "I have a TENS unit at home; it probably works the same way," but unfortunately that's not the case. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation devices (TENS units) affect different nerve fibers, with the goal of disrupting the pain signals traveling between an area of injury and the central nervous system. While this can provide temporary relief of physical discomfort, it's not influencing the body at the cellular level like microcurrent does. If you've bought a cosmetic apparatus for at-home facials, you may be a bit closer, but reaping the most health benefits requires a medical-grade device. We love our Avazzia and the many ways to use it - it can even stimulate acupuncture points! - and are excited to now share it with patients at our clinic.