What is the Electro-Acuscope/Myopulse System?
How is this system different from other electrical stimulation devices available today?
Who uses this equipment?
How do these instruments work?
How much electricity does the Acuscope or Myoscope produce?
How is probe placement determined?
May I have an in-depth explanation of how the Electro-Acuscope reduces pain?
May I have further explanation of how the Myopulse reduces pain and restores range of motion?
How many treatments will a patient need?
Please explain why the results from an Acuscope treatment are cumulative.
If a patient has tried many other forms of therapy with little lasting relief, can Acuscope/Myoscope treatments help?
Who can give treatments with this equipment?
What is the basis of the design of the system?
 What is the Electro-Acuscope/Myopulse System?
The Electro-Acuscope is a highly sophisticated electronic medical instrument that delivers treatment to damaged and impaired tissue in feedback-modulated micro-current transcutaneous nerve stimulation.
Unlike most electrical stimulators called TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation), the Acuscope does not blindly deliver blasts of milli-amperage current to block pain signals from reaching the brain. Instead, it uses miniscule doses of electricity (the exact level, frequency, intensity, and waveform patterns that living tissue conducts) precisely configured by its computer chip circuitry that continuously gathers feedback from the tissue as it treats. The result is to reduce pain and boost the body's self-healing mechanisms by restoring normal signals throughout the nervous system.
 The Myopulse, companion instrument to the Acuscope, gently stimulates the connective tissue (muscles, tendons, ligaments and fascia) delivering micro-current electrical stimulation in waveform patterns identical to that of contractile tissue. Reducing spasm and inflammation, restoring range of motion, and strengthening tissue damaged by traumatic injury, even in the most acute and chronic cases, the Myopulse produces remarkable results.
Together the two instruments comprise the most technologically advanced and effective electronic physical therapy equipment available in health care today.
How is this system different from other electrical stimulation devices available today?
The most unique feature, which sets the Acuscope apart from other electrical stimulation devices, is the micro-chip circuitry that is designed to scan and monitor the tissue. The Acuscope reads neurological impedance (resistance) in the circuit created through the tissue placed between the two probes. Based on the information it gathers, the unit is programmed to calculate appropriate corrective waveforms. Other electrical stimulation units (milli- and micro-amperage alike) gather no feedback and blindly produce only a simple fixed output according to preset specifications.
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 Who uses this equipment?
The Acuscope and Myopulse are currently being used by professional athletic teams, sports medicine practices, hospitals, and by thousands of private doctors in every field of medicine throughout the world.
According to widespread publicity, many outstanding athletes have been significantly helped by their treatments with the equipment. Joan Benoit, Mary Decker, and Carl Lewis who received Acuscope/Myopulse treatments for pain and injury, won gold medals at the 1984 Summer Olympics. Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw, Jack Nicklaus, and other famous athletes have praised the Acuscope System publicly for restoring their ability to “stay in the game”.
 The Acuscope System has extensive applications in veterinary as well as human medicine. It is very effective with both small and large animals. Acknowledged for its remarkable success in treating equine athletes in every field of horse competition over the past twenty years, the number of Equine Acuscope Therapists is steadily increasing.
 (See www.AnimalTherapySystems.com for additional detail.)
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How do these instruments work?
The Acuscope and Myopulse establish a two-way communication between the instruments' circuitry and the electrical signals from the area of the patient's body being treated. Incorporating biofeedback technology, the equipment measures such things as tissue conductivity (resistance in the circuitry/impedance) and cell capacitance (the capacity of the cells to hold an electrical charge).
 Generally tissue conductivity is very low in areas of chronic pain and abnormally high in areas of inflammation. In order to correct abnormalities, appropriate compensating currents in gentle waveforms similar to the body's own electrical signals are generated so that the cells are boosted, given a “jump start” (like billions of tiny batteries receiving a charge) to reinstate the work of self-repair and eventually restore themselves to normal cellular function.
The Acuscope is programmed to generate a square waveform current in pulses which damaged nerve tissue requires in order to return to a normal signal. The result? A pain-free state. The Myopulse sends corrective sine-wave (sloping) signals specific to muscle and other connective, contractile tissue. Spasms release, strength returns, range of motion is restored. The results are usually cumulative over a series of treatment sessions.
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How much electricity does the Acuscope or Myopulse produce?
 The amount of electricity generated by the instruments is measured in microamps (millionths of an ampere), an extremely tiny amount of current in comparison to the amount of electricity flowing from a wall socket or from any other common high voltage electrical device. It has been scientifically proven that this low level of current produces the most beneficial effect on the body's cells. Both instruments produce battery generated electrical signals in patterns similar to and comparable with that which is produced by the body's own normal, healthy cells, the kind and level of energy which is constantly flowing through every living person and animal.
 How is probe placement determined?
Acuscope probes are generally applied to the skin either over and around the area of involvement or at strategic high-conductive points along the neural pathways (meridians) of the body. Throughout the electrical “wiring” of the body, certain points function as signal boosters or amplifiers similar to any electrical system. One can “find” these points of higher conductivity relative to the surrounding tissue by utilizing the feedback-only mode prior to initiating stimulation. The LED (digital) readout indicates tissue impedance in conjunction with the auditory feedback.
Myopulse probes are most frequently placed over a particular muscle or muscle group. Electrodes may be applied at points of origin and insertion, or through the “belly” of the muscle. Roller electrodes are very effective in applying the current along the entire length of the muscle, tendon, or through the ligament.
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May I have a more in-depth explanation of how the Electro-Acuscope reduces pain?
Every living body is made up of a vast number of cells. In many ways, the cells act like tiny batteries, producing, storing and releasing energy. Each cell has a measurable electrical charge and therefore a constant energy flow is maintained between cells throughout the electrical circuitry of the body.
When damage or trauma occurs, the cells “amp up” in order to repair acutely involved tissue. Eventually, the cells may become exhausted and depleted; if so, the result will be a measurable decrease in the flow of energy (increased electrical resistance) when the work of cellular self-repair is incomplete. This common occurrence generally results in chronic pain. The sensation of pain in the area is caused by a disruption in the production and conduction of normal electrical signals along the neural pathways through the tissue.
During treatment, the ACUSCOPE “reads” the nerve cell capacitance (resistance); then it introduces mild electrical current to the tissue located between the points of probe contact. The goal is to return the tissue to a normal level of neural electrical activity. Before and after each stimulation, the therapist (and the patient) can see a digital readout and hear auditory feedback that reflects this change.
While providing beneficial electrical current, the treatment causes the body to improve circulation, produce and more effectively utilize proteins and other nutrients required for cell metabolism and repair. In this way, the instrument assists the body in accelerating the natural self-healing processes. In addition, mild electrical current cause the body to generate chemicals called "endorphins", naturally occurring pain suppressers. The immediate pain relieving results, as well as the long term benefits of an Acuscope treatment, may therefore be considered an electro-chemical response occurring in the involved area at a cellular level.
May I have a further explanation of how the Myopulse reduces pain and restores range of motion?
The Myopulse delivers a sinusoidal, or sloping waveform pattern which is the type of current produced by muscle and other contractile tissue. During treatment, the instrument detects and “reads” abnormalities, calculates compensating waveform patterns, and treats with gradually rising and falling pulse trains to produce a return to a balanced spectrum of signals. Once naturally occurring normal waveform patterns are being generated, spasms release, restrictions loosen, range of motion is restored; where chronic disuse has resulted in weak and flaccid tissue, the self-repair mechanisms are boosted.
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How many treatments will a patient need?
The pain relief which follows each treatment of given area will last longer and longer and each successive treatment will require a shorter amount of time to be effective. This is commonly referred to as “the cumulative effect”.
The number of treatments required will depend on the severity and extent of the condition as well as the body's ability to heal itself. Age, general state of health, habits such as nutrition, hydration, posture, habitual activities, exercise (or lack of it), and even state of mind may influence the length of time required for complete recovery. Somewhere between five and fifteen treatments is the normal average.
Unlike other forms of pain management, such as therapy with certain drugs or higher amperage electrical stimulators, the body does not build up a tolerance to Acuscope/Myopulse treatments. Both with many pain medications and most hi-amp devices, prolonged use requires higher and higher doses of medications or increased time and amounts of electricity to achieve the desired pain reduction effect. With EA/MYO treatments, sessions of shorter and shorter duration produce more dramatic and longer lasting effects, until treatment is no longer required.
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Please explain why the results from an Acuscope treatment are cumulative.
In numerous scientific studies, mild current stimulation, ideally at the level of 500 UA (microamps) or less, has been proven to have a profoundly beneficial effect on living tissue, promoting regenerative metabolic activity.
One study in particular is most notable (Ngok Cheng, et al: 1976) and is often quoted throughout the literature on micro-current therapy. This breakthrough study determined that microamperage stimulation causes the cells of the body to increase production of the chemical ATP which is responsible for cellular energy production. It was also found to increase protein synthesis, the building blocks of tissue, which allows the cells to begin to repair themselves. This low level of current was discovered to improve certain cellular functions, such as (in technical terms) normalizing cell membrane potential, enhancing protein synthesis, opening the voltage sensitive channels that allow ions (such as sodium, calcium, potassium, etc.) to pump more freely into the cells, and to increase the transport of waste products out of the cells thereby assisting the flushing of toxins out of the tissue. (It is recommended that patients increase their intake of fluids, primarily water, during the course of their Acuscope/Myopulse treatments.)
As these chemical reactions accumulate with each successive treatment, the tissue is able to repair itself more completely. The "charge" on the tissue begins to hold and its ability to generate its own normal energy is restored. In most cases of neuro-muscular pathology, a series of treatments have “the cumulative effect” leading to long-lasting or permanent relief.
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If a patient has tried many other forms of therapy with little or no relief, can Acuscope/Myoscope treatments help?
Probably; these instruments deliver a different type of treatment than any other form of pain management. It is very often effective where nothing else has been able to help in the past.
Who can give treatments with this equipment?
The Acuscope and Myopulse are FDA approved as a, “Class Two,” Medical Device, which can be operated by anyone under the supervision of an M.D., Chiropractor, Registered Physical Therapist, Doctor of Oriental Medicine or Naturopath.
A doctor may also prescribe the home use of this instrumentation. The personal units (Acuscope Model 70C shown here and the Neuroscope 230) are most popular for patient self-care.
 What is the basis of the design of the system?
When it was introduced to the public in 1978, this equipment represented a technological breakthrough in the use and application of bio-feedback and electrical stimulation. By combining the two modalities, an IO (input/output) device was created for the very first time. To this day, no other piece of equipment has been devised that can match the accuracy and efficacy of the Acuscope/Myopulse System.
 The inventor of this equipment, Dr. Anthony Nebrensky, a pioneer in the development of missile guidance technology, as well as a physicist who had designed and manufactured electrical measurement devices such as EKGs, EEGs and EMGs decided to apply the “search and seek” capabilities of a “smart missile” to detect and treat the abnormalities of diseased or injured tissue in the human body. His technology working at a cellular level, finds the irregular feedback and then sends out a corrective signal until the injured area is normalized electrically. The result with chronic pain is that electrical currents and blood flow into the area of pathology instead of going around it. With acute tissue injury (where electrical activity and blood flow are abnormally high), the signals are equalized with the surrounding low-conductive tissue. This enhances the body's ability to heal itself in a very accelerated manner.
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