1. Community
  2. Bones, joints and muscles
  3. Osteoarthritis

Use of Alpha Stim for OA Pain Management

Posted , 4 users are following.

john987
john987

Hi

I'm interested to find out if anyone suffering from OA has used the "Alpha Stim" Microcurrent Electrial Therapy (MET) devices for pain relief or if anyone knows about the effectiveness of these devices.

It's interesting to note that:

1) they are not covered in the Royal College of Physician's Osteoarthritis report, which underlies the recent update in NICE Guidelines and NHS information on Arthritis care. Only TENS machines are covered there.

2) despite being around for a long time (since the '80's) there don't seem to be any NHS assessments of these devices

3) and enquiry on this website ("Anybody tried Alpha Stim?*) posted in September 2008 has received no replies.

Any information or views on these devices and their effectiveness for treating OA pain, especially in the knees, would be gratefully received.

0 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • jjeremy
    jjeremy

    Posted

    Hi john, the machine you are talking about is not yet found in market. From where you found this information?

    Jeremy

  • john987
    john987

    Posted

    Hi Jeremy

    Thanks for getting back to me.

    The machine was learned about through an article in the Daily Mirror by Dr Chris Steele (more of an advertorial, I think) which pointed to a UK website for Alpha Stim. This link redirected me to another site - www.themicrocurrentsite.co.uk.

    I have discovered that the device has CE compliance and is obviously on sale in the UK market.

    I have yet to find anybody in local health service organisations who knows of it, let alone anybody who has used it.

    Regards

    John

  • jjeremy
    jjeremy

    Posted

    Hi John

    Hi John, This is really exciting I am seeing this kind of device for 1st time. Thanks for the link. I will come back if any query. Do you have any site where we can find review for this machine?

    Jeremy

  • john987
    john987

    Posted

    Hi Jeremy

    Sorry for not getting back to you quickly. I have some information that I can send you, but can you please tell me what you want to know about these machines and their use so that I can select the most suitable articles and links for you?

    Regards

    John

  • jjeremy
    jjeremy

    Posted

    Thanks john for replying back. I wanted to know about doctor’s advice/saying on this device. What could be the side effects of using this device? What rating this device has in market? How many days/years we can use this?

    Jeremy

  • Alpha-StimEurope
    Alpha-StimEurope

    Posted

    HI John and Jeremy, I work for The Microcurrent Site Ltd and came across this topic so wanted to sign up to see if I could assist in any way. We are the European Distributor of Alpha-Stim. Alpha-Stim is very well established in the US where it was developed back in the 80s, and is used widely by patients, sports teams, the US military etc, but we are a relatively new company and the product currently isn't very well known over here in the UK.

    @Jjeremy There have been found to be no long term side effects of using Alpha-Stim. In a rare number of cases, short term side effects like dizziness or nausea may occur if the device is used for too long/on a too high current. In a study of 4,541 patients, the only adverse effects reported were dizziness (6 cases, 0.13%), skin irritation/electrode burns (5 cases, 0.11%), and headaches (9 cases, 0.20%).

    With regards to how many days/years the Alpha-Stim can be used for. There is no time limit in terms of "you must only use this for a maximum of 30 days etc". We usually recommend daily use of the Alpha-Stim for as longer time period as you feel necessary. As people experience good results, they often find they can reduce treatment to every other day or something like that and still feel the benefits.

    The Alpha-Stim is backed by more clinical studies than any other device of its kind. More information on that can be found here on our website: www.themicrocurrentsite.co.uk/research-landing-page.aspx.

    John, you mention not knowing of anybody who has used the device before. That is understandable as we arent yet very well known, although Alpha-Stim is certainly growing in popularity. We have a number of clinics which now use Alpha-Stim, more info here: www.themicrocurrentsite.co.uk/Clinics.aspx as well as a number of experts on board: www.themicrocurrentsite.co.uk/Professional-Endorsements.aspx and testimonials from customers can be found here: www.themicrocurrentsite.co.uk/faq_list.aspx?cat_id=3.

    I hope I can be of assistance. I will try to check back here regularly, so if you have any questions please let me know. Alternatively, feel free to contact me via private message service and I will be able to assist that way.

    Josh

  • Emis_Moderator
    Emis_Moderator

    Posted

    Hi Josh,

    I removed your direct email address as we do not publish these. If anyone wants to contact you please use the private messaging service.

    Alan

    Emis Moderator

  • renee369
    renee369 john987

    Posted

    I used the alpha-stim until mine crapped out and i plan on buying another one. I found help with my anxiety,depression and insomnia. I found it very helpful, so did every friend whom I let try it.

    i love it!!!!

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.