Electro-Acuscope & Myopulse
Electro-Acuscope
The Electro-Acuscope is an electrotherapeutic micro-current instrument which acts upon subcutaneous tissues to help reduce pain and inflammation. It may also improve blood flow in circulatory-impaired tissues.
Many types of tissue cells have membranes with ion channels that are voltage-sensitive. Electrotherapeutic currents can increase the entrance of substances such as calcium ions which turn on repair mechanisms within those cells. Sensory nerve endings, for instance, release vasoactive peptides in response to the entrance of calcium. The Electro-Acuscope monitors the electrical conductivity and impedance of the tissue, and also can compute important electrical characteristics of the tissue from the current and voltage pulses themselves. Using this information, it adjusts the shape of those current and voltage pulses in order to optimize the effectiveness of the treatment. The output pulses of the Electro-Acuscope are neither constant-current nor constant-voltage during their duration, but are between the two modality limits.
Electro-Myopulse
The Myopulse is the companion micro-current instrument to the Acuscope and is designed to treat connective tissue associated primarily with muscle. The amplitudes of the current and voltage pulses continuously vary within a "sinusoidal modulation envelope". It is well established that the membrane of each muscle fiber contains voltage-controlled calcium ion channels.
Much of the effectiveness of the Myopulse instrument appears to be due to the modest increases in internal calcium which, though inadequate to cause muscle contraction, could still result in increased ATP production and protein synthesis in order to prevent atrophy, accelerate tissue repair, and alleviate pain. (It would not be desirable to induce muscle contraction in the manner of conventional muscle stimulators because this would use up ATP which could be put to better use as an energy source for synthesizing new cellular repair molecules). Since the current and voltage pulses have constantly varying amplitudes over the four-second period of each modulation envelope cycle, some impulses will be optimal for each portion of the three-dimensional current field (even to considerable depth into the tissue). Some of the current pulses will have an initial current overshoot portion that can open higher threshold ion channels especially in regions of the current field that are closer to the electrodes. In addition to monitoring the current waveform of each pulse, the Myopulse instrument also has special current and voltage monitoring impulses to provide tissue impedance information.
Detailed Information
The electro-acuscope and myopulse therapy system is an FDA approved microcurrent modality. Microcurrent is low voltage and produced naturally by the body so it can be recognized, and the body can respond accordingly. Designed with a biofeedback system to eliminate the possibility of overstimulation, and specifically calibrated for animal tissue to monitor and adjust each application. The biofeedback system is able to adjust to the needs of the tissue through the instruments computer circuitry which is preprogrammed with the normal cellular functions of the patient’s tissue, a bio feedback loop that occurs every 5 milliseconds gathering information from the treatment site and internally adjusting the output to what the patient is requiring at the time of treatment, and an infinitely variable (always changing) waveform. It is approved for neuromuscular and musculoskeletal conditions, pain management, and when it is used properly it will provide a minimum of a 50% accelerated recovery rate. It is also proven to optimize ATP (energy) production by up to 500%.
The primary instrument of the therapy system is the electro-acuscope. This instrument focuses on the nervous system addressing the central nervous system, consisting of the brain and spinal cord and the peripheral nervous system, composed of all the nerves that distribute throughout the body from the spinal cord. In addition, the current model, the 80T, also normalizes the autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for involuntary functions. Deficient cells need more current to function normally which is associated with chronic conditions, and hyperactive cells that are over producing current can be associated with inflammation. The goal of the acuscope is to normalize the level of current within the cells and teach damaged cells how to hold a healthy charge. It is intended for therapeutic purposes, monitoring purposes, and can internally adjust its output to pinpoint areas of cellular dysfunction through evaluations and treatments. The digital readings help the therapist to offer individualized treatments depending on the patient's needs and to monitor each treatment determining the health of the tissue and cellular function. These readings are formulated by the computer circuitry based on the following; conductivity levels which is how much current the cells are currently functioning with, resistance levels which is the cell’s capability to hold a healthy charge, impedance levels which can be blockages caused by inflammation, scar tissue, damaged tissue, etc, and the chemistry of the cells consisting primarily of sodium and potassium levels. Readings can indicate relative percentages of how well the cells are functioning in any given area.
The companion of the acuscope instrument is the electro-myopulse which has direct access to the soft and connective tissues (muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia, and periosteum). This instrument normalizes the electro-magnetic field that surrounds soft and connective tissue. The effect of the myopulse is to produce relaxation of the muscle fibers and will achieve improvement of the blood flow by relieving the constriction within blood vessels.
After a thorough evaluation the therapist can offer a wide range of treatment programs based on the patient’s agenda such as; performance optimization for horses in full training to help their performance as well as preparation and recovery sessions, preventative maintenance for horses without injuries or a history of injuries/ chronic conditions, general maintenance programs for horses with a history of injuries or diagnosed chronic conditions to slow down the progression, provide a non-invasive form of pain management, and address the compensatory areas of the body as well as the surrounding tissues, and rehabilitation programs for horses with injuries or severe chronic conditions (refer to services tab for more information). The digital readings put out by the instruments help guide the therapist in monitoring the treatment sites and adjusting to the needs of the horse. The therapist’s job is to ensure the patients comfort and well being above all else, and It is not within a therapist’s scope of practice to diagnose any conditions.
