Atlas›Domain XII · Complementary, energy & biofield›Guide 081
Guide XII-081

Frequency specific microcurrent

Carolyn McMakin1995Portland
A 23 · L 68 · M 912 interventions in the Trinity explorer
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[source: …] where a claim comes from[uncertain] not confirmed in a primary source[synthesis] the writer's reconstruction

1. Introduction

Version followed: Frequency Specific Microcurrent (FSM) as Carolyn McMakin and her training organisation, Frequency Specific Seminars (FSS), and FSM-approved course providers publish it; sections 4–5 describe the psychotherapist's own work alongside it. The psychotherapist never performs, sells, prescribes or recommends FSM.

What it is (as its organisations describe it). FSM is a device-based technique in which a licensed practitioner applies a very weak, sub-sensory electrical current to the body through contacts, choosing "specific frequencies" said to correspond to particular tissues and conditions [source: Frequency Specific Seminars CPD directory listing; Wellspring practitioner page quoting the FSM FAQ]. The developer's textbook describes it as using frequencies, very low-level current and "the principles of biological resonance" to treat pain and other conditions [source: Elsevier page for McMakin & Chaitow 2011]. It is presented mainly for pain, inflammation and scar tissue, and as an adjunct to the practitioner's usual discipline, after proper diagnosis [source: NTC course page; Wellspring page].

Core idea of change, as held by the method. Practitioners hold that each tissue and condition responds to a matched frequency (a resonance model), that treatment can raise cellular energy (ATP) in damaged tissue and "soften" tight tissue, and that results depend "almost entirely on an accurate diagnosis" of which tissue is the pain generator [source: Wellspring page]. These are the method's own physical-health claims; they are attributed here, not endorsed or dismissed.

Origins. McMakin, a chiropractor (MA, DC), is reported to have developed FSM in 1995 from frequencies obtained from a Canadian osteopath who had inherited a machine made in the 1920s; she developed myofascial pain protocols in 1996 [source: NTC course page; Novella, Science-Based Medicine 2019]. She founded the Fibromyalgia and Myofascial Pain Clinic of Portland in 1996 and taught the first FSM course in January 1997 [source: FSS CPD directory listing]. The device is described as made by Precision Microcurrent Inc.; one course page attributes the device design to an engineer in 1990 [source: NTC course page] [uncertain: single secondary source].

What a client experiences (as published). The client typically lies or sits while the practitioner places electrodes or conductive contacts; the current is usually not felt and treatment is described as painless; clients may notice warmth or a "softening" of tissue [source: Wellspring page; clinic consent form]. Reported after-effects, usually during treatment or later the same day and lasting minutes to hours, include skin irritation at the contact site, soreness, fatigue, light-headedness, drowsiness, transient weakness and dizziness, and a brief worsening of symptoms; some practitioner materials call a post-treatment reaction a "detoxification" response [source: clinic consent form; Wellspring page; NTC course page]. Clients are commonly told to be well hydrated on treatment days and to disclose any recent injury or surgery, because it may change the approach [source: clinic consent form; NTC course page].

Contraindications and precautions published by practitioners. Not through a pregnant uterus; not with a demand-type pacemaker; clients are screened for cancer, heart conditions, seizures or epilepsy, blood clots or phlebitis, and infections; one consent form states microcurrent/TENS "can induce seizures if there is a history of epilepsy"; FSS-linked materials state the frequencies are not recommended for treating cancer and that proven therapies must not be delayed or withheld [source: clinic consent form; NTC course page; Wellspring page].

Who practises it. FSS restricts its training to licensed healthcare professionals; the Core seminar is for those whose scope of practice includes electrical stimulation (listed: physicians, physiotherapists, chiropractors, naturopathic doctors, acupuncturists, osteopaths, dentists, veterinarians) [source: FSS CPD directory listing]. An FSM-approved UK provider admits qualified manual therapists (sports massage level and above) and states its certificate "does not extend or alter the scope of practice" of a primary qualification [source: NTC course page].

Regulation (one line each).

  • United States: transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulators for pain relief are Class II devices under 21 CFR 882.5890 [source: Cornell LII, 21 CFR 882.5890]; FSM course and clinic materials state the device falls in the FDA's TENS category and that some uses are off-label [source: NTC course page; clinic consent form] [uncertain: the specific FDA clearance of the FSM device was not verified; Class II devices are generally "cleared", and course wording of "approved" is the provider's].
  • Practitioner licensing: governed by each practitioner's own licence and scope (e.g. state boards); FSM training confers no licence [source: NTC course page; FSS CPD directory listing].
  • UK, EU, Canada, Australia: device marking and registration status [uncertain: not verified].

Evidence status (one line). Support comes mainly from developer-authored case reports, a small pilot and laboratory work; an independent critic describes the clinical evidence as minimal and the method as pseudoscience [source: Novella, Science-Based Medicine 2019; Elsevier page].

2. Framework

The method's own training framework (for orientation). FSS teaches a 5-Day Core seminar (the foundation, CPD-accredited), Advanced seminars and condition-specific programmes, in person and by livestream; about 2,100 practitioners are described as trained across more than ten countries [source: FSS CPD directory listing]. A certification examination and "Certified Advanced Practitioner" titles exist [source: NTC course page] [uncertain: certification criteria not verified]. FSM is delivered in a series of clinic sessions by the device practitioner; session numbers vary by condition [uncertain: not verified]. No settings or protocols are given in this guide.

The psychotherapist's framework alongside FSM [synthesis, built on NCCIH guidance and the APA Ethics Code]. This is woven into ordinary therapy rather than run as a separate course; most clients need it across one to three sessions, with brief check-ins afterwards.

  • Phase A: Ask and record. Goal: know whether the client uses or is considering FSM (or other microcurrent/TENS devices) and record it. Move on once use, provider, purpose and medical involvement are documented.
  • Phase B: Understand meaning. Goal: the client's explanatory model of their pain or illness, what draws them to FSM, and what they expect. Move on when you can summarise their hopes and fears in their words and they agree.
  • Phase C: Inform and decide. Goal: an informed, values-based decision (start, continue, pause, stop, or combine with medical care) made by the client without pressure from you. Move on when the client can state the decision, what it is based on, and who their doctor is.
  • Phase D: Coordinate and safeguard. Goal: with consent, the client's doctor or pain team knows about FSM; risks (delayed diagnosis, device contraindications, pregnancy, epilepsy, cancer, children, cost) are screened. Move on when no active risk remains unaddressed.
  • Phase E: Monitor and integrate. Goal: track mood, pain-related functioning, spending and reassurance-seeking over time; return to earlier phases if circumstances change (new symptom, new diagnosis, pregnancy, escalating cost).

3. Guiding principles

  • Curious, not judging [source: NCCIH tips]: ask about complementary use as routinely as about medication; your tone decides whether clients disclose.
  • Never perform, sell, prescribe or recommend [source: APA Ethics Code 2.01, 3.06]: you discuss FSM; you do not advise for or against a device you are not competent in.
  • Respect self-determination [source: APA Ethics Code Principle E]: the client chooses; your job is that the choice is informed and uncoerced.
  • Attribute, don't adjudicate: describe frequencies, resonance and "detox" reactions as the method holds them; give the regulatory and evidence status in one plain line [synthesis].
  • Complement, never substitute [source: NCCIH "Are You Considering"]: unproven approaches should not delay seeing a provider or replace proven treatment; keep the medical route open.
  • Diagnosis first [source: Wellspring page; NCCIH]: even FSM's own materials say it depends on accurate diagnosis; new, changing or severe pain belongs with a doctor first.
  • Coordinate with consent [source: APA Ethics Code 3.09, 4.05]: share only what is needed, with permission, unless law or imminent harm requires otherwise.
  • Stay in your competence [source: APA Ethics Code 2.01]: questions about device safety, settings, implants or medicines go to the device practitioner, doctor or pharmacist.
  • No conflicts of interest [source: APA Ethics Code 3.05, 3.06]: no referral fees, product sales or dual roles with FSM providers.
  • Function over symptom chasing [synthesis]: keep therapy anchored to the client's valued life, not to the latest treatment's result.
  • Safety and safeguarding override neutrality [synthesis]: pregnancy, implanted devices, epilepsy, children, cancer and financial exploitation trigger active steps.

4. Intervention inventory

All interventions below are the psychotherapist's own work alongside FSM. None involves operating, choosing or advising on a device. Sources: NCCIH guidance, the APA Ethics Code and NHS health-anxiety guidance where cited; everything else is [synthesis].

4.1 Routine, non-judgemental inquiry and recording

  • Purpose / when: at intake and at reviews, and whenever a client mentions pain, a new practitioner or a device. NCCIH advises patients to report every complementary approach to all providers and to "start the conversation" [source: NCCIH tips]; clients disclose more when the clinician asks routinely.
  • Steps: (1) Ask an open, normalising question about anything they use for health beyond prescribed medicine, including devices, clinics and courses. (2) If FSM or microcurrent comes up, record: provider and their profession/licence, what it is for, how long, whether their doctor knows, current medicines and medical care, cost so far. (3) Record the client's own words for the purpose. (4) Do not comment on effectiveness at this point. (5) Note to revisit at review. [synthesis]
  • Example language (illustrative): "Lots of people use things alongside their medical care, like supplements, bodywork, devices. Is there anything like that you're using or thinking about? I ask everyone, so I can see the whole picture." / "What did your practitioner say the microcurrent is for?"
  • Watch for: guarded or apologetic answers (signal of expected disapproval); FSM being the only care for an undiagnosed or worsening problem; the client not knowing the practitioner's licence. Working: the client volunteers updates without being asked.

4.2 Exploring meaning, hopes and the explanatory model

  • Purpose / when: once use or interest is known; especially with chronic pain, fibromyalgia, long medical journeys or distrust of medicine.
  • Steps: (1) Ask how they understand their pain or condition: cause, what keeps it going, what would help. (2) Ask what drew them to FSM: a recommendation, a community, hope after failed treatments, wanting control, a practitioner they trust, the appeal of a "frequency" or "resonance" model. (3) Ask what they expect and by when, and how they will judge whether it is working. (4) Explore what it would mean if it does not help (hopelessness, self-blame, "I'm untreatable"). (5) Reflect back a summary; check accuracy. (6) Link to therapy goals: what they would do with less pain. [synthesis]
  • Example language (illustrative): "Help me understand how you make sense of the pain. What do you think is going on?" / "What would tell you, a few weeks from now, that this was worth it?" / "If it didn't help, what would that mean to you?"
  • Watch for: all-or-nothing expectations ("this is my last hope"); identity bound up with a practitioner or online community; grievance toward medicine that blocks all medical contact. Working: the client can hold hope and uncertainty together and names goals beyond pain scores.

4.3 Neutral information sharing about FSM as published

  • Purpose / when: when the client asks your view, or is deciding and lacks basic information. You share published facts, not a recommendation.
  • Steps: (1) Ask permission and what they already know. (2) Share, briefly and attributed: what FSS says FSM is; that FSS restricts training to licensed practitioners working within their own scope; the published contraindications (pregnancy, demand pacemakers, epilepsy history, cancer screening) [source: section 1]; that in the US TENS devices for pain are Class II and FSM materials place the device in that category [source: 21 CFR 882.5890; NTC page]; the one-line evidence status. (3) Hand back: what do they make of it? (4) Point them to NCCIH, FDA and FTC resources to check claims themselves [source: NCCIH "Are You Considering"]. (5) Do not interpret device details; refer those to the practitioner or doctor. [synthesis for steps]
  • Example language (illustrative): "I'm not the right person to judge the device itself, but I can tell you what the organisation that teaches it publishes, and what it says about who it isn't suitable for. Would that be useful?"
  • Watch for: the client hearing neutral facts as attack, or as endorsement; you drifting into debate. Working: the client asks their practitioner and doctor better questions.

4.4 Values-based, informed decision support

  • Purpose / when: the client is weighing starting, continuing, paying for a package, or stopping FSM, or is considering it instead of a medical step.
  • Steps: (1) Clarify the decision and its timescale. (2) Elicit values (function, cost, time, relationship with doctor, family views). (3) Walk through NCCIH's questions in your own words: evidence beyond personal stories, who is making the claim, practitioner training and licensing, whether the practitioner will work with their other providers, side effects and interactions [source: NCCIH "Are You Considering"]. (4) Weigh costs (money, time, travel, hope) against what matters to them. (5) Check the decision does not postpone a medical assessment or a proven treatment [source: NCCIH]. (6) Summarise; client decides; record it. No specific published decision aid for FSM is cited here [uncertain: not verified].
  • Example language (illustrative): "What matters most to you here: cost, getting back to work, keeping your doctor on side?" / "Whatever you choose, what would keep your doctor in the loop?"
  • Watch for: pressure from the practitioner ("you must book the full course"), from family or from you; the client deferring the decision to you. Working: the client owns a decision that fits their values and keeps medical care in place.

4.5 Helping the client check a practitioner

  • Purpose / when: the client is choosing or already seeing an FSM provider.
  • Steps: (1) Encourage them to ask the provider's underlying profession and licence, and to check it with the relevant licensing board [source: NCCIH "Are You Considering"]. (2) Ask whether the provider takes a full history, screens contraindications and expects a medical diagnosis first (as FSM materials themselves state) [source: Wellspring page; clinic consent form]. (3) Ask whether the provider will collaborate with their doctor [source: NCCIH]. (4) Encourage clear upfront prices and no pressure to prepay. [synthesis for 4]
  • Example language (illustrative): "It's reasonable to ask anyone treating you what their main licence is and whether they'll talk to your GP. How do you feel about asking?"
  • Watch for: no licensed profession behind the provider; claims to treat cancer or "everything"; discouragement from seeing doctors. Working: the client has the information and feels entitled to ask.

4.6 Coordination with the client's doctor, pain team or pharmacist

  • Purpose / when: whenever FSM is used for an undiagnosed, changing or serious condition; when the client has an implanted device, epilepsy, pregnancy, cancer history or heart condition; or when the client is thinking of reducing medical treatment.
  • Steps: (1) Explain why coordination helps (NCCIH: all providers should know all approaches) [source: NCCIH tips]. (2) Obtain specific, documented consent: who, what, why [source: APA Ethics Code 3.10, 4.05]. (3) First option: coach the client to tell their doctor themselves (rehearse it). (4) If you contact the doctor, share the minimum: that the client uses a microcurrent device treatment, for what, and your psychological concerns (e.g. avoidance of medical review). (5) Never relay or give advice about medicines or devices; questions about medicines go to the prescriber or pharmacist [synthesis]. (6) Record the contact and outcome.
  • Example language (illustrative): "Would you be OK with your GP knowing about the microcurrent sessions? You could mention it at your next appointment, or I could write a short note with your permission."
  • Watch for: refusal rooted in shame or past dismissal by doctors (work on that, don't override it unless risk requires); split loyalties between practitioner and doctor. Working: one shared picture across providers.

4.7 Risk recognition and response

  • Purpose / when: at inquiry and whenever circumstances change.
  • Steps (screen and act):
    • Delayed or replaced medical care: new, severe, progressive or unexplained pain or neurological symptoms treated only with FSM: urge medical assessment, document, offer to coordinate [source: NCCIH; FSM materials state proven therapies must not be delayed, Wellspring page].
    • Device contraindications: pacemaker or other implanted electronic device, pregnancy, epilepsy or seizures, cancer, blood clots, infection: ask whether the practitioner and the client's doctor know; route the question to them; do not judge safety yourself [source: clinic consent form; NTC page].
    • Cancer: FSS-linked materials state FSM is not recommended for treating cancer [source: Wellspring page; NTC page]; if a client is using it in place of oncology care, treat as a risk to life: explore, coordinate with consent, involve the oncology or palliative team [synthesis; see Domain XII 172 for integrative oncology].
    • Children: if a child receives FSM instead of needed medical care, follow local safeguarding procedures; consider assent as well as parental consent [synthesis].
    • Financial exploitation: large prepaid packages, home-device purchases, escalating spend, debt: name the pattern, review against values, consider consumer reporting [synthesis].
    • Group pressure: online communities or practitioners who discourage medical contact or frame doubts as "blocking healing": explore influence and autonomy [synthesis].
    • Post-treatment reactions: dizziness, light-headedness, fatigue or drowsiness reported after sessions [source: clinic consent form]: advise the client to report these to the practitioner and seek medical help if severe or new; consider driving and work safety [synthesis].
  • Example language (illustrative): "This new pain sounds different from before. Before anything else, I'd really like a doctor to look at it. Could we plan how you'll book that today?"
  • Watch for: your own reluctance to raise risk for fear of rupture. Working: risks are named, routed and documented.

4.8 Psychological work on chronic pain alongside FSM

  • Purpose / when: most FSM users seek pain relief; therapy can work on pain-related distress and functioning whatever the device does. Cross-reference Domain II for established pain and somatic-symptom approaches.
  • Steps: (1) Set function-based goals (activities, roles) rather than device-dependent goals. (2) Track mood, activity and sleep alongside any pain changes, so the client sees the whole picture. (3) Explore how attributions of change (to FSM, to effort, to time) affect self-efficacy; credit the client's own actions. (4) Use the established approach you are trained in (e.g. CBT- or ACT-based pain work) without making it conditional on FSM. [synthesis]
  • Example language (illustrative): "Whatever happens with the sessions, what's one thing you'd like to get back to doing?" / "You walked further this week. What part of that was you?"
  • Watch for: activity suspended "until the treatment works"; boom-bust patterns after a good day. Working: functioning improves independently of the device.

4.9 Health anxiety and somatic symptom presentations

  • Purpose / when: when FSM use is one of many treatments sought for reassurance, or the client constantly checks the body or searches health information (signs NHS lists for health anxiety: checking the body, repeatedly seeking reassurance, worrying tests missed something, excessive searching) [source: NHS health anxiety]. Cross-reference Domain II.
  • Steps: (1) Map the cycle: worry, checking/treatment-seeking, short relief, return of doubt. (2) Ask whether booking or attending sessions works as reassurance-seeking. (3) Use the CBT methods NHS describes: monitoring checking and reassurance-seeking and reducing gradually, writing worries alongside balanced thoughts, returning to avoided activities [source: NHS health anxiety]. (4) Agree with the client (not for them) how they will use treatments and information. (5) Coordinate with GP to avoid multiple uncoordinated investigations [synthesis].
  • Example language (illustrative): "After a session, how long does the relief from worry last? What happens next?"
  • Watch for: treatment-hopping, new symptoms following each reassurance; your own reassurance becoming part of the cycle. Working: fewer checks and bookings; tolerance of uncertainty grows.

4.10 Therapist boundaries and conflicts of interest

  • Purpose / when: always; especially if you also hold a licence that permits electrical stimulation, know FSM providers, or work in a multidisciplinary clinic offering FSM.
  • Steps: (1) Do not sell, refer for a fee, recommend or provide FSM to psychotherapy clients [source: APA Ethics Code 3.06]. (2) Avoid dual roles (therapist plus device practitioner) with the same client [source: APA Ethics Code 3.05]. (3) Disclose any relationship with a provider the client names. (4) Keep fees and arrangements for therapy separate and clear [source: APA Ethics Code 6.04]. (5) Seek supervision if you notice strong personal views for or against. [synthesis for 3 and 5]
  • Example language (illustrative): "I'm not in a position to recommend practitioners or treatments like this, but I'm glad to help you think it through."
  • Watch for: clients asking you to choose for them; colleagues asking for referrals. Working: the client experiences you as neutral and safe to tell.

4.11 Reporting routes

  • Purpose / when: injuries, device malfunctions, misleading claims (e.g. claims to cure cancer), practice outside scope, or harm to a child.
  • Steps: (1) Help the client decide whether and how to report; report yourself where your duty requires it. (2) US device problems and side effects: FDA MedWatch, online at fda.gov/MedWatch or by requesting a form by phone or fax; FDA "relies on voluntary reports" and accepts reports even when cause is uncertain [source: FDA MedWatch brochure]. (3) Practitioner conduct or scope: the practitioner's state or national licensing board [source: NCCIH "Are You Considering" on checking licensing boards]. (4) Misleading advertising or health fraud: the FTC in the US [source: NCCIH points to FTC resources] [uncertain: FTC reporting procedure not verified]; UK: MHRA Yellow Card for devices and the Advertising Standards Authority [uncertain: not verified]. (5) Children: local safeguarding procedures. (6) Confidentiality: disclose without consent only where law or imminent harm requires, and only the minimum [source: APA Ethics Code 4.05].
  • Example language (illustrative): "What happened after that session sounds like something the device regulator would want to know about. Would you like help filing a report?"
  • Watch for: client fear of offending the practitioner. Working: the report is made, or the client's informed decision not to report is recorded.

4.12 Documentation and review

  • Purpose / when: every session where FSM is discussed.
  • Steps: record use, provider, purpose, medical involvement, risks screened, information shared (with sources), consents obtained, contacts made, the client's decisions and rationale; review at each treatment-plan review [source: APA Ethics Code 3.10 on documenting consent; remainder synthesis].
  • Example language (illustrative): "I'll note that you've decided to keep going for now and talk to your GP next month. Is that right?"
  • Watch for: notes that read as endorsement or ridicule. Working: a neutral, factual record another clinician could act on.

5. Handling problems

The published FSM sources do not address psychotherapy; all guidance in this section is [synthesis] unless a source is named.

  • Client won't disclose or minimises use. Normalise ("I ask everyone"), explain why it matters for their care [source: NCCIH tips], and avoid evaluative words. Revisit at review; disclosure often follows trust.
  • Client asks you to say whether FSM works. Decline to give a verdict gently, offer the published facts (4.3) and the NCCIH questions (4.4), and return to their values. (illustrative) "I'd rather help you weigh it than give you my opinion on a device I don't use."
  • Client is angry at doctors and refuses medical contact. Validate the experience of being dismissed; separate "that doctor" from "all medical care"; look for one acceptable medical contact (a different GP, a pain clinic). Where symptoms are red-flag, be direct about the risk and document.
  • Rupture: client feels judged. Name it and own your part; reaffirm that the decision is theirs (APA Principle E); return to their goals. (illustrative) "It sounds like I came across as dismissing something that's helping you. That wasn't my intention. Can we go back to what you need?"
  • Stuck: client waits for the device to work before engaging in therapy. Agree a parallel track: therapy goals that are worthwhile whatever happens with pain (4.8). Explore fear of trying and failing.
  • Disappointment, hopelessness or self-blame after FSM does not help. Explore meaning ("untreatable", "I did it wrong"); assess mood and suicide risk using standard practice; counter the idea that non-response is the client's fault; revisit medical options and pain-psychology work.
  • "It got worse before it got better" or "detox" framings. Respect the framing as the method's; still ask the client to report new or severe symptoms to the practitioner and a doctor, as the consent materials themselves ask for side effects to be reported [source: clinic consent form].
  • Overwhelm from too many treatments and opinions. Help the client list all current treatments and providers, prioritise, and identify one coordinating clinician (usually the GP). Use health-anxiety strategies where reassurance-seeking drives it [source: NHS health anxiety].
  • Non-adherence to medical treatment because of FSM. Do not instruct on medicines; explore reasons (side effects, beliefs, cost); encourage a conversation with the prescriber or pharmacist before any change [source: NCCIH: talk to providers before stopping proven treatment].
  • Financial pressure or spending beyond means. Map spending against values and budget; rehearse saying no to packages; if exploitation or deceptive claims are present, consider reporting (4.11).
  • Family conflict about FSM. Hold a family or couple conversation focused on shared goals (the client's wellbeing), not on proving the method right or wrong; respect adult autonomy; safeguarding overrides where a child is involved.
  • Pregnancy, implanted device or epilepsy disclosed mid-course. Ask the client to tell the FSM practitioner and their doctor now, since the method's own materials list these as contraindications or cautions [source: clinic consent form; NTC page]; document.
  • Therapist's own strong views (for or against). Take them to supervision; check that your information sharing is accurate and attributed; keep to scope [source: APA Ethics Code 2.01].
  • A colleague in your service offers FSM to therapy clients. Raise conflict-of-interest and dual-role concerns [source: APA Ethics Code 3.05, 3.06]; check their licence covers electrical stimulation [source: FSS CPD listing on eligibility]; escalate through clinical governance if needed.

Sources

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