Fran Powell, president of Newcare Products in Cheshire, Conn, spoke to Chiropractic Products about the Painmaster MCT (Micro Current Therapy) Patch.

How does the Painmaster MCT Patch work?

Painmaster patches are placed on either side of a painful area and use a built-in battery to produce a tiny amount of current to gently stimulate the tissue and speed the body’s natural healing process. The micro-current pulses used by Painmaster penetrate and repair damaged cells, as opposed to merely passing over the cell as other stimulation devices do.

How does the product compare to traditional electrotherapy?

Painmaster varies greatly from other commonly used electrotherapy products like transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). With TENS, patients must become familiar with using the dials that control the output. TENS also often requires a small radio-like accessory that attaches to the electrodes and must be carried while in use. Painmaster patches require no user input and can be worn under clothing or even while exercising. Most significantly, unlike TENS, the low levels of Painmaster current cannot be felt by the user.

TENS is also used only to relieve pain, while Painmaster micro-current therapy actually regenerates and rebuilds damaged tissue while reducing pain.

How difficult is it for chiropractors and patients to learn to use the product, and what technical support do you offer?

Using Painmaster is very simple. After cleaning and preparing the area, electrodes are snapped into place on the patches, which are then placed on either side of the pain.

The patches can be worn consecutively for up to 5 days and last up to 500 hours. They also can be worn in the shower and can be reapplied at any time. Technical support is available via e-mail.

What studies have been done documenting the effectiveness of the patch?

There have been a number of studies conducted to determine the effectiveness of MCT (also known as micro-current electrical nerve stimulation, or MENS). In each study, MENS therapy was proven effective and safe. Clinical studies have also been performed with Painmaster MCT patches. In studies of several patients with various ailments (back, neck, and knee pain), subjects experienced short-term pain relief (after 48 to 96 hours of usage) of up to 80%. After several weeks or months of use, for up to 36 hours each week, patients cited up to 95% pain relief. These double-blind studies also included a placebo group, with the Painmaster MCT patch outperforming the placebo group by a significant margin. All of these studies are available at www.newcare.net.