Optimal electrodes for use with TimeWaver Frequency, Healy and other microcurrent devices
Abstract. Uno Vita AS and our Clinic for Integrated Medicine (clinic for integrative medicine) have, after years of clinical testing and evaluation of electrotherapy electrodes for microcurrent stimulation, come to the following conclusion:
1. SIS electrostimulation electrodes in pure silver offers the best functionality all around and has excellent electrical parameters such as consistently low resistance, good conductivity and the ability to deliver a steady flow of electrons to the tissue. They can be reused over a longer period of time and do not cause skin irritation (must be kept moist during treatment). The SIS silver electrodes can also be used for iontophoresis (transdermal drug delivery) "like" application since there will be a flow of silver ions to the tissue. There are other electrodes specifically designed for general iontophoresis, not mentioned here. SIS electrodes are not self-adhesive and must be attached with a standard medical fixation tape, such as a Fixomull.
2. Axelgaard Blue X and Pals Blue hydrogel electrotherapy electrodes. These are electrodes that provide the best conductivity and low resistance compared to other electrodes on the market, only beaten bye SIS pure silver electrodes. Axelgaard are self-adhesive electrodes and hypoallergenic, which means that they very rarely cause skin irritation compared to other self-adhesive electrodes on the market. Each electrode can be used up to +-20 times when kept clean (rinse with clean water after use before putting them on the holders).
Conclusion. Uno Vita will recommend and offer only the unique and professional medically approved SIS silver electrotherapy electrodes and Axelgaard premium latest generation wire electrodes, not "snap" for optimal treatment results. This means that if you use Healy or TimeWaver microcurrent devices and want the best electrodes available on the market, you can. For Healy, you need to purchase a set of high quality electrotherapy leads from our shop (shop.unovita.com) to be able to use them with Healy which has "snap" connector leads as standard.
All electrodes are not created equal. Different electrical properties give different results. In short, electrodes have different electrical properties such as conductivity, resistance and the ability to deliver a constant flow of electrons to the tissue over time (during a treatment). When you choose to use professional electrodes of first-class quality, you can use lower voltage (intensity) settings, which are close to the body's natural signal signals, which reduces the risk of any negative effects or overstimulation of the tissue and increases the effectiveness of the treatment.
In this case "less is more", which means that the closer you get to your body's natural signals, the better. It's a bit like someone giving you a message in a low pleasant voice, you usually open to consider the information. If someone shouts it out loud, you most likely go into a defensive mode.
Particularly effective frequencies. Low frequency is often powerful (below 0.1Hz - 50Hz), when used correctly as in the Deep Cycle programs and next generation programs from the developer. Low-frequency microcurrents will be able to penetrate the skin more easily if the resistance is exceptionally low and continues to be low over time. These effects can significantly affect the effectiveness of the treatments, especially with longer treatment sessions. There is a similar effect with high frequency. In general, it is well known for bioimpedance research that at lower frequencies they cannot pass through all tissue types and cell membranes as higher frequencies can. Low frequency will travel around cells through extracellular water.
Comfort, skin irritation and long-term use. The pure silver SIS electrodes are not only superconductive and have best-in-class electrical properties, but they also deliver silver ions to the skin and tissues (depending on the programs used). This can help inhibit infections, aid wound healing and improve the outcome of treatments in general. The SIS electrodes must be moistened with clean water and connected with normal medical fixing tape as there is no gel or similar on them (only pure silver). You can also use Dr. Carol Dean's Pico Silver Solution, or a blend of pico minerals found in our store for iontophoresis-like effects (in case size matters, since the pico mineral solutions contain only ultra-small ions and no regular particles). If the liquid you use to wet the silver electrodes has pico-sized metal ions, some of them may "push" into the tissue to some extent. Normally this is done using direct currents. The SIS electrodes should be moistened for 3-4 hours if you use special long-term programs to achieve optimal results. The skin irritation from using these electrodes correctly is very uncommon, in fact we have experienced no problems when clients use low intensity settings (at the Healy minimum) on clean skin with wet electrodes. If you want to moisten the electrodes with pico mineral solutions, you should fill the liquid in a nasal spray/diffuser and spray the well before use.
The self-adhesive professional electrodes from Axelgaard, the latest generation UltraStim® X BLUE, use advanced hydrogel for those with extremely sensitive skin and are the next evolution of the superior UltraStim® X design. The characteristic silver grid pattern on UltraStim® X BLUE electrodes provides even current distribution, which provides a more comfortable therapy treatment for the user. The oversized edge is specially designed to facilitate proper removal to further promote electrode durability. These are the best self-adhesive electrodes we can offer also in terms of conductivity and resistance. These electrodes are a cheaper alternative to the superior SIS silver electrodes.
Written by Jan Fr. Poleszynski
Uno Vita AS – Copyright 2021
