Kloth LC, Feedar JA (eds). Electrical stimulation in tissue repair. In: Wound Healin ! Alternati"es in #ana ement.

$nd ed. %hiladelphia, %A: F.A. &a"is Compan', ())*+$$(!*, Kloth LC, Feedar JA (eds). Electrical stimulation in tissue repair. In: Wound Healin ! Alternati"es in #ana ement. $nd ed. %hiladelphia, %A: F.A. &a"is Compan', ())*+$$(!*, -uccitelli .. Endo enous electric /ields in em0r'os durin de"elopment, re eneration and 1ound healin . .adiat %rot &osimetr' $223+(24(5):36*!,3 #oore K. Electric stimulation o/ chronic 1ounds. J Communit' -urs $226+$((():$2!$$ .amadan A, Elsaid' #, 7'ada .. E//ect o/ lo18intensit' direct current on the healin o/ chronic 1ounds: a literature re"ie1. J Wound Care $22,+(6(6):$)$!4 9un 9, Wise J, Cho #. Human /i0ro0last mi ration in threedimensional colla en el in response to nonin"asi"e electrical stimulus. I. Characteri:ation o/ induced three8dimensional cell mo"ement. ;issue En $225+(2()!(2):(*5,!*6

Contemporar' accounts o/ tissue healin are t'picall' e<pressed entirel' in terms o/ 0iochemistr'. (!5 ;he actions o/ su0stances such as c'to=ines and ro1th /actors are said to initiate and mediate the "arious sta es o/ in/lammation and repair that normall' /ollo1 tissue dama e.* >et e"idence 1hich has accumulated o"er man' decades su ests that a /ull description o/ the ph'siolo ' o/ healin must also include the role o/ 0ioelectricit' ! accumulations and /lo1s o/ char e that are enerated endo enousl', 1ithin the 0od'. ;he importance o/ 0ioelectricit' in /unctions such as ner"ous s'stem si nallin and muscle contraction has 0een lon appreciated, 0ut it is also in"ol"ed in man' other ph'siolo ical processes. ;hese include the de"elopment, adaptation, repair and re eneration o/ tissues throu hout the 0od'.4!) .eco nition o/ 0ioelectricit'?s role in tissue healin pro"ides a rationale /or the therapeutic application o/ electrical stimulation, particularl' in cases 1here natural repair processes ha"e 0ro=en do1n. #icrocurrent therap' (#C;) is an e<ample o/ this. @niAuel' amon st the "arious electrotherapeutic modalities, #C; in"ol"es application o/ "olta es and currents o/ similar ma nitude to those enerated endo enousl' durin normal tissue healin . Althou h relati"el' un=no1n and currentl' little used 0' ph'siotherapists outside -orth America, #C; has 0een sho1n to 0e o/ 0ene/it in se"eral t'pes o/ tissue healin and it ma' 0e e//ecti"e in others. It appears to stimulate healin enerall', and not Bust one element o/ the process+ it has "er' /e1 side e//ects+ and it ma' o//er an e//ecti"e treatment /or musculos=eletal disorders such as chronic tendinopathies 1here normal healin has 0ecome d's/unctional. ;his paper outlines current thin=in on the role o/ 0ioelectricit' in healin , presents empirical e"idence re ardin #C; /or the promotion o/ tissue healin , and su ests implications /or 0oth clinical and

research communities. ;he maBorit' o/ pu0lished research in this area is concerned 1ith 0one and s=in lesions, 0ut patterns and mechanisms o/ healin in these tissues share /eatures 1ith those seen in dama ed tendons, li aments and other musculos=eletal structures. (2!($ ;here/ore the e"idence presented here is o/ rele"ance to researchers and clinicians concerned 1ith a "ariet' o/ musculos=eletal disorders.