No Injections, Drugs, or Surgery: Why Microcurrent Stimulation is an Effective Alternative Eye Treatment

According to a 2019 study, around 18.34 million people in the US suffered from age-related macular degeneration, and in a 2021 study, an estimated 9.6 million people had diabetic retinopathy. Whether you are searching for a treatment for macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, or other ocular diseases, it’s important to know that you have options beyond (or alongside) the ones offered in traditional eye care. Fortunately, complementary and alternative treatments are a unique and thriving part of the Wilcox Eye Center.

On this page, you’ll learn briefly about macular degeneration and then about an innovative and painless treatment that can have you seeing better than ever without drugs, injections, or surgeries.

What is age-related macular degeneration (AMD)?

The macular is the eye tissue regulating your central vision. Macular degeneration is the weakening of this eye area due to aging. In a nutshell, the blood vessels of the macular are unable to efficiently clear waste. If you notice spots, blurriness, or crooked lines in the center of your eyes, you may be suffering from AMD. Like most diseases, your risk for AMD increases if you have a family history of AMD or if you are a smoker.

Studies project that 228 million people will suffer from AMD by 2040. It is the primary cause of functional vision loss in industrialized nations, and the world’s third leading cause of central visual loss, accounting for 6-9% of legal blindness globally.

Even if you avoid blindness, AMD can impact your daily habits of driving or reading, and because AMD progresses from early, to intermediate, to late stage, it’s important to see your eye doctor regularly. You may not have symptoms in the early stage, but with early detection, you may avoid reaching late-stage AMD.

According to scientists, there have been notable advances in the clinical treatment of AMD, but “the unmet medical need related to AMD remains substantial.” Here, at Wilcox Eye Center, we are actively meeting this medical need through alternative eye care treatments.

Effective alternative treatment of ocular diseases, such as macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy, begins with nutrition and supplementation. Quitting smoking, eating a healthy diet, and supplementing with the right vitamins and minerals are a few first steps.

What is microcurrent stimulation?

However, coupling healthy nutrition with microcurrent stimulation yields marked results for many patients. Microcurrent stimulation is the practice of applying mild electrical currents to the areas around the eye. The use of microcurrents has been successful in other medical fields, including treatment of heart disease. Likewise, in a 2022 study, patients experienced significant improvement in visual acuity (when you read the eye chart) after microcurrent treatments.

But how does microcurrent stimulation work exactly?

In each of our cells, including our eye cells, we have mitochondria actively generating chemical energy. Not only do they produce energy, but they also act as micro-lenses redirecting light to produce even more energy. The power source inside each mitochondrion is called adenosine triphosphate (ATP). It allows the cell to use energy. Our retinas have the most mitochondria and circulation per unit-volume in the body. With all this activity and blood flow in the mitochondria, we also produce a lot of waste. When that waste can’t be removed effectively, problems arise, such as inflammation and disease.

During a microcurrent treatment, you will have damp felt applicators positioned over your closed eyes and the back of your neck. Then you can sit back and relax.

The carefully regulated frequency of energy delivered during microcurrent stimulation increases blood flow, feeds mitochondria, and assists in removing dead and weak cells. In short, it helps take the trash out, so your mitochondria can get back to doing what it does best – generate energy for you to see.

Is microcurrent treatment safe?

Yes! First, you will undergo a comprehensive exam to determine if you, personally, have any risks; for instance, pregnant women and those with pacemakers will not be eligible. The good news is eligible patients (most everyone) can avoid the traditional treatment for AMD:  injections to the eye.

Wilcox Eye Center uses FDA approved Frequency Specific Microcurrent (FSM). Often used for pain related to fibromyalgia, neuromas, shingles, tendonitis, and more, FSM uses extremely mild electrical currents. FSM devices are battery-operated, assuring safe, low power delivery.

FSM Waveform: In Frequency Specific Microcurrent (FSM), the term “waveform” refers to the pattern of the electrical current that’s used during the treatment. It’s like the shape of the electrical signal. Imagine you’re at the beach and you watch the waves in the water. Each wave has a certain pattern and rhythm.

Square Waves: A square wave is a specific type of waveform. It looks like a series of square shapes lined up one after another. It’s like if you were drawing a picture of a ladder with the rungs made of square steps. In FSM, square waves are used to deliver the electrical currents to your eye’s cells. These waves are particularly good at getting the cells to respond and do certain things. It’s like tapping on a drum in a steady rhythm to get a specific sound.

In FSM, the waveform is the pattern of the electrical signal used during treatment, and square waves are a specific kind of waveform that’s good at getting your cells to respond in helpful ways. It’s like using different types of musical beats to make your body feel better and work better.

FSM encourages the natural healing of your body, specifically through the ATP mentioned earlier, often by as much as 500% within one hour of use. To summarize, there are no reported significant risk factors associated with the use of the battery-operated microcurrent units, which deliver sub-threshold, low micro-amperage, and low phase strength frequencies to the eyes.

Does microcurrent actually work? Here are some of the benefits of microcurrent stimulation:

• Reduced pain and inflammation
• Regenerated tissue
• Reduced scar tissue
• Reduced neovascularization (overproduction of new blood vessels)
• Improved circulation
• Increased oxygenated blood supply
• Stimulated cell activity
• Reduced infection risk

Although this page focuses on age-related macular degeneration treatment, microcurrent stimulation is not limited to AMD. It is also effective in treating glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, ocular ischemic syndrome, and other eye diseases. Simply set up an office visit to determine if you are eligible.

Indeed, patients are returning to a rich life with healthy vision. They are bypassing downtime from surgeries, avoiding injections, and tossing medications (and their side effects) for good. Microcurrent stimulation is an effective complementary and alternative treatment for so many eye diseases that it can no longer go unnoticed.

More on the benefits of microcurrent treatments!

As a result, Dr. Wilcox is spearheading an exciting Eye-Cell Study for those patients suffering from macular degeneration, and there’s no cost to you!

The study taps into the combined healing power of bioelectrical currents (BES) and FSM.  Bioelectrical currents are the natural electrical signals in our bodies that keep everything working.  These currents help cells communicate, muscles contract, and nerves send signals. BES microcurrents specifically target proteins capable of regeneration, including stem cells. Bioelectrical microcurrents tap into the proven science of the upregulation of specific proteins, using various frequencies, pulse widths, and durations. For instance, a patient can expect an increase in their klotho protein.

The klotho protein is often called the longevity gene, and the hype around it is real; in one study, “The klotho gene was identified as an ‘aging-suppressor’ gene in mice that accelerates aging when disrupted and extends life span when overexpressed.”  Klotho is produced in the kidney and liver, but can also be found in the eye, and it regulates metabolism, cell growth, and inflammation.

Here are just a few of the benefits attributed to elevated klotho in your body:

• Powerful antioxidant
• Anti-senescence (anti-aging)
• Anti-apoptotic (anti-cell death)
• Increased longevity
• Protection of the vascular system
• Improving vision
• Improved exercise performance

Besides stimulating the klotho protein’s age suppressing work, the Eye-Cell microcurrent treatment also upregulates IGFs (insulin-like growth factors),  SDF1 (stromal cell-derived factor 1) and PDGF (platelet derived growth factor), all of which assist in repairing stem cells. Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) system has been demonstrated to play an important role in stem cell biology by either helping cells grow and develop or guiding them to become specialized, depending on the cell culture conditions. Other BES (bioelectrical microcurrents) work to regenerate nerves and revitalize vascular endothelial.

While we, or any eye clinic, cannot guarantee success, you likely will benefit by having improved AMD, and treatments can possibly result in one of the following:

• You may see better, but your retina may not “look better.”
• Your retina may “look better,” but you will not see better, or
• Your retina will “look better,” and you will see better!

More importantly, by participating in our Eye-Cell study or microcurrent treatment, you are avoiding injections, surgeries, and medicines. The Eye-Cell study provides you with the most advanced microcurrent treatment as well as the supplementation you’ll need at no cost to you. You really have nothing to lose! You can get started today here.

At the Wilcox Eye Center, we give you options, so you can make the decision that you feel comfortable with, and we are always here to educate our patients, so if you have further questions please reach out to our office.