Doctors told her the only way to be rid of the pain was to have a knee replacement operation. \u2018I was loathe to go down that route,\u2019 said Christine. \u2018The idea of surgery was daunting, to say the least.\u2019<\/p>\n
Today, however, Christine is pain-free \u2013 and she didn\u2019t have to go under the knife.<\/p>\n
Her relief came via a \u00a3300 device originally developed to treat racehorses. Known as the Arc4Health, the machine is one of several similar devices that use mild electrical currents to heal tissue and reduce pain.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/101295453-15007971-image-a-14_1755426782857.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
The pain in Christine’s knee caused her to struggle with everyday tasks \u2013 let alone walking her energetic German shepherd Millie<\/p>\n
\u2018I was desperate for relief and I had heard of the device from my daughter, who\u2019d used it for her horses,\u2019 said Christine.<\/p>\n
\u2018When I heard the company also sold a human one, I decided to give it a try.<\/p>\n
\u2018Within six weeks the pain in my knee had gone down massively and a twinge of pain that had just started in the other knee went away completely. It was amazing.\u2019<\/p>\n
The device is about the size of a TV remote control and sits in a Velcro cuff \u2013 similar to those used with blood pressure monitors \u2013 that straps around a leg or arm.<\/p>\n
It is initially worn for three hours a day for six weeks and users don\u2019t feel anything while it\u2019s on. The imperceptible pulses it delivers through electrode pads on the skin stimulate tissue repair, help manage pain and fight inflammation, the company claims.<\/p>\n
Research has suggested this kind of treatment, called microcurrent therapy, can help with a range of muscle and joint problems \u2013 from shoulder, knee and back pain to sinus issues \u2013 and may even speed up healing from injuries.<\/p>\n
A 2001 study in the American Journal of Pain Management looked at 1,949 patients using microcurrent therapy for pain relief. Ninety-three per cent saw a significant reduction in discomfort from conditions such as localised back pain, migraine headaches and carpal tunnel syndrome.<\/p>\n
It sounds unlikely and critics suggest the benefits may be little more than a placebo.<\/p>\n
Yet studies have shown horses with career-ending injuries made a full recovery using the device.<\/p>\n
In people, alongside pain relief and improved healing \u2013 demonstrated in randomised clinical trials \u2013 it has also been shown to reduce symptoms in patients with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome (ME).<\/p>\n
Some Long Covid patients have also claimed the therapy eased their symptoms. A study by the company in 2023 found that 53 per cent of Arc4Health users with Long Covid \u2013 which can cause extreme tiredness, heart palpitations and concentration issues \u2013 said the device reduced fatigue.<\/p>\n
Other symptoms such as breathlessness and altered senses of smell and taste also improved, the research found.<\/p>\n
While working as a GP in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, Dr Clive Dewing, who is now medical director of Arc4Health, often recommended the device to patients with muscle injuries or chronic pain.<\/p>\n
\u2018The theory is that the electrical currents stimulate cells to produce ATP, the energy capsules stored in our cells,\u2019 he explained.<\/p>\n
\u2018This helps repair muscle and reduces inflammation and pain.\u2019<\/p>\n
After the initial six-week course, patients are advised to continue on different schedules depending on their needs.<\/p>\n
Christine now uses the device just two or three times a year, which is enough to keep her knee pain at bay.<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/101295445-15007971-The_pain_in_Christine_s_knee_caused_her_to_struggle_with_everyda-a-15_17554267828.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
Her relief came via a \u00a3300 device originally developed to treat racehorses<\/p>\n
![\"Her](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/101295445-15007971-image-a-3_1755424298787.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Known as the Arc4Health, the machine is one of several similar devices that use mild electrical currents to heal tissue and reduce pain<\/p>\n
But some experts remain sceptical. \u2018For this particular device, it appears that there are only a few very small trials, which are focused on whether the devices help people lessen muscle aches upon working out,\u2019 said Dr Franziska Denk, senior lecturer at King\u2019s College London.<\/p>\n
\u2018This is much too small to draw any conclusions as to whether these devices work. There is no biological reason to think that these devices would have such a big impact on pain.\u2019<\/p>\n
Doncaster-based GP Dr Dean Eggitt agrees it \u2018makes sense\u2019 that the device might have some benefit \u2013 but says expectation may play a role.<\/p>\n
\u2018We know that sending a weak electrical current through the skin does reduce pain locally and improve muscle strength over time but the placebo effect can also be very powerful,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n
\u2018I wonder whether the amazing anecdotes we hear reflect the power of expectation therapy over the power of electric current therapy.\u2019<\/p>\n
Placebo or not, for Arc4Health user Jean Arnould the relief has been life-changing.<\/p>\n
Debilitating osteoporosis of the spine had left former finance worker Jean, 67, in constant pain, making even walking or showering difficult.<\/p>\n
\u2018Everything was painful \u2013 even turning over in bed,\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n
But after a friend with similar chronic pain recommended the device, Jean says her life has transformed.<\/p>\n
\u2018I started using it on a Monday and by Tuesday the discomfort was gone \u2013 I couldn\u2019t believe it,\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n
\u2018I use it regularly now whenever the pain gets bad. It\u2019s not a cure but it\u2019s a huge help.\u2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"At first, Christine Millbank found the pain in her knee bearable, if a little irritating. But as the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":73319,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[97,59,102,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-73318","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health","8":"tag-dailymail","9":"tag-gb","10":"tag-health","11":"tag-uk","12":"tag-united-kingdom","13":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73318","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=73318"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73318\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/73319"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=73318"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=73318"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=73318"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}