On the recommendation of @medaura, I looked into a TECAR machine, purchased it, and began use. I’m persuaded by the abundance of research articles that it has strong therapeutic effects that may be good, especially for my slightly torn rotator cuff.
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C20&q=tecar+“rotator+cuff”&btnG=
I purchased the machine below from AliExpress in China. It was the cheapest one available, as I recall. The cost was $240, plus about $100 for shipping which arrived in 7 days. A similar machine selling for $100 more has a better holder for all the different parts, including the return plate, but I’m happy with this one as it seems to work well. In addition to the capacitive and resistive therapies, this machine includes a EMS (electromagnetic muscle stimulator) which vibrates the muscle fibers pretty strongly at 20% power. Here is the one I bought:
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256806122660276.html
Before beginning treatment I spent a day researching the therapy. I took notes to share with my partner and to guide my self-work. I’m sharing my them below. (The notes have to do with the TECAR part of the machine, not the “stim” muscle stimulator.) Some of the materials I read mentioned using different frequencies for different effects. Apparently 1000kHz is ideal for affecting the skin surface and 300kHz is deal for going very deep. The machine above only works at 448kHz which appears to be a good middle ground. Many of the research papers use 448kHz machines.
Here are my notes and some screenshots, below. I am not a doctor, so it’s possible I have inadvertently misrepresented something here that I thought I understood but didn’t. Please do your own research. In that research, hopefully this will be a helpful starting point.
@medaura is there anything you would add to the information below?
NOTES ON TECAR
HOW DOES IT WORK?
When the machine is in use, positive ions move between the handle and the return plate. This creates friction. The heat it creates is therapeutic. The “deep heat” is produced by your own tissue as a reaction to the current. Your body does this work, and it is therapeutic.
DIFFERENT DEPTHS OF HEAT
Whether you use Capacitive or Resistive or both, you can choose the amount of energy that is sent to the paddle, which correlates with the amount of heat generated in the body. The higher the energy you choose, the greater the heating effect. Choose the heat based on what you want.
LOW HEAT = micro-circulation increases, better oxygenation, gentle and comfortable heat. Helps fight inflammation, helps reduce pain.
MEDIUM HEAT = Vasodilation of blood veins, increased arterial and lymphatic circulation.
HIGH HEAT = Strong localized heat. New vascularization, new collagenesis.
Note the percentages on the image below. That is the “energy intensity” that you would choose on a standard-power machine to get this effect. At high intensities you must keep the handle moving around or you could burn yourself. Also, you must use capacitive gel or lotion (lotion preferred by me).
COLLAGENESIS & LIPOLYSIS
Collagenesis & Lipolysis both occur at body temperatures above 104 degrees (40C). A retraction of the collagen fibers is observed, leading immediately to skin tightening and refirming. This also stimulates fibroblasts, which cause the production of new collagen. Also, if you bring the fat tissue to a temperature of 104 degrees (40C) this increases the metabolism of the fat tissue to promote the transformation of fat tissue into energy. It does not kill the fat cells, but helps to metabolize them.
Notice the three layers of skin. These are mentioned below.
1 Mhz stimulates the epidermis especially. This is often done with a monopole handle which is not included in the AliExpress machine mentioned above. This energy level stays at the very surface of the skin, not where the collagen is.
500 Khz to stimulate the dermis, which is the second layer of the skin. Lots of collagen fiber exists here. When the collagen fibers are broken, this causes stretch marks. They are deeper than the surface. Fibroblasts exist in this layer of skin. Heat of 104 degrees stimulates the fibroblasts to produce new collagen. For beauty we need a lot of high intensity — need a high temperature, a high percent of intensity. Probably 50-60%, but it is different to different people. Can use a laser thermometer. For fighting inflammation, use a low intensity. Use the Capacitive electrode, Black, for work at this level of the skin.
300 Khz to stimulate the hypodermis, which is the third and deepest layer of the skin. Here we have collagen bridges. Between those we have fat cells and microcirculation. When collagen grows it winds around itself, causing a tight spot that is puffed up around it by fat. These are fat dimples. They are very deep. Note that a cream can’t reduce cellulite because it can’t absorb this deep. It won’t get through to the hypodermis. You need 104 degrees (high heat) to help turn the fat in this area into energy. You can improve the transformation of the fat to energy (metabolism of the fat to energy) if you combine diet and exercise. Use the Resistive electrode, Silver, for this work, as it goes deeper.
TECAR also helps the fascia by reducing the viscosity of the Hyaluronic Acid to change the tension and quality of the fascia.
TECAR also has vascular and lymphatic effects: Vascular to help regulate the heat. By opening up your blood veins you bring more oxygen to the area and more nutrients. The Lymphatic system is also affected by triggering a rapid oscillation effect that accelerates drainage. Stabilization of edemas has been observed to happen in 15 days instead of 90 days for a control group.
INDICATIONS (reasons to use it):
SKIN CARE
Refine skin texture (1 Mhz)
Drain and brighten complexion
Eliminate water retention (puffy eyes)
Reduce wrinkles and acne scars
Lift facial contours
Reduce double chin
Smoothen chest skin
BODY CARE
Restore skin density
Firm up arms
Reduce cellulite
Reduce scars, & red stretch marks
Remodel body contouring
Eliminate water retention
CONTRA-INDICATIONS (reasons not to use it)
Pacemaker!
insulin pump!
Under 18 years old!
Cancer!
Thrombophlebitis/DVT!
Numbness / Warmth insensitivity!
Fever / Infection!
Pregnancy!
(There are no contraindications to orthopedic surgical material, It works fine even if you have metal plates in your body. Only, be aware that metal parts could heat up sooner than the surrounding tissue. This also can be true of protruding bones, so be careful of heating one part of your body and not the nearby areas.)
HOW TO USE THE RETURN PLATE
The return plate is a large flat metal pan that you place under your body during TECAR treatment. It is essential to use it, however its location appears to matter more for Resistive than Capacitive treatments.
The important thing to note is that the electrical current, and thus the therapeutic effect, will occur between the handle and the plate. Since capacitive work is superficial, the heat is always under the handle no matter where the plate is. What the handle touches will get warm. Resistive work is deep. Therefore the placement of the plate is more important. For example, if you want to treat your knee joint you would put the plate under the knee or thigh and use the Resistive handle on the knee. The area in-between would be your knee joint. If you were to put the plate on the shin and used the handle on the knee you would not get a therapeutic effect on the knee joint, because the electricity would direct toward the plate.
THE CAPACITIVE HANDLE — “CET”
The insulated heads are capacitive. On this machine they are black, some others are white. Use this handle to treat tissues with water, such as skin, muscles, and the vascular and lymphatic system. This handle creates immediate heat in that tissue which is immediately below the handle.
THE RESISTIVE HANDLE — “RET”
The stainless steel heads are resistive. They are shiny metal. Think of it as needing the more intense head to send energy deep into the body. This energy goes deep and primarily affects tissues that resist the current. These include fat cells, bones, tendons, ligaments, and fibrosis. This handle creates deep heat in these tissues that are located between the head and the return plate.
Here are two slides that indicate how beauty treatments might use the various techniques.
CONCLUSION
I hope this is helpful… All comments and questions are welcome!
TECAR Training, Part 1: https://youtu.be/oogh1YtvscY?si=9-Si1XQx-ZEZEa85
Recent Post about TECAR: Does Rapamycin delay internal healing? - #8 by medaura
This information is gold. I don’t want to be that guy, but I used the machine once yesterday and today my shoulder feels better than it has in ages. I plan to use the machine 2-3 times a week for a few weeks, slowing down to once a week and potentially ending the shoulder treatment in 4-6 weeks. We used it on my partner’s knee last night. We’ll see how it goes. Thanks again for the amazingly useful information.