A current affair: electrotherapy in wound healing

New developments in accelerating wound healing can have immense beneficial socioeconomic impact. The wound healing process is a highly orchestrated series of mechanisms where a multitude of cells and biological cascades are involved. The skin battery and current of injury mechanisms have become topics of interest for their influence in chronic wounds. Electrostimulation therapy of wounds has shown to be a promising treatment option with no-device-related adverse effects. This review presents an overview of the understanding and use of applied electrical current in various aspects of wound healing. Rapid clinical translation of the evolving understanding of biomolecular mechanisms underlying the effects of electrical simulation on wound healing would positively impact upon enhancing patient’s quality of life.

• Publication year

  2017

• Venue

  Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare

• Publication date

  2017-04-01

• Fields of study

  Medicine, Engineering

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.2147/JMDH.S127207PMID 28461755PMCID 5404801
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

• Self-Powered Analogue Smart Skin.

  2016cited by this paper
• Electrically Activated Primary Human Fibroblasts Improve In Vitro and In Vivo Skin Regeneration

  2016cited by this paper
• Three‐dimensional printing and the surgeon

  2016cited by this paper
• Pulsed electrical stimulation benefits wound healing by activating skin fibroblasts through the TGFβ1/ERK/NF-κB axis.

  2016cited by this paper
• Electric fields are novel determinants of human macrophage functions

  2016cited by this paper
• An elastic second skin.

  2016cited by this paper
• A multiple-shape memory polymer-metal composite actuator capable of programmable control, creating complex 3D motion of bending, twisting, and oscillation

  2016cited by this paper
• Collagen/gold nanoparticle nanocomposites: A potential skin wound healing biomaterial

  2016cited by this paper
• Angiogenesis Is Induced and Wound Size Is Reduced by Electrical Stimulation in an Acute Wound Healing Model in Human Skin

  2015cited by this paper
• Polarized currents inhibit in vitro growth of bacteria colonizing cutaneous ulcers

  2015cited by this paper
• Development of a miniaturized stimulation device for electrical stimulation of cells

  2015cited by this paper
• Stimulation of Wound Healing by Electroactive, Antibacterial, and Antioxidant Polyurethane/Siloxane Dressing Membranes: In Vitro and in Vivo Evaluations.

  2015cited by this paper
• Biomimetic stochastic topography and electric fields synergistically enhance directional migration of corneal epithelial cells in a MMP-3-dependent manner.

  2015cited by this paper
• Wireless micro current stimulation – an innovative electrical stimulation method for the treatment of patients with leg and diabetic foot ulcers

  2015cited by this paper
• Electromagnetic Fields in Biology and Medicine

  2015cited by this paper
• Golgi polarization plays a role in the directional migration of neonatal dermal fibroblasts induced by the direct current electric fields.

  2015cited by this paper
• Accelerated wound healing by injectable microporous gel scaffolds assembled from annealed building blocks.

  2015cited by this paper
• Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) Accelerates Cutaneous Wound Healing and Inhibits Pro-inflammatory Cytokines

  2014cited by this paper
• High-voltage pulsed current stimulation enhances wound healing in diabetic rats by restoring the expression of collagen, α-smooth muscle actin, and TGF-β1.

  2014cited by this paper
• Galvanotactic control of collective cell migration in epithelial monolayers.

  2014cited by this paper
• Electrically Controlled Drug Delivery from Graphene Oxide Nanocomposite Films

  2014cited by this paper
• Platelet activation using electric pulse stimulation: Growth factor profile and clinical implications

  2014cited by this paper
• Bacterial Inhibition by Electrical Stimulation

  2014cited by this paper
• Keratocyte fragments and cells utilize competing pathways to move in opposite directions in an electric field.

  2013cited by this paper
• Electrical stimulation as adjuvant treatment for chronic leg ulcers of different aetiology: an RCT.

  2013cited by this paper
• Human skin based triboelectric nanogenerators for harvesting biomechanical energy and as self-powered active tactile sensor system.

  2013cited by this paper
• Electrical Stimulation Promotes Wound Healing by Enhancing Dermal Fibroblast Activity and Promoting Myofibroblast Transdifferentiation

  2013cited by this paper
• Role of sensory and motor intensity of electrical stimulation on fibroblastic growth factor-2 expression, inflammation, vascularization, and mechanical strength of full-thickness wounds.

  2013cited by this paper
• Electrophoresis of cellular membrane components creates the directional cue guiding keratocyte galvanotaxis.

  2013cited by this paper
• Mind the Gap: Disparity Between Research Funding and Costs of Care for Diabetic Foot Ulcers

  2013cited by this paper
• Outcomes in controlled and comparative studies on non-healing wounds: recommendations to improve the quality of evidence in wound management.

  2013cited by this paper
• Drug release from electric-field-responsive nanoparticles.

  2012cited by this paper
• Polarity effect of microcurrent electrical stimulation on tendon healing: Biomechanical and histopathological studies

  2012cited by this paper
• Electric fields guide migration of epidermal stem cells and promote skin wound healing

  2012cited by this paper
• Effectiveness of the Frequency Rhythmic Electrical Modulation System for the Treatment of Chronic and Painful Venous Leg Ulcers in Older Adults

  2012cited by this paper
• Efficacy of a bio-electric dressing in healing deep, partial-thickness wounds using a porcine model .

  2012cited by this paper
• Using high-voltage electrical stimulation in the treatment of recalcitrant pressure ulcers: results of a randomized, controlled clinical study .

  2012cited by this paper
• Electrical stimulation increases blood flow and haemoglobin levels in acute cutaneous wounds without affecting wound closure time: evidenced by non‐invasive assessment of temporal biopsy wounds in human volunteers

  2012cited by this paper
• A novel in vitro assay for electrophysiological research on human skin fibroblasts: Degenerate electrical waves downregulate collagen I expression in keloid fibroblasts

  2011cited by this paper
• Ionic Components of Electric Current at Rat Corneal Wounds

  2011cited by this paper
• Acceleration of cutaneous healing by electrical stimulation: Degenerate electrical waveform down‐regulates inflammation, up‐regulates angiogenesis and advances remodeling in temporal punch biopsies in a human volunteer study

  2011cited by this paper
• Does preoperative electrical stimulation of the skin alter the healing process?

  2011cited by this paper
• Foot care for people with diabetes.

  2011cited by this paper
• DC electric stimulation upregulates angiogenic factors in endothelial cells through activation of VEGF receptors.

  2011cited by this paper
• Regulation of tissue repair and regeneration by electric fields.

  2010cited by this paper
• Factors Affecting Wound Healing

  2010cited by this paper
• Epidermal wound repair is regulated by the planar cell polarity signaling pathway.

  2010cited by this paper
• Electrical stimulation therapy increases rate of healing of pressure ulcers in community-dwelling people with spinal cord injury.

  2010cited by this paper
• Recovery of 0.1Hz microvascular skin blood flow in dysautonomic diabetic (type 2) neuropathy by using Frequency Rhythmic Electrical Modulation System (FREMS).

  2010cited by this paper
• Effects of a specially pulsed electric field on an animal model of wound healing

  2009cited by this paper
• Electric currents in Xenopus tadpole tail regeneration.

  2009cited by this paper
• Evaluation of electrical stimulation for ischemic wound therapy: a feasibility study using the lapine wound model

  2009cited by this paper
• High-voltage pulsed galvanic stimulation: effect of treatment duration on healing of chronic pressure ulcers.

  2008cited by this paper
• PERSPECTIVE ARTICLE: Growth factors and cytokines in wound healing

  2008cited by this paper
• Effect of anodal and cathodal microamperage direct current electrical stimulation on injury potential and wound size in guinea pigs.

  2008cited by this paper
• Frequency rhythmic electrical modulation system in the treatment of chronic painful leg ulcers

  2008cited by this paper
• Anodal and cathodal pulsed electrical stimulation on skin wound healing in guinea pigs.

  2007cited by this paper
• A randomized control study on the effect of biphasic electrical stimulation in a warm room on skin blood flow and healing rates in chronic wounds of patients with and without diabetes.

  2007cited by this paper
• Stress and Wound Healing

  2007cited by this paper
• Induction of vascular endothelial growth factor release by transcutaneous frequency modulated neural stimulation in diabetic polyneuropathy

  2007cited by this paper
• Experimental wound healing using microamperage electrical stimulation in rabbits.

  2006cited by this paper
• Application of direct current electric fields to cells and tissues in vitro and modulation of wound electric field in vivo

  2006cited by this paper
• Effect of high frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on viability of random skin flap in rats.

  2006cited by this paper
• Electrical signals control wound healing through phosphatidylinositol-3-OH kinase-gamma and PTEN.

  2006cited by this paper
• Biological effects of a software-controlled voltage pulse generator (PhyBack PBK-2C) on the release of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).

  2005cited by this paper
• Wound healing in rat cornea: the role of electric currents

  2005cited by this paper
• Electrical Stimulation for Wound Healing: A Review of Evidence From In Vitro Studies, Animal Experiments, and Clinical Trials

  2005cited by this paper
• Golgi polarization in a strong electric field

  2005cited by this paper
• Controlling cell behavior electrically: current views and future potential.

  2005cited by this paper
• Decubitus direct current treatment (DDCT) of pressure ulcers: results of a randomized double-blinded placebo controlled study.

  2005cited by this paper
• Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Angiogenesis

  2004cited by this paper
• A comparison of four electrical stimulation types on Staphylococcus aureus growth in vitro.

  2004cited by this paper
• DC Electric Fields Induce Distinct Preangiogenic Responses in Microvascular and Macrovascular Cells

  2004cited by this paper
• Electrotherapy Promotes Healing and Microcirculation of Infrapopliteal Ischemic Wounds: A Prospective Pilot Study

  2004cited by this paper
• A randomized controlled study on the effect of two different treatments (FREMS AND TENS) in myofascial pain syndrome.

  2004cited by this paper
• Static magnetic field therapy for symptomatic diabetic neuropathy: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

  2003cited by this paper
• Effect of electrical stimulation on chronic leg ulcer size and appearance.

  2003cited by this paper
• Electro-responsive drug delivery from hydrogels.

  2003cited by this paper
• Electrical stimulation directly induces pre-angiogenic responses in vascular endothelial cells by signaling through VEGF receptors

  2003cited by this paper
• EFFECTS OF ELECTRICAL STIMULATION ON THE HISTOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF WOUNDS IN DIABETIC MICE

  2001cited by this paper
• Electric stimulation as an adjunct to heal diabetic foot ulcers: a randomized clinical trial.

  2001cited by this paper
• The effect of high- and low-frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation upon cutaneous blood flow and skin temperature in healthy subjects.

  2000cited by this paper
• Modern application of high voltage stimulation for enhanced healing of venous crural ulceration.

  2000cited by this paper
• Experimental wound healing with electrical stimulation.

  1999cited by this paper
• A Comparative Study of the Effect of Ultrasound and Electrostimulation on Wound Healing in Rats

  1997cited by this paper
• Human keratinocytes migrate to the negative pole in direct current electric fields comparable to those measured in mammalian wounds.

  1996cited by this paper
• A multicenter study on the use of pulsed low-intensity direct current for healing chronic stage II and stage III decubitus ulcers.

  1993cited by this paper
• Electrical Nerve Stimulation Improves Healing of Diabetic Ulcers

  1992cited by this paper
• Electrotherapy for wound healing.

  1991cited by this paper
• Efficacy of high voltage pulsed current for healing of pressure ulcers in patients with spinal cord injury.

  1991cited by this paper
• Chronic dermal ulcer healing enhanced with monophasic pulsed electrical stimulation.

  1991cited by this paper
• Effects of amiloride analogues on adult Notophthalmus viridescens limb stump currents.

  1986cited by this paper
• Electrotherapy for acceleration of wound healing: low intensity direct current.

  1985cited by this paper
• Human skin battery potentials and their possible role in wound healing

  1983cited by this paper
• submit your manuscript | www.dovepress.com

  year unknowncited by this paper

• Smartphone administered pulsed radio frequency energy therapy for expedited cutaneous wound healing

  2025cites this paper
• Multifunctional microneedle patch synergized with electrical stimulation to regulate microenvironment for enhanced healing of infected diabetic wounds

  2025cites this paper
• Bioelectricity in Morphogenesis.

  2025cites this paper
• Is Deficiency in the Electrical Current of Injury a Barrier to Healing in Hard-to-Heal Wounds? A Systematic Review with Implications for the TIMERS Paradigm.

  2025cites this paper
• Pelotherapy, thalassotherapy, and electrotherapy for skin treatment: current insights and future perspectives on electropelotherapy

  2025cites this paper
• Advances in applications of low-dimensional piezoelectric materials in musculoskeletal system

  2025cites this paper
• From Fiber to Function: Evolution of Smart Textiles in Enhanced Skin Healing

  2025cites this paper
• Guiding Cell Migration with Electric Fields: Mechanisms and Applications of Galvanotaxis.

  2025cites this paper
• Intermittent Electrical Stimulation: A Translational Opportunity for Enhancing Vesicourethral Anastomosis Healing in Urology

  2025cites this paper
• Development of Dual-Functional Hydrogel-Based Conductive Electrodes for Accelerated Wound Healing and Motion Sensing.

  2025cites this paper
• Stem Cell and Exosome Therapy in Wound Healing: Traps, Paradoxes, and Tricks Transforming Paradigms

  2025cites this paper
• Effect of electrical stimulation generated by self-powered systems for tissue repair.

  2025cites this paper
• Piezoelectric dressings for advanced wound healing.

  2024cites this paper
• Microcurrent therapy as the nonpharmacological new protocol against Alzheimer’s disease

  2024cites this paper
• The Promoting Effect of Animal Bioactive Proteins and Peptide Components on Wound Healing: A Review

  2024cites this paper
• Effects of Laurus nobilis Leaf Extract on Healing of Experimentally Induced Wounds in Rabbits

  2024cites this paper
• Electrical stimulation: a novel therapeutic strategy to heal biological wounds

  2024cites this paper
• Electrochemical Active Ions Sensitive and Thermal Responses of Triboelectric Generators

  2024cites this paper
• Electroactive differential growth and delayed instability in accelerated healing tissues

  2024cites this paper
• Can Electrical Stimulation Prevent Recurrence of Keloid Scars? A Scoping Review

  2024cites this paper
• Multifunctional hydrogels-based therapies for chronic diabetic wound healing

  2024cites this paper
• Study of electrical conductivity, biocompatibility and degradation effect of copper electrodes with hydrogel coatings for use in flexible electronics

  2024cites this paper
• The Effects Of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation Applied in the Early Postpartum Period After Cesarean Birth on Healing, Pain, and Comfort.

  2024cites this paper
• Triboelectric‐Responsive Drug Delivery Hydrogel for Accelerating Infected Wound Healing

  2024cites this paper
• Effect of Chinese herbal compound dressings in treating patients with diabetic foot ulcers: A meta‐analysis

  2024cites this paper
• Current insights in the preclinical study of palatal wound healing and oronasal fistula after cleft palate repair

  2023cites this paper
• Practitioners preference in using electrotherapy to treat paediatric lower limb conditions: an online survey

  2023cites this paper
• Automated Electrical Stimulation Therapy Accelerates Re-Epithelialization in a Three-Dimensional In Vitro Human Skin Wound Model

  2023cites this paper
• Self-driven directional polypyrrole-polyethyleneimine nanopigment-infused medical textiles with potential asymmetrical ionic convection and biological effects for follicle restoration

  2023cites this paper
• Emerging self-powered piezoelectric based nanobiomaterials as a platform for accelerated wound healing: recent advances and future perspectives

  2023cites this paper
• Development of a Flexible and Wearable Microelectrode Array Patch Using a Screen-Printed Masking Technique for Accelerated Wound Healing

  2023cites this paper
• Recent Advances in Triboelectric Nanogenerators: From Technological Progress to Commercial Applications

  2023cites this paper
• Biofilm and wound healing: from bench to bedside

  2023cites this paper
• Diagnosis, Treatment, and Management of Painful Scar: A Narrative Review

  2022cites this paper
• Radio Electric Asymmetric Conveyer (REAC) Reparative Effects on Pressure Ulcer (PU) and Burn Injury (BI): A Report of Two Cases

  2022cites this paper
• Conducting Composite Material Based on Chitosan and Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes for Cellular Technologies

  2022cites this paper
• Simulation and Fabrication of Micro-Electrode Arrays for Electrical Stimulation Induced Wound Healing

  2022cites this paper
• Roadmap on nanogenerators and piezotronics

  2022cites this paper
• Integrating Supercapacitor with Sodium Hyaluronate based Hydrogel as A Novel All-In-One Wound Dressing: Self-Powered Electronic Stimulation

  2022cites this paper
• Electrical Stimulation for Wound Healing: Opportunities for E-Textiles

  2022influential citation
• Trauma of Peripheral Innervation Impairs Content of Epidermal Langerhans Cells

  2022cites this paper
• Electrical Shunting Prevents the Decline of Galvanotaxis After Monophasic Pulsed Microcurrent Stimulation in Human Dermal Fibroblasts.

  2022cites this paper
• The effects of electrical stimulation on diabetic ulcers of foot and lower limb: A systematic review

  2022influential citation
• Electric field and wound healing

  2022cites this paper
• Status and challenges of electrical stimulation use in chronic wound healing.

  2022cites this paper
• The genomic dimension in biodefense: Decontamination

  2022cites this paper
• Healing and monitoring of chronic wounds: advances in wearable technologies

  2021cites this paper
• Does low intensity direct current affect open fracture wound healing?

  2021cites this paper
• Accelerated wound healing with an ionic patch assisted by a triboelectric nanogenerator

  2021cites this paper
• Influence of microcurrent on the modulation of remodelling genes in a wound healing assay

  2021cites this paper
• A Wireless Multimodality System-on-a-Chip with Time-Based Resolution Scaling Technique for Chronic Wound Monitoring

  2021cites this paper
• Translational research on Myology & Mobility Medicine: 2021 semi-virtual PDM3 from Thermae of Euganean Hills, May 26-29, 2021

  2021cites this paper
• Development and Characterization of Conducting-Polymer-Based Hydrogel Dressing for Wound Healing

  2021cites this paper
• Dielectrophoresis Prototypic Polystyrene Particle Synchronization toward Alive Keratinocyte Cells for Rapid Chronic Wound Healing

  2021cites this paper
• Triboelectric Nanogenerators for Therapeutic Electrical Stimulation

  2021cites this paper
• SIROF stabilized PEDOT/PSS allows biocompatible and reversible direct current stimulation capable of driving electrotaxis in cells.

  2021cites this paper
• Electrical stimulation for pain reduction in hard-to-heal wound healing.

  2021cites this paper
• Triboelectric Nanogenerators for Self‐Powered Wound Healing

  2021cites this paper
• Come together: On-chip bioelectric wound closure.

  2021cites this paper
• Engineering Bioactive M2 Macrophage‐Polarized Anti‐Inflammatory, Antioxidant, and Antibacterial Scaffolds for Rapid Angiogenesis and Diabetic Wound Repair

  2021cites this paper
• Automatic Actin Filament Quantification and Cell Shape Modeling of Osteoblasts on Charged Ti Surfaces

  2021cites this paper
• Electrical Stimulation of Titanium to Promote Stem Cell Orientation, Elongation and Osteogenesis.

  2021cites this paper
• Biofilm Management in Wound Care.

  2021cites this paper
• Conductive Polymer‐Based Bioelectronic Platforms toward Sustainable and Biointegrated Devices: A Journey from Skin to Brain across Human Body Interfaces

  2021cites this paper
• Harnessing Multifaceted Next-Generation Technologies for Improved Skin Wound Healing.

  2021cites this paper
• The Roles of Apigenin Cream on Wound Healing in Rabbits Model

  2021cites this paper
• Electrical aspects of skin as a pathway to engineering skin devices

  2021cites this paper
• Adjunctive Physiotherapy – A Case Report on the Management and Effective Treatment of Diabetic Neuropathic Foot Ulcer Using Adjunctive Physiotherapy

  2021cites this paper
• Ion-Depleting Action of Perm-Selective Membranes for Enhancing Electrical Communication and Gated Ion Channel Activity in Cell Cultures.

  2021cites this paper
• Platelet Deposition Onto Vascular Wall Regulated by Electrical Signal

  2021cites this paper
• University of Birmingham Electrical stimulation for pain reduction in hard-to-heal wound healing

  2021cites this paper
• Come together: bioelectric healing-on-a-chip

  2020cites this paper
• A Model and Simulation With Therapeutic Device-Protocol Design Implications for Acute and Chronic Wounds

  2020cites this paper
• Microcurrent Stimulation Triggers MAPK Signaling and TGF-β1 Release in Fibroblast and Osteoblast-Like Cell Lines

  2020cites this paper
• Microcurrent electrotherapy improves palatal wound healing: randomized clinical trial.

  2020cites this paper
• Bioelectronic properties of DNA, protein, cells and their applications for diagnostic medical devices.

  2020cites this paper
• Poly-l-Lactic Acid Nanotubes as Soft Piezoelectric Interfaces for Biology: Controlling Cell Attachment via Polymer Crystallinity

  2020cites this paper
• Electrical stimulation promotes the proliferation of human keratinocytes, increases the production of keratin 5 and 14, and increases the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and p38 MAP kinases

  2020cites this paper
• Electromagnetism and the Microbiome(s)

  2020cites this paper
• Development of a Peptide Derived from Platelet-Derived Growth Factor (PDGF-BB) into a Potential Drug Candidate for the Treatment of Wounds

  2020cites this paper
• Efficacy of single versus multiple exposure by electromagnetic modalities on gram-negative and positive bacterial strains in an in-vitro model

  2020cites this paper
• Electrical stimulation enhances early palatal wound healing in mice.

  2020cites this paper
• Composite Matrices Based on Copolyamide and Polypyrrole for Tissue Engineering

  2020cites this paper
• The impedance analysis of small intestine fusion by pulse source

  2020cites this paper
• Electro‐Stimulation, a Promising Therapeutic Treatment Modality for Tissue Repair: Emerging Roles of Sulfated Glycosaminoglycans as Electro‐Regulatory Mediators of Intrinsic Repair Processes

  2020cites this paper
• Constant-potential environment for activating and synchronizing cardiomyocyte colonies with on-chip ion-depleting perm-selective membranes.

  2020cites this paper
• REAC-induced endogenous bioelectric currents in the treatment of venous ulcers: a three-arm randomized controlled prospective study.

  2020influential citation
• The Optimum Resistance of Small Intestine Fusion by Pulse Source

  2020cites this paper
• Stimulation of polymorphonuclear leukocyte activity under the influence of low strength electric field

  2020cites this paper
• Enhanced cell proliferation by electrical stimulation based on electroactive regenerated bacterial cellulose hydrogels.

  2020cites this paper
• Electric Factors in Wound Healing

  2020cites this paper
• Recent Advances in Non-Conventional Antimicrobial Approaches for Chronic Wound Biofilms: Have We Found the ‘Chink in the Armor’?

  2019cites this paper
• Electrically induced bacterial membrane-potential dynamics correspond to cellular proliferation capacity

  2019cites this paper
• High inductive magnetic stimuli and their effects on mesenchymal stromal cells, dendritic cells, and fibroblasts.

  2019cites this paper
• Novel approaches to enhance osseointegration using titanium-based materials

  2019cites this paper
• Two-years of home based functional electrical stimulation recovers epidermis from atrophy and flattening after years of complete Conus-Cauda Syndrome

  2019cites this paper
• Chapter 8 Growth Hormone ( GH ) and Wound Healing

  2019influential citation
• A Platform to Study the Effects of Electrical Stimulation on Immune Cell Activation During Wound Healing

  2019cites this paper
• Wireless Direct Microampere Current in Wound Healing: Clinical and Immunohistological Data from Two Single Case Reports

  2019cites this paper
• Exciting perspectives for Translational Myology in the Abstracts of the 2018Spring PaduaMuscleDays: Giovanni Salviati Memorial – Chapter IV - Abstracts of March 17, 2018

  2018cites this paper