HAKOMED-
We have yet another tool to help with pain, neuropathy, and healing.
What is HakoMed and Horizontal Therapy? Who developed it and when . How has it advanced? Compare its strength to a simple TENS unit. What things does it effectively treat?
Well, HakoMed and Horizontal Therapy represent an advanced form of electrotherapy that combines both electrical stimulation and bioelectric field therapy in a unique way to support tissue healing, pain relief, and nerve regeneration.
🔷 What is HakoMed and Horizontal Therapy?
HakoMed is the name of a German medical device company that developed the horizontal therapy concept.
Horizontal Therapy (HT) is a patented electrotherapeutic technique that simultaneously delivers low-frequency (electrical) and mid-frequency (bioelectric) currents into the body.
Unlike traditional therapies that alternate modes or frequencies, HT runs both types at once, allowing for simultaneous stimulation of cellular metabolism and nerve/muscle activity.
Think of it as treating cellular function and nerve signaling at the same time.
🧠 Who Developed It and When?
Inventor: Dr. Jorg Hans Werner, a German physician and medical researcher.
Development timeframe: Mid-1990s.
Device: The main device is the Hako-Med ProElecDT 2000, which has been used in European pain and rehabilitation clinics since the late 1990s and was introduced into the U.S. in the early 2000s.
⚙️ How Does It Work?
Horizontal Therapy uses:
Mid-frequency alternating current (~4000 Hz) to improve cell membrane permeability, ion transport, and circulation.
Superimposed low-frequency current (1–100 Hz) to stimulate muscle and nerve activity—similar to TENS but with deeper penetration and more precise targeting.
This dual-action supports:
Cellular healing and regeneration (horizontal exchange across the cell membrane).
Functional stimulation of nerves and muscles (vertical signaling through nerve fibers).
🔬 How Is It Different from a TENS Unit?
HakoMed’s Horizontal Therapy is fundamentally different from a TENS unit in both its mechanism and therapeutic goals. While a TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) unit works primarily by delivering low-frequency electrical pulses to block pain signals from reaching the brain—essentially providing temporary symptom relief—Horizontal Therapy goes further by aiming to heal the underlying tissue and modulate cellular activity. Developed by Dr. Jorg Hans Werner in Germany in the 1990s, Horizontal Therapy uniquely combines two types of electrical current simultaneously: low-frequency stimulation (like TENS) to activate nerves and muscles, and mid-frequency stimulation to influence cell membrane transport, ion exchange, ATP production, and tissue regeneration. This dual-action allows it to both reduce pain and promote actual healing.
Whereas a TENS unit provides shallow, surface-level stimulation limited mostly to sensory nerves, HakoMed’s approach penetrates deeper into muscle and vascular tissue and works at the cellular level to restore normal function. TENS is generally used at home for short-term pain control and is relatively inexpensive and simplistic. In contrast, HakoMed devices are clinic-based, highly programmable, and used by trained professionals to treat more complex conditions like neuropathy, radiculopathy, arthritis, CRPS, and chronic pain syndromes. Overall, while TENS is a pain-masking tool, Horizontal Therapy is a regenerative treatment aimed at repairing and resetting dysfunctional nerve and tissue systems.
✅ What Conditions Does HakoMed Effectively Treat?
Backed by European clinical experience and small studies, it’s used for:
✅ Neurological Conditions
Peripheral neuropathy
Radiculopathy
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
Failed back surgery syndrome
✅ Musculoskeletal Pain
Low back and neck pain
Arthritis and joint inflammation
Tendonitis
Muscle strains and spasms
✅ Circulatory/Healing Support
Diabetic neuropathy
Post-surgical tissue repair
Venous insufficiency-related discomfort
✅ Others
Fibromyalgia
Migraine (off-label, some anecdotal support)
📈 How Has It Advanced?
Modern HakoMed devices now allow:
Custom waveform programming
Multi-channel, multi-electrode therapy
Pre-set protocols for various conditions
Allows affordable treatment at home with home units
There’s growing integration into integrative pain clinics, regenerative medicine, and physical therapy centers, especially in Europe and the U.S.
🧩 Summary
HakoMed’s Horizontal Therapy is a sophisticated alternative to TENS, offering:
Deeper healing (not just masking pain)
Simultaneous cellular repair and nerve stimulation
Applications for neuropathy, pain syndromes, injury recovery, and circulatory healing