How FSM Therapy Supports PTSD, Anxiety, and Mental Health
- Monica Williams - Frequency Specific Microcurrent Therapy
- Jun 12
- 5 min read
Frequency Specific Microcurrent (FSM) therapy is emerging as a supportive tool in the management of mental health conditions like PTSD, chronic anxiety, and related neurological and endocrine imbalances.
Grounded in both neuroscience and clinical outcomes, FSM uses gentle biological frequencies to support regulation in the nervous system, reduce inflammation, and promote healing at the cellular level.
This review based on the Townsend Letter Magazine Article by Dr Carolyn McMakin, 2020. Link below.
Understanding the Roots: Inflammation, Stress, and the Brain
The brain is exquisitely sensitive to inflammation. In PTSD and chronic anxiety, inflammatory cytokines interfere with neurotransmission, slow down neural processing, and disrupt the delicate orchestration between the cortex, limbic system, and vagus nerve. This dysregulation leads to an overactive stress response, impaired cognition, emotional imbalance, and eventually structural brain changes in areas such as the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex.
Mental health isn’t just about mood—it’s about brain inflammation, disrupted neurotransmitters, poor vagal tone, and the body’s failure to return to homeostasis after stress or trauma.
The Vagus Nerve: Master Regulator of Calm
According to Polyvagal Theory, the vagus nerve is central to how we experience safety, connection, and emotional regulation. Originating in the brainstem’s medulla, it extends through the neck to the heart, lungs, and digestive system—constantly sending signals between the body and brain. In individuals with PTSD, anxiety, or depression, this bi-directional communication can become disrupted, keeping the nervous system locked in states of hypervigilance, shutdown, or emotional dysregulation.
The vagus nerve regulates:
Heart rate variability
Stress hormone secretion
Immune response
Gut motility and microbiome health
Social engagement and emotional regulation
The vagus nerve acts as a critical switch between the sympathetic nervous system (the stress or 'fight-or-flight' response) and the parasympathetic nervous system (responsible for rest, digestion, and repair).
FSM applies frequencies that are thought to support vagal tone and enhance parasympathetic function. Improved vagal activity has been associated with better digestion, reduced immune system overactivation—including gut permeability, autoimmunity, and systemic inflammation—and greater capacity for the nervous system to shift out of chronic fight-or-flight patterns.
When vagal signaling improves, individuals often notice changes such as more stable mood, deeper sleep, improved digestion, and enhanced emotional resilience.
The Cell Danger Response and PTSD
The Cell Danger Response (CDR) is a metabolic state the body enters when cells perceive a threat—such as trauma, infection, toxins, or chronic stress. While this response is protective in the short term, its prolonged activation can keep cells trapped in a state of inflammatory defense. When this occurs, the body may struggle to transition into the next phases of healing, repair, and regeneration.
In individuals living with PTSD or chronic anxiety, this sustained cellular defense may play a role in ongoing symptoms such as fatigue, inflammation, cognitive fog, and emotional dysregulation.
Supporting vagal tone may help signal to the body that it is safe, potentially influencing the resolution of the CDR. When combined with strategies to reduce inflammation, enhance mitochondrial function, and stabilize neurochemistry, these approaches may help the body move out of a defensive state and return to a state of repair and recovery.
Research Evidence: FSM and Inflammatory Markers
In a landmark study of patients with fibromyalgia associated with cervical spine trauma, FSM treatments using 40 Hz and 10 Hz frequencies were shown to:
Reduce pain scores from an average of 7.3 to 1.3 after a single 90-minute session
Lower inflammatory cytokines: IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α, and Substance P
Increased beta-endorphin and cortisol levels—without triggering the stress response(5) Cytokine paper
Biochemical shifts in neuroimmune markers such as these validate FSM’s potential to work with the CDR and neuroinflammatory states, including PTSD, where chronic inflammation plays a central sustaining role.
Clinical Case Study: A Woman Healing from PTSD
One case in this article tells the story of a 43-year-old woman battling chronic anxiety, insomnia, digestive issues, fatigue, and relationship stress. Although her primary complaints seemed physical and emotional, a deeper history revealed childhood trauma, neglect, and subtle abuse that had shaped her adult nervous system and stress response.
Treatment involved:
FSM protocols targeting the vagus nerve, thalamus, limbic system, and gut
Nutritional support for methylation and neurotransmitter synthesis
Testing for hormonal imbalances and gut health
Trauma-informed care, focusing on regulation and emotional safety
Within two weeks of twice-weekly FSM treatments, her symptoms began to shift. She felt more focused, energetic, and emotionally stable. By eight weeks, she had left the dysfunctional relationship, regained her financial independence, and considered herself fully recovered. Her transformation was not only biochemical but deeply personal and empowering. (1)
FSM for Veterans and PTSD: What the Research Shows
Although formal published data is limited, a practitioner-led study involving FSM for soldiers with combat-related PTSD showed promising outcomes.
Early reports documented reductions in hypervigilance, intrusive thoughts, nightmares, and anxiety when FSM frequencies were applied to the limbic system, vagus nerve, and spinal cord.
Barbara Harris, MD, pioneered FSM protocols for PTSD in 2005, incorporating knowledge of neuropsychology with FSM's bioelectrical approach. These protocols have been used successfully for over a decade with consistent, safe, and meaningful outcomes, even for long-standing trauma. (1)
Final Thoughts: Restoring Neurobalance, Naturally
PTSD and anxiety are often understood through a psychological or emotional lens, yet emerging insights suggest these experiences may also involve neuroinflammation, changes in vagal tone, and shifts in the neuroendocrine system. These biological patterns can shape how the brain and body respond to stress, process emotions, and recover from trauma.
Alongside nutrition and lifestyle interventions, Frequency Specific Microcurrent (FSM) is being explored as a gentle, non-invasive approach that may help support the body’s innate regulatory systems. While individual responses vary, many have reported improvements that suggest FSM may assist in restoring a sense of physiological balance.
FSM protocols are tailored to each individual’s unique presentation and needs, allowing for a personalized approach that honors both biology and lived experience. When used in conjunction with psychotherapy or other therapeutic practices, FSM may enhance the healing process by addressing the physiological underpinnings of trauma and emotional dysregulation.
For those seeking additional tools on their healing journey, FSM represents a growing area of care that aims to support nervous system function, promote emotional wellbeing, and offer a whole-person approach to integrated health care.
Resources -
Mental Health, the Brain and PTSD, Dr Carolyn McMakin. Article: The Townsend Letter Magazine, October 2020.
Effectiveness of Frequency-Specific Microcurrent (FSM) Therapy and Relaxation in Adults with Distress: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial by M. Graça Pereira, Ana Mónica Machado, Margarida Vilaça, Susana Faria, Isabela Monteiro, Martim Santos - Healthcare 2025, 13(10), 1151; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13101151
Frequency Specific Microcurrent (FSM) in Holistic Child Psychiatry - https://www.holisticchildpsychiatry.com/frequency-specific-microcurrent-fsm/
Vagus nerve stimulation therapy for treatment-resistant PTSD - Mark B. Powers a, Seth A. Hays b c, David Rosenfield d, Amy L. Porter c, Holle Gallaway c, Greg Chauvette a, Jasper A.J. Smits e, Anne Marie Warren a, Megan Douglas a, Richard Naftalis f, Jane G. Wigginton c, M Foreman f, Michael P. Kilgard c g, Robert L. Rennaker c g. Brain Stimulation Journal
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