--is the most relevant section from the second article--the section that attempts to explain the mechanisms of action.

There are several mechanisms that explain the mechanism of analgesia:

Under the influence of rapidly alternating polarity electrical signal energy fields, ion movement is enhanced, and this tends to balance high-concentration differences in metabolites; these effects promote pH normalization and reduction in tissue acidosis;

Second messenger formation (cAMP) directs all cell-specific activity toward cell membrane repair, inhibiting arachidonic acid release from insulted membranes and subsequent prostaglandin (pain mediator) cascade;
Specific electric signal energy parameters produce repeated excitation of afferent nerve fibers, affecting neuronal signaling processes in the central nervous system (CNS) and interfering with local pain perception (gate-control theory);

Electric cell signaling assists in cell receptor uptake of β-endorphin, encephalin, and phyllokinin, which modulate or inhibit pain impulses in the CNS; and

The application of higher-dose, higher-frequency EST electric cell signals fall within the absolute refractory period of the cell membrane, inducing a sustained depolarized state across multiple nodes of Ranvier and inhibition (block) of axon information (pain signal) transport.


While reducing acidosis is nothing to be sneezed at, my suspicion is that the most important aspect here is that once the nerves are "primed" by the anesthetic application, the randomly fluctuating signals from the electrical device keep the nerve from re-accomodating to the firing pattern that was producing pain by maintaining the chemical changes in the nerve that the anesthetic started (mostly ion concentrations across the cell membranes). So, in essence, this is boosted, souped up, primed TENS.

The REAL questions are how long the effects last once the electrical stimulator is removed, AND can repeated applications of this produce a 'new" accomodation that would be less painful--a new normal in nerve firing patterns.