Dr. Jerry Tennant—a pioneering ophthalmologist and founder of the Tennant Institute—offers a powerful perspective on chronic illness: at its core, healing depends on the energy (or voltage) available to our cells.
Just like our phones or laptops, our bodies rely on a consistent energy supply to function. When this energy drops too low, our organs and tissues begin to struggle. Symptoms develop. And if we restore that energy—recharge the system—healing can begin.
⚡ Our Cells Run on Voltage
Every cell in the body carries a small electrical charge. For normal function, that charge needs to be around -25 millivolts. But when we need to make new, healthy cells—which we constantly do—it takes about -50 millivolts.
“Chronic disease only occurs when you lose the ability to make new cells that work.” – Dr. Jerry Tennant
This isn’t just metaphorical. Dr. Tennant explains that pH—a measure we often associate with acidity or alkalinity—is actually a way to measure voltage in fluids. A low pH means low voltage. When voltage drops, cells can’t work or regenerate properly.
🔋 The Body’s Built-In Battery Packs
The human body is designed with several systems that generate and store voltage, like built-in battery packs:
Muscles, which produce energy when they move (this is called piezoelectricity)
Cell membranes, which act like capacitors—storing and releasing energy
Mitochondria, known as the “powerhouses” of the cell, where cellular energy (ATP) is made
DNA, whose spiral shape (structured by the golden mean) allows it to draw in scalar energy—subtle energetic input that supports balance and communication in our cells
Even acupuncture meridians, according to Dr. Tennant, are not just symbolic—they’re real energy circuits, made up of stacked muscle layers that carry voltage to specific organs.
⚠️ What Drains the Battery?
“Every organ has its own battery pack. If it won’t hold a charge, healing stalls.” – Dr. Jerry Tennant
When an organ isn’t healing or functioning properly, it often means its voltage is too low. Dr. Tennant identifies several common factors that drain our body’s energy systems:
Thyroid hormone imbalances
T3 helps regulate voltage across cell membranes
T2 supports mitochondrial energy production
Scars, which can act like electrical shorts and block energy flow
Dental infections, especially root canals and unresolved issues in wisdom tooth areas, which can shut down circuits
Trapped emotional stress, which stores as magnetic fields in tissues and teeth, disrupting voltage
Toxins, including heavy metals, pesticides like glyphosate (Roundup), and mold-related biotoxins
Nutrient deficiencies, which prevent the body from having the raw materials to make new cells
“Most chronic disease begins with an emotional event.” – Dr. Jerry Tennant
🦷 The Mouth–Body Connection
Each tooth is connected to an organ system via energy circuits. If a tooth has an infection, dead nerve (as in a root canal), or even scar tissue in the bone where a tooth was removed, it can interrupt energy flow—often to vital systems far from the mouth.
“A single root canal can shut down 63% of your immune system.” – Dr. Jerry Tennant
He found that 95% of cancer patients at his clinic had either a root canal or a jawbone infection (cavitation) linked to the affected organ’s energy circuit.
🧠 What Happens When Circuits Fail
One of the most central energy circuits Dr. Tennant describes is the spleen-stomach circuit. This single circuit helps supply voltage to:
The entire endocrine and reproductive system
The adrenal glands, which regulate stress
The macula (center of the retina, critical for vision)
The frontal lobe, the part of the brain responsible for thinking, focus, and planning
When this circuit loses its charge, we may experience symptoms like fatigue, hormonal shifts, low stress tolerance, mood changes, brain fog, and even vision issues like macular degeneration.
“The spleen-stomach circuit powers the brain, adrenals, hormones, and even your vision.” – Dr. Jerry Tennant
🔄 How Do We Recharge the System?
In his clinical practice, Dr. Tennant uses tools like the Biomodulator and Biotransducer—devices that emit gentle forms of energy, including electromagnetic and scalar waves—to help restore charge to depleted areas.
Think of it like charging a phone battery that’s nearly dead. Without power, our cells can’t rebuild.
He teaches that healing depends on having all three of these:
Sufficient voltage (especially -50 millivolts for creating new cells)
All necessary raw materials (nutrients, proteins, healthy fats, minerals)
Removal of anything harmful (infections, toxins, or unresolved emotional patterns)
“You can’t rebuild a house with just doorknobs. Healing requires all the materials at once.” – Dr. Jerry Tennant
🧲 Addressing Emotional and Energetic Blocks
Emotions don’t just live in our minds—they can be stored in the body as magnetic fields that disrupt our energy flow. This is especially common in the teeth and nervous system.
Dr. Tennant’s approach includes techniques for identifying and clearing these blocks—particularly in the wisdom tooth areas and autonomic nervous system circuits, which act like the master switches for the body.
“Emotions are not just in our heads—they can block voltage and drain our body’s healing power.” – Dr. Jerry Tennant
🌱 A New Lens on Chronic Illness
This model invites us to think differently: chronic disease isn’t just about damaged tissues or missing nutrients—it’s about energy loss in the systems that maintain health.
“Restoring voltage isn’t just theory—it’s how the body heals.” – Dr. Jerry Tennant
🔋 Recharging Our Perspective
Dr. Tennant’s work challenges us to rethink what it means to be well. It’s not just about treating symptoms—it’s about restoring the body’s energy systems so they can do what they were designed to do: regenerate, repair, and heal.
This paradigm helps explain why so many of us struggle with fatigue, chronic inflammation, hormone imbalances, or emotional burnout—not because we’re broken, but because our circuits are drained.
The good news? We can rebuild. When we restore voltage, provide the right materials, and remove what’s interfering, our bodies often respond with surprising resilience.
Credit: This article is a summary and reflection on “Healing is Voltage”—a publicly available presentation by Jerry Tennant, MD, MD(H), PScD—shared here for educational purposes. Watch the original presentation.
📩 Let’s Connect
At Ruth Wellness, I often draw from this multidimensional framework to help clients explore what might be influencing their health—not just on the surface, but at every level of their being. If the concept of “healing as voltage” resonates with you—especially if you’re navigating fatigue, hormone shifts, or chronic symptoms—I’d love to connect.
Reach out by clicking the button below to begin a conversation about whole-person wellness.
I help women reconnect with their bodies and create lasting wellness with personalized nutrition, functional health, and energy practices—so your body can thrive. Feeling wired yet tired, struggling with fatigue, sleep disruptions, digestive issues, or hormonal imbalances? You’re in the right place.
Explore how the Gage R&R concept—practiced in engineering—offers a helpful lens for understanding variability in functional health lab testing. Lab results aren’t always clear-cut; deeper insight comes from considering timing, environment, and your body’s real-life context—not just numbers on a report.
Discover a science-informed energy medicine routine you can practice in just 5–10 minutes a day. The Daily Energy Routine (DER), created by Donna Eden, helps reset your energy flow, support clarity, and boost emotional and physical resilience—blending ancient wisdom with modern energy science.
Wired but tired, foggy, or restless? EMFs from everyday tech may disrupt your body from the cellular level up—affecting calcium signaling, mitochondrial function, hormone balance, and nervous system regulation. This guide breaks it down and offers practical ways to protect your energy and restore resilience.