How Neural Therapy Works

There are several theories on how and why neural therapy works. It can be understood better by short review of nerve cell physiology.  Normal resting nerve cells have a "resting membrane potential" which is the difference between the electrical charges inside the cell and outside the cell.  While at rest, a healthy nerve cell does not generate nerve impulses.  In most neurons, the resting membrane potential has a value of approximately 70 mV.   If there is a stimulus to the cell, the membrane resting potential drops.  When it drops to approximately 45 mV there is an "action potential" generated and the nerve fires an impulse.  In a nerve cell damaged by surgery or trauma, the resting membrane potential is chronically low-for example, it may be at 47 or 50mV.  This means the nerve will fire off a nerve impulse with much less of stimulus.  While different theories exist as to the mechanism of action for local anesthetics, it is well known that these substances raise the resting membrane potential, making the nerve less likely to fire a nerve impulse even with more stimuli  In addition, studies with procaine have shown its ability to increase the refractory period (time interval between nerve firing).  "A pathological reduction (usually) or increase (less often) in membrane resting potential leads to a reduced threshold of excitation within the affected tissue  The lower threshold creates chronic low-grade excitation, impaired intracellular metabolism and ion exchange, and persistent inability to maintain a normal resting potential, resulting in chronic neurophysiologic instability."   Since the half-life of local anesthetic is short, how does treatment with a local anesthetic affect long term change?  It is believed that by repeatedly infiltrating the local anesthetic around the cell wall, the ion pumps progressively resume normal activity and eventually the autonomic nervous system starts functioning properly again.

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Treatment Agent

Neural therapy is preformed with local anesthetics, usually procaine or lidocaine, and occasionally carbocaine if allergy problems are encountered.  These anesthetics should never contain epinephrine.  The standard solution I use for superficial infiltration (scars) is 1% procaine or 1% lidocaine with a small amount of sodium bicarbonate to buffer the PH and decrease the pain of the injections, although the sodium bicarbonates is optional.

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Conditions Appropriate for Treatments with Neural Therapy

Neural therapy is potentially useful for any type of musculoskeltetal pain complaint, including low back pain or other chronic joint pain not responsive to other treatments.  Painful, sensitive or keloided scars are particularly responsive.  Chronic pelvic pain is frequently responsive to neural therapy, as are dysmenorrhea or menstrual irregularities.  What are deemed "regional pain syndromes" are frequently secondary to autonomic dysfunction and amenable to treatment with neural therapy if initiated soon enough.  Trigeminal neuralgia can be effectively treated if combined with treatment of dental infections.  Raynaud's also will frequently respond to neural therapy.

Jurgen Huneke, MD, nephew of Ferdinad and Walter Huneke, and president of the International Association for Neural Therapy, summarizes a list of conditions for which neural therapy is used:

acute and chronic pain (including headaches of different origins),

inflammatory responses,

poor circulation,

Lyme disease,

multiple chronic conditions, caused by interrupted interference fields (such as rheumatism),

diseases of motor systems (sciatica, arthritic join conditions, shoulder or arm syndrome),

internal diseases such as prostate, female, allergies, kidney; and

sport injuries where  it assists in healing

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