What Is Neural Therapy?
Neural therapy is a treatment system for chronic pain and illness. It involves the injection of local anesthetics into scars, peripheral nerves, autonomic ganglia, glands, trigger points, muscles, and other tissues.
In most cases of chronic illness and pain, it has been shown that there are associated changes in the autonomic (sympathetic) nervous system which is responsible for all involuntary and automatic functions in the body. This leads to changes in nerve conduction or flow and causes a "short circuit" in the nervous system "wiring". A vicious cycle of abnormal nerve impulses throughout the body is created. Neural Therapy is the attempt to break this cycle.
Neural Therapy came into being in 1925 when two German physicians discovered that the anesthetics, Procaine and Lidocaine, caused immediate resolution of pain and symptoms when injected into scars. Further study led them to the concept that the autonomic nervous system was responsible for not only normal function of all tissues throughout the body, but also the perpetuation of chronic illness and pain. They termed their treatment system, Neural Therapy, (neural means nerve) because of its effects on the nervous system.
Outside of Germany, neural therapy as a comprehensive healing system is virtually unknown to medical practitioners. The use of anesthetics in the United State has been limited, for the most part, to trigger point injections, local anesthesia (nerve blocks) and epidural injections. But, Neural Therapy goes further by recognizing that the autonomic nervous system can be regulated in a powerful way by the precise placement of anesthetic solutions.
For example, the nerve endings in an appendectomy scar may interfere with nerve circuitry to the extent that it may be responsible for pain in a joint elsewhere in the body. When any site, such as the scar in this example, is determined to be the source of pain or illness, it is called an "interference field". Simply put, any structure or tissue which interrupts the normal nerve flow and regulation of the autonomic nervous system is an interference field. Potential interference fields may be located at the site of a scar, an abscessed tooth, an old injury or fracture, a trigger point in a muscle and many other tissue sites. The interference field focus may account for such varied symptoms as migraine headaches, chronic fatigue, chronic back pain, digestive tract dysfunction and asthma symptoms, to name just a few.
With Neural Therapy, the restoration of normal function persists for days to years, long after the anesthetic has worn off. This amazing effect is explained by the stabilizing property of the anesthetic on nerve cell membranes which allows for the elimination of cellular toxins. It is, in fact, possible to totally and permanently eliminate pain or other symptoms related to an interference field in a single treatment. When this happens, it is called a "lightning reaction". More commonly, however, a series of Neural Therapy injection treatments are necessary to produce longer-lasting results. Test injections are often required to successfully locate an interference field because not all suspected sites will prove to be an interference field.
Most insurance companies do not recognize the entire scope of Neural Therapy. Therefore covered may be limited to accepted techniques such a trigger point injections into muscles and injection into peripheral nerves. We will discuss coverage with you prior to treatment.
The Various Types of Neural Therapy Techniques
Each of the following techniques fall under the heading, Neural Therapy.
Epidural Steroid Injections:
This technique is generally used to treat low back pain with or without associated leg pain. This injection solution includes procaine (anesthetic) and often the use of a corticosteroid (an anti-inflammatory). Commonly this technique is used in the case of a new injury (acute) back pain. It is usually performed in a series of 3 treatments, a week apart. The length of relief can vary from one week to a year, but is often not long-term. This short-term relief can be helpful in proceeding with a rehabilitation program. Dr Wheaton commonly performs caudal epidural steroid injections which means that they are performed at the base of the spine, at the tailbone area. Patients are often sore the day after treatment. Relief is generally experienced 3-4 days after the procedure.
Trigger Point Injections:
This technique is commonly used to treat problems relating to muscles. Trigger points can result from a sprain or strain injury and starts as a specific spot in the muscle. However the trigger point can radiate pain further away from the site, which mimics nerve pain. Dr Wheaton looks for the actual trigger point, or the specific site, that when pressed causes the muscle to twitch. At that point, a small amount of procaine (anesthetic) is injected into the trigger point to help it relax. Several sites within a particular muscle or multiple muscles is usually necessary to achieve relief. Often the patient is sore the day after treatment and may not experience relief right away. A heating pad, hot shower or bath is recommended to help relieve some of the post-injection symptoms. Usually multiple treatment sessions performed at weekly intervals are necessary to achieve pain relief.