Neural Therapy

Consider This Therapy For
Neural therapy relies on anesthetic injections to clear up "electrical interference" causing problems elsewhere in the body. It enjoys its greatest popularity in Germany, where it is typically used to treat chronic pain.
   Claims for this unusual therapeutic approach do not stop with pain, however. Advocates will tell you that it's effective in the treatment of hundreds of conditions, many of which defy other forms of therapy. In fact, proponents say that the people most likely to benefit are those who've failed to respond to chiropractic, acupuncture, or physical therapy. It's also recommended if surgery or nerve block treatments fail. Among the wide array of conditions for which it's advocated are:

How the Treatments Are Done
Neural therapists believe that a disruption in the "energy flow" at one point in the body can cause disease at another. Like devotees of acupuncture, they argue that if interference develops at a given point along one of the "meridians" through which vital energy flows, a problem will crop up at a corresponding point elsewhere in the body. Other likely sites of interference include tense, tender "trigger points" in the muscles, glands, scars, and nerves.
   Because finding the supposed point of interference is crucial to successful treatment, neural therapists begin with a careful patient history. You'll probably be closely questioned about previous physical injuries, as well as any surgery or illnesses you've had. Scars will receive particular attention on the theory that if one of them cuts across an acupuncture meridian, it can be expected to impact the corresponding acupuncture site, as well as adjacent joints. For example, a nasty scar from gallbladder surgery might be the source of problems in the shoulder. Neural therapists are especially suspicious of scars that haven't faded with time, or seem to be pulling the surrounding skin, or feel hard.
   If the therapist decides that a scar is the culprit, he will inject it with an anesthetic such as procaine or lidocaine. Otherwise, he'll give the injection in an acupuncture point, trigger point, or nerve. If the exact site of interference cannot be pinpointed, he will give an injection in the general area under suspicion, then adjust the location according to your response. He'll use a similar approach if the suspected area is too sensitive to tolerate injections.
   Injections are not always recommended. In some cases, the therapist may conclude that an electrical imbalance stems from nothing more than metal eyeglass frames, jewelry, or dental fillings. Removing the offending object or replacing the fillings with plastic is then thought to be all that's necessary to cure your condition.

   Treatment Time: Location of the ideal injection site occupies most of the visit. The injection itself takes seconds.

   Treatment Frequency: There is no set number of treatments. Some patients improve following a single injection; others require several. If improvement occurs at all, it will usually be seen by the sixth treatment.

   You'll be asked to keep a log of any unusual changes that occur in the two days following each injection. The therapist will use these notations as a guide for determining subsequent treatments. If multiple injections are deemed necessary, they are typically given twice a week.

What Treatment Hopes to Accomplish
Neural therapists lack a complete explanation of the way the treatments work. Although the goal is to correct "interference fields" in the body's electrical circuitry and thereby restore normal energy flow, it's not clear why an injection of anesthetic would accomplish this. The interference fields themselves have never been scientifically demonstrated; the energy flow that they are thought to disrupt is also an unproven supposition, and the anesthetic wears off in a couple of hours.
   Interference fields are thought to develop at the site of a trauma. Accidents, surgery, and dental procedures are all considered leading culprits. The site can remain dormant long after the initial trauma, until another injury or stress triggers negative electrical activity. For example, if a person experiences significant weight gain, a scar could become stretched. Strain on the scar could then provoke an energy blockage that leads to problems in a linked site elsewhere in the body.
   To neural therapists, inflammation or infection at one location--particularly in the mouth--strongly suggests the possibility of a problem elsewhere in the body. Therapists also suspect an energy blockage if a condition has failed to respond to other treatments, or has been aggravated by them. Other tip-offs of a purported energy blockage are the appearance of complaints on only one side of the body, or a series of illnesses in rapid succession without complete recovery.
   Neural therapy is not recommended for any sort of structural abnormality, and it obviously cannot correct any genetic disorders or relieve problems stemming from malnutrition. It is also considered ineffective once a chronic condition such as kidney disease has caused severe damage, and it won't remedy emotional and psychiatric disorders. It is usually performed in conjunction with more conventional forms of treatment or when other methods fail.

Who Should Avoid This Therapy?
Neural therapy won't cure cancer, and could actually make it worse. It is believed to stimulate the lymph system, which is often the route through which cancer cells spread. Avoid this therapy if you have any form of cancer.
   You should also forego neural therapy if you have diabetes, since the injections could interfere with day-to-day efforts to maintain stable insulin levels. Kidney failure and myasthenia gravis are other conditions that preclude neural therapy. Avoid it, too, if you are taking morphine or drugs that regulate the heartbeat, many of which are chemically similar to the local anesthetics injected during the neural therapy. People who have clotting problems such as hemophilia, or who are taking drugs that thin the blood, should also avoid this therapy.
   If you are allergic to local anesthetics, you obviously cannot be injected with such drugs and thus cannot receive neural therapy.

What Side Effects May Occur?
No side effects have been reported in people who are suitable candidates. Make sure, however, that you have none of the conditions that preclude this form of treatment. If you do, the consequences could be severe.

How to Choose a Therapist
It's much easier to find a neural therapist in Europe or South America than in the United States. Your best course is to contact The American Academy of Neural Therapy for a referral (see "Resources" below).

When Should Treatment Stop?
Treatments rarely last longer than 6 weeks. If you obtain no relief within this period, you should consider another form of therapy.

See a Conventional Doctor If...
Your best course is to use neural therapy as a supplement to standard medical care. If you are using it in place of mainstream treatment or after conventional methods have failed, consider returning to your doctor if you fail to see improvement. If the condition gets worse, see a doctor without fail.

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Revised: June 10, 2006 .