What is Neural Therapy? How is Neural Therapy Performed?
Neural therapy (NT), also known as therapeutic neural blockade, is a complementary treatment procedure that aims to alleviate health problems such as chronic pain and chronic inflammation by stimulating the autonomic nervous system with the aid of substances possessing local anesthetic properties. Although NT currently stands out as a regulation procedure that is gaining increasing interest, its history dates back 50 years. Based on the principle of injecting local anesthetics into interference fields in patients with various health issues, particularly acute or chronic pain, this method is both a diagnostic and therapeutic medical procedure.
What is Neural Therapy?
Neural therapy is a complementary treatment procedure that uses local anesthetic substances in the treatment of health problems such as herniated disc (lumbar hernia), cervical herniation (neck hernia), migraine, panic attacks, and chronic pain. NT aims to regulate, meaning to adjust, the functioning of the autonomic nervous system, which ensures the continuity of all organs in the human body. Chronic pain is generally underpinned by bioelectrical damages in the autonomic nervous system, also referred to as interference fields. The local anesthetic substances used during NT can help reorganize these fields.
Since the German chemist Alfred Einhorn first synthesized procaine in 1904, which is a type of local anesthetic substance, at the beginning of the 20th century, many scientists have been researching how local anesthetics can be used in the treatment of diseases. Physician brothers Ferdinand and Walter Huneke proved the therapeutic effect of local anesthetics in 1925 and named this method neural therapy. Since the 1940s, when Ferdinand and Walter Huneke discovered that bioelectrical damages—namely interference fields—in the autonomic nervous system can cause various health problems, and that water-diluted local anesthetics injected directly into the damaged area in the nervous system can eliminate symptoms such as pain, therapeutic neural blockade has been used as a complementary treatment in the management of numerous health conditions.
The nervous system is divided into two parts: the central nervous system, consisting of the brain and spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system, which is responsible for distributing the nerves originating from the central nervous system throughout the body. The peripheral nervous system, whose primary function is to enable the central nervous system to communicate with limbs and organs, is itself divided into the somatic and autonomic nervous systems. The autonomic nervous system plays a role in processes automatically managed by the brain, such as breathing, heartbeat, and digestion. In other words, the autonomic nervous system is responsible for metabolic activities that humans cannot consciously control and that are necessary for the continuation of life. In addition to these, according to recent scientific studies, the autonomic nervous system may also play a role in converting emotions and thoughts into physiological responses. Thanks to these studies, which provide a better understanding of the nervous system, treatment methods aimed at regulating the functioning of the autonomic nervous system, such as therapeutic neural blockade, have come to the forefront today.
How is Neural Therapy Performed?
Neural therapy is performed by injecting local anesthetic substances into areas in the autonomic nervous system referred to as disrupted fields, with the help of a neural therapy needle. The primary objective of therapeutic neural blockade—a therapy method resorted to in the diagnosis and treatment of functional disorders, inflammatory diseases, and acute and chronic pain—is to stimulate the autonomic nervous system using local anesthetic substances and to trigger the body's self-repair mechanism.
During treatment, neural therapy specialists first evaluate the patient's current complaints in detail and take a comprehensive medical history regarding issues such as how long the pain has persisted and the use of pain relievers. For patients suitable for NT, injection points are first determined based on the patient's complaints. Depending on the source of the problem, the needles used during therapy can be applied to trigger points, peripheral nerves, ganglia (groups of autonomic nerve cells), the epidural space (the space between the spinal membrane and the spinal cord), and tissues. However, in some cases, injections may be administered not only to the problematic region but also to more distant areas.
Following the determination of injection points, various local anesthetic substances, primarily procaine or lidocaine, are diluted with normal saline and injected into disrupted areas where nerve conduction is absent or nearly nonexistent. Through the injection of local anesthetic substances, disrupted nerve cell functions can be restored, and the electrical activity of the autonomic nervous system can be regulated. Throughout the treatment process, specialists follow up with patients regularly and replanning treatment when necessary.
What are the Benefits of Neural Therapy?
When discussing the benefits of neural therapy, the first thing that comes to mind is its use as a supportive measure in the treatment of chronic pain and inflammation. The main benefits of NT are as follows:
Pain management: NT can help alleviate pain in individuals suffering from chronic pain issues such as muscle and joint pain, pain due to nerve compression, neck hernia, lumbar hernia, and migraine.
May exhibit an anti-inflammatory effect: Some studies indicate that local anesthetics can help reduce inflammation in the body by showing anti-inflammatory effects.
May ensure the reorganization of the organism: Repeated injections during NT can reach nerve fibers originating from sympathetic nerve cells at each session, thereby ensuring the regulation, meaning the reorganization, of the organism.
In addition to those listed above, healing in tissue damage can be achieved thanks to the elimination of interference fields.
In Which Diseases is Neural Therapy Used?
Neural therapy is a complementary medical procedure that can be used in the treatment of various health problems such as lumbar hernia, neck hernia, and migraine. The main health conditions that can benefit from therapeutic neural blockade are as follows:
Treatment of lumbar and cervical hernia: Neck and lumbar hernias hold an important place among neural therapy applications. Some studies show that patients who undergo therapeutic neural blockade for an average of 8 sessions experience significant regression in chronic pain related to the hernia.
Migraine treatment: In the treatment of headache and migraine, injections administered to the occipital nerve at the back of the head can help alleviate pain. Additionally, lidocaine administered intranasally (into the nose) and intravenously (into a vein) can also be used in the treatment of headaches and migraines. Therapeutic neural blockade can also be utilized for trigeminal neuralgia, a condition causing severe pain in the face.
Psychological health issues such as anxiety and depression: Neural therapy, which helps reduce and reorganize the body's stress response, can be used supportively in the treatment of psychological health conditions such as anxiety, depression, and panic attacks.
Alzheimer's disease: Some studies indicate that local anesthetic substances used during NT may have a protective effect in early-stage Alzheimer's patients.
Fibromyalgia: According to research, fibromyalgia is a rheumatic disease originating from neuroendocrine disorders occurring in cells called neuroendocrine cells, which can both send electrical signals like neurons (nerve cells) and secrete hormones like endocrine glands. Various scientific studies show that therapeutic neural blockade is also effective in fibromyalgia patients.
Sports injuries: NT can also be used to reduce inflammation that delays healing in sports injuries.
In addition to the above, neural therapy, which plays a role in regulating metabolism, can also assist in the weight loss process.
What Should Be Considered After Neural Therapy?
Under normal circumstances, patients can continue their daily lives following a therapeutic neural blockade. However, some studies reporting mild side effects, such as patients feeling fatigued after therapy, indicate that resting for a while after NT can be beneficial.
Frequently Asked Questions
NT plays a role in the regulation, meaning the reorganization, of the autonomic nervous system by stimulating interference fields where bioelectrical errors exist. In this way, neural therapy can help reduce chronic pains such as headache, migraine, and lumbar and neck hernia pain. Furthermore, local anesthetic substances, which are thought to have anti-inflammatory effects, support controlling inflammation in the body by stimulating the body's self-regeneration capability. During therapeutic neural blockade, autonomic nerve fibers are reached and injections are performed at each session. Therefore, the effect of therapy can generally begin to be felt after the first few sessions. At this point, specialists determine the treatment process according to the severity of the patient's symptoms. NT is generally considered a safe method, but various side effects may occur in some cases. NT side effects include pain at the injection site, mild dizziness, temporary numbness, a feeling of fatigue, and rarely, allergic reactions developing against local anesthetic substances. The number of NT sessions varies depending on the patient's complaints and response to treatment. For example, in the treatment of lumbar hernia, specialists recommend an average of 8 sessions of therapy to patients. However, a treatment process varying between 5-10 sessions is generally recommended for patients. NT is generally considered safe. Nevertheless, therapeutic neural blockade may not be applied to individuals who have allergies to the anesthetic substances used during therapy. Whether pregnant women or those with a chronic health condition are suitable for NT is decided by their physicians.
If you have pain complaints lasting longer than 3 weeks, do not delay your treatment. Regain your health with our specialist physicians experienced in the field of neural therapy. You can get information about detailed examinations and personalized treatment options by booking an appointment immediately.
