Neural Therapy (NT)

What is Neural Therapy: The Definition:

Neural Therapy (NT) is a holistic method of restoring multiple physical and psycho-emotional conditions by injecting small doses, low-concentration, local anesthetics (primarily Procaine or Lidocaine) into a specific segmental interference field and peripheral nervous system ganglia.  The purpose is to diagnose and promote recovery of self-regulating functions of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS), thus reestablishing body-mind homeostasis.

Other terms used: “Procaine Therapy,” “Novocain Blockade,” in Russian literature “Impletol Therapy,” and in some Spanish-speaking countries, “Healing Anesthesia.”

Local anesthetic injections like ganglion blockades and segmental therapy are used in conventional medicine but with different purposes and effects.

Short History:

Local Anesthetics (LA) was discovered by Sigmund Freud, seeking to relieve the pain of trigeminal neuralgia. Procaine (Novocain) was synthesized in 1904 by Einhor and wide use of local anesthetics began primarily in Germany and the former Soviet Union. German physicians Ferdinand and Walter Huneke developed a method of Segmental Therapy, injections in the area of lesions. In 1940, brothers Huneke described the phenomenon of the Lightening Reaction.

In 1940, Ferdinand Huneke was treating a patient with a longstanding issue of left shoulder pain who failed to respond to multiple injections. A few weeks later, she complained of an old painful scar on her left tibia. Dr. Huneke injected it with procaine, and the pain in her left shoulder instantly disappeared. They called it a “Lightning Reaction” and developed an understanding of an Interference Field. This phenomenon cannot be explained by conventional medicine, but it is a critical element of the curative powers of Neural Therapy (NT).

Who can be treated with Neural Therapy?

According to the literature, experts, and 100 years of international experience, most patients can be treated with NT regardless of the symptoms. The most common reasons for consultation are acute or chronic pain, migraines, allergies, respiratory and skin conditions, recurrent infections, gynecological and urological disorders, and neuralgias. Patients with psychiatric conditions like PTSD, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, and other psychological issues respond well to NT.

Neural Therapy promotes the function of other treatments, such as pharmacological, surgical, manual, energetic, psychiatric, homeopathic, etc. NT supports self-regulation of the body. It can be used with homeopathic, chelating agents, and ozone. In some way, it is similar to acupuncture which acts through energetic channels in the body; however, NT works through actions of the Autonomic Nervous System. One of my patients refers to it as “Acupuncture on steroids.”

It can help resolve infections by improving the host’s immune response by balancing the effects of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS).

The ANS regulates all the tissues and organs by controlling the extracellular matrix, immune system, fascial systems, mechano-transduction, and neuroplasticity.

Short-acting local anesthetics temporarily interrupt ANS’s communication, resetting it to normal function. It is a similar restoring function of a frozen computer by switching it off and restarting it.

Side Effects of NT:

Preservative-free procaine 0.5 to 1% or, less often, lidocaine, is used in NT. Severe adverse effects and complications of preservative-free procaine, are extremely rare. The quantity of procaine per session is far below the toxic level. Mild reactions such as inflammation on the site of injection, mild dizziness, tiredness, fever, exhaustion, muscular pains, stiffness, etc. may occur, but they are usually temporary. There are possible risks and errors in every injection technique, but NT needles are much thinner than those used in conventional interventions, reducing potential side effects.

Comparing iatrogenic trauma of NT are very low compared with other diagnostic procedures, such as biopsies, endovascular catheterization, and various endoscopies. (H. Barop). NT has been used by thousands of doctors, dentists, and naturopaths on hundreds of thousands of patients for the last 100 years from different countries. Accumulated experience affirms Neural Therapy as a safe and effective treatment method. Injection methods were perfected over many years with a primary emphasis on safety and efficiency. Additional equipment, like ultrasound and x-rays, are rarely used.

What are the contraindications of NT?

There are very few:

Severe hypotension, acute myasthenia gravis, and people suffering from allergies to local anesthetics (very rare to procaine).  The dose of procaine should be reduced in slow metabolizers.  Patients receiving coagulants can receive only superficial injections.  The lidocaine dose should be reduced to 10 ml only in patients with severe arrhythmias, bradycardia, or acute hepatopathy.  Procaine should not be injected in patients taking sulfonamide antibiotics since they share metabolic pathways.

Differences Between Neural Therapy and Local Anesthesia (LA) Effects Used in Conventional Medicine?

Conventional use of local anesthetics is usually for pain management only. It is generally injected at the point of pain or associated ganglia. The effects of LA last for minutes to hours and are explained by their biochemical effects.

On the other hand, Neural Therapy’s purpose is to treat the whole person and restore natural whole body/mind balance. NT can treat multiple conditions regardless of illness or diagnosis, not just pain symptoms. NT injections are done at the point of the nerve irritation, which can be far from the symptoms the patient presents with (Interference Field). NT effects can be instantaneous, as its acts through ANS via electrical potentials.

Anesthetic effects could not explain how patients suffering from respiratory failure, asthma, bronchitis, or infections (tonsilitis, urinary tract infections, prostatitis, etc.) can recover after NT injections.  The critical distinction: Recognition of the Interference Field.

Neural therapeutic relief may last for hours, days, or years when anesthetic effects are long gone. Its primary mechanism is neutralizing irritation focus. NT frequently helps patients suffering from paresthesia (numbness) or dysesthesia (sensory alterations) in areas subjected to traumas, surgical scars, or dental extractions. There are no conventional explanations of how local, short-lasting anesthetics can have this effect.

What is an Interference Field (IF)?

The IF is often clinically asymptomatic, suggesting a subliminal stimulation of the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS). This means that chronicity is more critical of the stimulus, not the strength, which is the more important criterion of the IF.

The IF is often clinically asymptomatic, suggesting a subliminal stimulation of the SNS. This means that chronicity is a critical criterion of the IF, not its strength.

Without neutralizing IF through injections (like scars) or removal of pathological tissue (like a devitalized tooth), and often injection of ganglia, the symptom/disease cannot be resolved.

What Can Create an Interference Field (IF)?

Any disease, injury, or chronic irritation of afferent SNS beyond the physiological strength of the irritation. In a particularly lengthy and severe disease progression with complications, the disease/injury/irritation frequently leaves behind an IF.

• Bacterial infections of wounds, abscesses, boils, carbuncles, scars, etc.
• Severe inflammation caused by toxicants is associated with tissue destruction.
• Emotional traumas (PTSD) and state of mind predispose to IF (like traumatic episiotomy or C- Section scar during the birthing process, which predisposes to postpartum depression).

The temporal relationship between IF and resulting disorder is highly variable. Some diseases may start immediately, some may take years to manifest (when the body/mind becomes overwhelmed with toxic effects).

How do you Find and Resolve an Interference Field?

Good History:  Investigate what proceeded the condition. It can give valuable information.

Injections: Infiltrating all suspicious scars, teeth, segmental therapy, and ganglia. (H. Barop)- (Unfortunately, it can be much guessing and unnecessary injections).

Energetic/Intuitive Testing, like Autonomic Response Testing (ART), Bioresonance Analysis of Health (BAH), or other techniques pointing to injection sites.

My Choice: Modified ART (an advanced form of testing developed in my office).

Signs of Interference Field Disease Resolution:

Sustain pain relief, reduction and normalization of inflammatory tissue, sustained normalization of tissue-specific enzyme levels in the serum, cessation of progressive degenerative joint disease and their function improvement, sustained normalization of abnormal hormone levels, resolution of psychiatric symptoms, sustained normalization of tissue-specific enzyme levels in the serum, lack of allergic reaction to tested allergens.

How come it is not known in the USA? 

I learned about NT over 20 years ago from one of my mentors, German physician Dietrich Klinghardt. There is a paucity of research, manuals, and interest among English-speaking physicians. It’s considered being one of those “wacky alternative methods,” not reimbursed by insurance. However, it is known in German, Spanish, Russian, and Turkish-speaking countries where there are regular courses, symposiums, articles, and books published. In many countries, it is reimbursed and promoted.

There were few expert teachers in the US willing to teach hands-on. For the last seven years, I began to invite European NT experts to conduct courses in New York. Together with my colleagues, we organized two international, well-attended conferences and created the not-for-profit North American Academy of Neural Therapy (NAANT.org).

Conclusion:

Neural Therapy is a body/mind a self–regulatory treatment method.  NT has had a century-long, international experience of use by multiple treatment practitioners and patients. It’s inexpensive, safe, reliable, has low iatrogenic side effects, and has excellent treatment efficacy, but … it is poorly known in English-speaking countries.  Additional research is needed to confirm its safety and efficacy.

This summary is based on the following literature list:

Reading List

1. Barop H. Textbook and Atlas of Neural Therapy. Stuttgart, Germany, Thieme, 2018
2. Dosch P, Dosch M. Manual of Neural Therapy according to Huneke. 2nd English ed. (translation of 14th German ed.). Gutberlet R, translator. Stuttgart (Germany) and New York (NY): Thieme; 1995.
3. Pischinger A. The Extracellular Matrix and Ground Regulation: Basis for a Holistic Biological Medicine. Edited by Hartmut Heine, ISBN-13:978-1-55643-688-8 North Atlantic Books, P.O. Box 12367, Berkeley, CA, 94712 USA.
4. Speransky AD. A Basis for the Theory of Medicine. 2nd English ed. Dutt CP, translator. New York (NY): International Publishers, 1943. Reprint available from ttps://www.intpubnyc.com/product/a-basis-for-the-theory-of-medicine.
5. Kidd RF. Neural Therapy: Applied neurophysiology and other topics – 175 Argyle St. S., Renfrew, ON, K7V 1T6. Self-published neuraltherapybook.com. 2005
6. Kidd RF. http://www.neuraltherapybook.com/newsletters.
7. Koval PR. Neural Therapy and Self-Organization. Buenos Aires ISBN 978-987-26578-1-9 2013
8. https://naant.org