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We combine our expertise and experience of treating migraine using bioelectronic medicine modalities, with a Digital Treatment Unit and online consultations to prescribe a treatment tailored for you to manage your migraines and headaches yourself, safely and without taking drugs. Not just acute attacks can be halted (one piece of research suggested that bioelectronic approaches work faster to relieve migraines than conventional medications) but the treatment prescription can also be adapted to prevent attacks happening in the first place. Research over the past decade has shown that one of the causes of migraines is a change in electrical excitability in certain parts of the brain; other disturbances can come into play too such as imbalances in the autonomic nervous system and inflammatory transmitters.(1)(2) Researchers said that “overlap and interplay among these areas” may explain why a bioelectronic medicine approach can be effective and safe “in the context of clinical evidence supporting its safety and efficacy as acute and preventive therapy for both cluster headache and migraine”. In an online consultation we show you how to apply tiny electrical pulses to the surface of the body (electrostimulation) using our Digital Electronic Treatment Unit. Depending on where the pulse is applied, and the frequency - number of pulses per second - different effects are triggered in the body which are relevant for the treatment of migraine and headache. Each prescription is tailored to you and your specific needs, so, for instance, if your migraines are triggered by periods we can take account of that, and adapt the treatment prescriptions accordingly. (1) Silberstein SD, Yuan H, Najib U, Ailani J, Morais AL, Mathew PG, Liebler E, Tassorelli C, Diener HC. Non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation for primary headache: A clinical update. Cephalalgia. 2020 Oct;40(12):1370-1384. doi: 10.1177/0333102420941864. Epub 2020 Jul 27. PMID: 32718243.(2) Chen SP, Ay I, Lopes de Morais A, et al. Vagus nerve stimulation inhibits cortical spreading depression. Pain. 2016;157(4):797-805. doi:10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000437
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During nearly 40 years of treating back pain, both acute and chronic, my preferred approach was to use bioelectronic medicine, despite my training in osteopathy and manipulation. We can now offer this successful treatment approach using our Digital Electronic Treatment Unit in conjunction with online consultations. Because of my background in osteopathy most patients with back pain who came to the clinic expected a ‘hands on’ type of treatment, because back pain to many seems to be a mechanical problem and therefore requires a mechanical solution, such as manipulation. We often talk about back pain as mechanical; ‘putting my back out’ or ‘slipping a disc’ and it is a common assumption that an Xray or MRI scan will be able to pinpoint the exact cause of the pain. There is ample evidence, however, that there is no absolute link between findings on MRI scans and the presence or absence of back pain.(1)(2) Many people who have low back pain do not have changes on MRI scans to explain their pain, and many patients who have no pain whatsoever have very definite changes on their scans. The two simply don’t match up. Far from explaining the cause of back pain, MRI scans and Xrays can even be positively misleading and may lead to inappropriate treatment. But it may help to explain why bioelectronic approaches can work so well, since the presence or absence of mechanical problems on a scan does not tie in with the presence or absence of back pain. If we stop thinking about low back pain and also sciatica purely in terms of structural changes and damage to the spine or of the back being ‘out’ and think more in terms of pain patterns as we do in bioelectronic medicine, there are many more options for successful treatment and relief of pain without physical interventions or medications. This is particularly true when back pain has been present for many months or years and has become ‘chronic’. How does this work for me? Because these pain patterns are held in the brain they can be modified by ‘neuromodulation’ which is one of the ways that we respond to stimulation of points and areas on the surface of the body. Bioelectronic medicine stimulates the brain to remodel itself, reducing activity in areas which are over-stimulated by chronic pain and stimulating areas which have been unnaturally suppressed, contributing to effective treatment of back pain and sciatica. In addition, stress and anxiety have been shown to be a major part of continuing back pain and we can trigger several responses in the body which are involved in reducing them.(3)(4)(5) These include stimulating serotonin which is made in the brain and is the target of many of the drugs used for anxiety and stress; reducing activity in the ‘fear’ part of the brain; improving mood regulation, and reducing inflammation which may be one of the factors that keeps back pain going. (1) Tonosu J, Oka H, Higashikawa A, Okazaki H, Tanaka S, Matsudaira K. The associations between magnetic resonance imaging findings and low back pain: A 10-year longitudinal analysis. PLoS One. 2017;12(11):e0188057. Published 2017 Nov 15. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0188057
(2) Deyo RA, Weinstein J. Low Back Pain. N Engl J Med 2001; 344:363-370 DOI: 10.1056/NEJM200102013440508 (3) Cebalo N, Negovetić Vranić D, Bašić Kes V. The Effect of Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation (TENS) on Anxiety and Fear in Children Aged 9-14 Years. Acta Stomatol Croat. 2020;54(4):412-419. doi:10.15644/asc54/4/8(4) Kong J, Fang J, Park J, Li S, Rong P. Treating Depression with Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation: State of the Art and Future Perspectives. Front Psychiatry. 2018;9:20. Published 2018 Feb 5. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00020 (5) Liu, CH., Yang, MH., Zhang, GZ. et al. Neural networks and the anti-inflammatory effect of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation in depression. J Neuroinflammation 17, 54 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12974-020-01732-5 With our Digital Electronic Treatment Unit, combined with my long experience in treating anxiety and stress using a variety of modalities in Bioelectronic Medicine, we can trigger several responses in the body which are involved in treating Anxiety and Stress successfully.(1)(2)(3) These include stimulating serotonin which is made in the brain and is the target of many of the drugs used for anxiety and stress; reducing activity in the ‘fear’ part of the brain; improving mood regulation, and reducing inflammation which may be one of the factors that keeps anxiety going. In online consultations we show you how to apply tiny electrical pulses to the surface of the body (electrostimulation) using our Digital Electronic Treatment Unit. Depending on where the pulse is applied, and the frequency (number of pulses per second) different effects are triggered in the body. One of the key benefits of bioelectronic medicine compared with standard drug treatment is that a single prescription in bioelectronic medicine will typically work at multiple levels, and on a number of pathways, all of which may be involved in anxiety. This is in contrast to drug treatments which tend to be focused on one element of the problem which means patients can end up taking several drugs because there may be several elements underlying their anxiety. Our treatment gives people who would prefer not to use drugs altogether or who have not had a benefit from drug treatment in the past a solution. Anxiety has reached very high levels as a result of the recent pandemic. At the outset of the pandemic we commissioned a ‘breathing trainer ‘which we make freely available here for you to use right now to help control anxiety in the short term. Breathing in a particular rhythm, where the outbreath is longer than the inbreath stimulates the body’s parasympathetic system to produce a sense of calm within a few minutes. We wanted to offer something that could be helpful here and now when you need it while you seek more long term solutions.  (1) Cebalo N, Negovetić Vranić D, Bašić Kes V. The Effect of Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation (TENS) on Anxiety and Fear in Children Aged 9-14 Years. Acta Stomatol Croat. 2020;54(4):412-419. doi:10.15644/asc54/4/8(2) Kong J, Fang J, Park J, Li S, Rong P. Treating Depression with Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation: State of the Art and Future Perspectives. Front Psychiatry. 2018;9:20. Published 2018 Feb 5. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00020
(3) Liu, CH., Yang, MH., Zhang, GZ. et al. Neural networks and the anti-inflammatory effect of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation in depression. J Neuroinflammation 17, 54 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12974-020-01732-5 I have been treating patients in the clinic for many years using bioelectronic medicine modalities for Chronic Pain. Now, with our Digital Electronic Treatment Unit in combination with online consultations, you can access this treatment to manage your condition at home. People often say “it's chronic” to describe pain which is really bad, but medically the word ‘chronic’ is used to describe pain which you have had for a long time. If you have had pain for a while, usually more than three months, then changes start to occur in your brain and the nature of the pain alters. It has been shown, for instance, that a tennis elbow which is chronic leads to an increase in electrical Activity in the ‘elbow area’ in the brain, and this enhanced electrical activity spills over into neighbouring areas. Chronic pain is often more difficult to treat than short duration pain and will usually need to be treated in a different way from acute or short term pain because of these changes which have occurred in the brain. How does it work? By precise selection of points and stimulation, bioelectronic medicine stimulates the brain to remodel itself, reducing activity in areas which are over-stimulated by chronic pain and stimulating areas which have been unnaturally suppressed. This remodelling is known as ‘neuromodulation’ and contributes to effective pain management for long term pain. In addition to its effectiveness, this treatment modality does not come with side-effects in contrast to standard medical treatments. Recently, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) looked at treatments available for Chronic Primary Pain. They reviewed all the evidence and came to the conclusion that standard treatments with painkillers such as paracetamol, aspirin and the antiinflammatories like Ibuprofen are not effective for managing this type of chronic (or long lasting pain). Other medications such as gabapentin, ketamin, and steroids are also seen as largely ineffective, and “all have the capacity to cause some harm”. (1) Instead, NICE suggests that patients with chronic pain should be offered other treatments such as what we offer with bioelectronic medicine. For some years The American College of Physicians has been recommending similar approaches as US doctors struggle with the ‘opioid crisis’ and try to avoid prescribing opioid drugs for pain. Many doctors in the UK are also worried that a similar opioid crisis might be on its way in this country. (1) Chronic pain (primary and secondary) in over 16s: assessment of all chronic pain and management of chronic primary pain. NICE guideline [NG193]Published: 07 April 2021 https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng193
Our treatment for eczema uses our Digital Electronic Treatment Unit combined with online consultations. This approach has the ability to reduce chronic inflammation, which is a key element of eczema, by pulsing tiny electrical impulses at specific points on the body (1). Chronic inflammation damages the skin in several different ways and also causes the intense itching which accompanies many skin conditions (2). In an online consultation the prescription pattern is tailored to you based on your own experience of eczema. For example, nearly 90% of patients report disturbances in sleep (3) with most finding it difficult to get off to sleep. Poor sleep in turn leads to tiredness, fatigue and poor concentration. Because bioelectronic medicine works in many different ways, poor sleep usually starts to improve early on in the response to treatment. People with eczema are often worried about their appearance so that stress is a prominent feature of the condition. We can tailor the pattern of treatment to stimulate serotonin and other neurotransmitters involved in reducing stress mechanisms. Many doctors acknowledge that standard drug based treatments of antihistamines, antipruritics, and steroid ointments and creams, are often not particularly effective and can set up their own problems, such as increased sleepiness with the antihistamines, or skin thinning with long term use of steroids. In contrast, there is now an extensive body of evidence supporting the use of bioelectronic medicine modalities (some of which are developments of acupuncture) to relieve itching and treat skin conditions successfully without antihistamines, antipruritics or steroids and with high levels of success. (1) do Carmo Almeida TC, Dos Santos Figueiredo FW, Barbosa Filho VC, de Abreu LC, Fonseca FLA, Adami F. Effects of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation on Proinflammatory Cytokines: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Mediators Inflamm. 2018 Apr 2;2018:1094352. doi: 10.1155/2018/1094352. PMID: 29805310; PMCID: PMC5901481.
(2) Mohammad Ali BM, Hegab DS, El Saadany HM. Use of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for chronic pruritus. Dermatol Ther. 2015 Jul-Aug;28(4):210-5. doi: 10.1111/dth.12242. Epub 2015 May 14. PMID: 25973931. (3) Jeon C, Yan D, Nakamura M, et al. Frequency and Management of Sleep Disturbance in Adults with Atopic Dermatitis: A Systematic Review. Dermatol Ther (Heidelb). 2017;7(3):349-364. doi:10.1007/s13555-017-0192-3 Bladder problems are common, affecting approximately 5 million women and 2 million men of all ages in the UK. The commonest symptoms are bladder pain, frequency and nocturia (having to get up at night, often frequently) but patients are often more distressed by the depression, fatigue and anxiety that accompany the conditions. Fortunately, we can now treat these conditions with bioelectronic medicine. The term bladder problems describes a set of conditions including overactive bladder syndrome, irritable bladder syndrome and painful bladder syndrome. These conditions often overlap with pelvic pain problems. The underlying cause of this group of bladder problems and pain appears to be a chronic inflammatory state of the bladder which leads to the urge to empty the bladder frequently and also to the associated discomfort and pain. Both acupuncture and ‘no needle’ electroacupuncture applied to certain points on the legs have a profound anti-inflammatory effect and reduce pain, and irritability of the bladder. (1) There are some other conditions which may overlap with overactive bladder syndrome such as chronic pelvic pain syndrome which affects both males and females.(2) A large group of patients with vulvodynia - pain in the perineum and vagina which is described as 'burning, stinging or rawness' - do not respond to the standard approaches which include steroid creams, local anaesthetic gel or amitriptyline. One study showed that acupuncture treatment over a few weeks produced an improvement in symptoms in 3 out 4 of these women. (3) Another group of patients who may be helped with treatment are those who develop bladder problems following treatment for cancer. Many patients who have had radiotherapy to the pelvic area during their treatment for cancer will unfortunately develop some distressing symptoms due to the radiation which can include pain, frequency and urgency of urination.. These symptoms may be substantially helped using acupuncture, which is also used at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London. Our treatments can all be carried out remotely. (1) Success of acupuncture in the treatment of interstitial cystitis. Reeves, Chapple and Pullman: Journal of Urology 2009:181:23 Abst. 62.
(2) Lee SWH et al. Acupuncture versus sham acupuncture for chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain. The American Journal of Medicine 121(1) Jan 2008 (3) Powell J, Wojnarowska. Acupuncture for vulvodynia. J R Soc. Med 1999; 92; 579-581 We have seen many patients over the years suffering from migraines, other types of headache, or face pain. We have found that ‘no needle’ electro-acupuncture has been very effective in helping many of these patients. It was first suggested more than 30 years ago that acupuncture was more effective than drugs in the treatment of migraine, as a study from ‘The National Hospital for Nervous Diseases’, London, demonstrated in 1984. (1) More recent research shows that ‘no needle’ electroacupuncture, in particular transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation, is effective in reducing the severity and frequency of migraines and other types of headaches. The research suggests that it works more speedily than medication and gives more lasting relief of symptoms. Modern studies with MRI scans have shown that electroacupuncture modifies areas of the brain which are associated with migraine in particular, and chronic pain in general. For patients with persistent pain in the face and jaw area such as TMJ (temporo-mandibular joint) syndrome or atypical facial pain ‘no needle’ electro acupuncture provides another possibility for treatment which you can manage at home with our treatments. (1) Jnl. of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Neuropsychiatry 1984; 47. 333-7
Nausea and vomiting are often the biggest challenges facing patients who need drug treatment (or chemotherapy) for cancer. Patients are unwilling to take the drugs or may refuse treatment, and poor compliance following their prescription undermines the effectiveness of their treatment programme. Research by Professor Dundee in the UK in the late 80s reported that acupuncture could significantly reduce nausea and vomiting in patients undergoing chemotherapy (1) . Although a successful way of managing the symptoms, it has always been limited in its availability because acupuncture needles have to be inserted by someone who is trained in acupuncture. A way round this difficulty is to use transcutaneous electroacupuncture which does not need any needles (2). Our treatments using a personalised prescription to tap into the body's own healing mechanisms and pathways. By careful selection of points and areas on the body we can stimulate anti-inflammatory pathways, boost pain-relieving substances such as endorphins and produce changes in other chemical signalling systems such as dopamine pathways which lead to change and even remodelling in the brain itself. (1) J. W. Dundee, R. G. Ghaly, K. T. J. Fitzpatrick, G. A. Lynch, and W. P. Abram, “Acupuncture to prevent cisplatin-associated vomiting,” The Lancet, vol. 329, no. 8541, p. 1083, 1987.
(2) Xing Zhang, Hai-feng Jin, Yi-hong Fan, Bin LU, Li-na Meng, Jiande D. Z. Chen, "Effects and Mechanisms of Transcutaneous Electroacupuncture on Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting", Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, vol. 2014, Article ID 860631, 6 pages, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/860631 Pain down the back of the leg is usually simply called ’sciatica’, but an important cause of similar pain is ‘piriformis syndrome’. It often starts with a heavy fall onto the buttock or a long run or walk, but one of the commonest causes is sitting on a long car journey. Pain down the back of the leg as far as the back of the knee is the commonest complaint, but patients often complain as well of;
Piriformis syndrome may also be a major factor in Restless Legs Syndrome and releasing spasm in this muscle may make a substantial difference to RLS. Our treatment approach is subtly different for this pain pattern compared with sciatic pain. Some people also suffer from a condition called Plantar Fasciitis, ‘Policeman’s Heel’
This painful condition can cause severe pain when you put your feet to the ground first thing in the morning. As you get up and move, the pain normally decreases, but it might return after long periods of standing or when you stand up after sitting. It has usually been described as due to inflammation of a thick band of tissue that runs across the bottom of your foot and connects your heel bone to your toes (plantar fascia). (Think of the plantar fascia as being like a piece of bike inner tube - tough and elastic - forming part of the springing mechanism of the foot. It helps to maintain the arch of the foot and reduce shock loading to the legs and body as you walk.) X-rays of the foot can be misleading because 1 in 10 of the population have ‘heel spurs’. These are often pointed out as the cause of the pain, but there is no evidence that heel spurs do cause heel pain. Mainstream treatments include steroid injections into the heel but these can be really painful and often help only for a few months. Shock wave therapy is painless but has mixed success. The osteopathic approach of ‘positional release manipulation’ which is aimed at reducing tension in the taut plantar fascia is often helpful and this can be taught online as a self- treatment. Combined with Electrical stimulation this can often be successful in treating a very troublesome problem for many. Plantar fasciitis is the third commonest musculoskeletal injury in runners, affecting 5-10% of them. In ultra marathon runners that rises to about 11%. To reduce the risk of developing the condition, careful choice of running shoes with good internal support is very important as is a training programme that increases your distances gradually without suddenly increasing your mileage. But if you do run into trouble we may be able to get you up and running again. Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) has been a specialist interest of Dr Monk for several years. One of the major parts of our successful approach was ‘no needle’ electroacupuncture. You can experience the same benefits with our treatment protocol. With our treatment you will be able to tap into the body's own healing mechanisms and pathways. By careful selection of points and areas on the body we can stimulate anti-inflammatory pathways, boost pain-relieving substances such as endorphins and produce changes in other chemical signalling systems such as dopamine pathways which lead to change and even remodelling in the brain itself. The symptoms of RLS can be very strange and it can take a long time for sufferers to have their condition diagnosed. Because of this a standard question was formulated by a group of neurologists to be broadly diagnostic. (1) "When you try to relax in the evening or sleep at night, do you ever have unpleasant, restless feelings in your legs that can be relieved by walking or movement?“ If you answer “yes” then it’s virtually certain that you have RLS. For many patients with RLS the biggest problems come from the medications they may be prescribed by doctors, especially the dopaminergics such as ropinirole and pramipexole. These are no longer recommended as first-line drugs (the ones to start treatment with) but we still see many patients who have been taking these medications for some considerable time. Unfortunately these medications come with a major drawback - they cause augmentation in 7 out of 10 patients. What is meant by augmentation is that the RLS symptoms start earlier in the day, may be more severe, and may spread from the legs to other parts of the body - so that the medication you are taking to help your RLS can actually make the symptoms worse over time. Weaning from the medication can be a huge problem as well since the dopaminergics are addictive, and some experts believe that it is more challenging to withdraw from this class of drugs than from heroin and the opioids. Most of the patients we have seen in the clinic were taking medications for RLS (usually 2 or 3) and more than half of them were showing symptoms of augmentation. Despite this, we still managed to achieve an improvement in symptom severity of 68% on average. Remember that some patients with RLS have underlying conditions which can be treated to relieve their symptoms. (1) A single question for the rapid screening of restless legs syndrome in the neurological clinical practice.Ferri R, Lanuzza B, Cosentino FI, Iero I, Tripodi M, Spada RS, Toscano G, Marelli S, Aricò D, Bella R, Hening WA, Zucconi M. Eur J Neurol. 2007 Sep; 14(9):1016-21.
IBS can be a lifelong condition causing stomach cramps and pain, bloating, diarrhoea (often with urgency, meaning you can’t wait), and constipation. The most important part of our treatment for this condition over the past 30 years has been ‘no needle’ electroacupuncture, which often helps symptoms even in patients with longstanding problems. With our treatment you tap into the body's own healing mechanisms and pathways. By careful selection of points and areas on the body we can stimulate anti-inflammatory pathways, boost pain-relieving substances such as endorphins and produce changes in other chemical signalling systems such as dopamine pathways which lead to change and even remodelling in the brain itself. There is a more detailed explanation about ‘no needle’ electroacupuncture and the broader field of Bioelectronic Medicine here. There are several studies demonstrating the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome(1) (particularly IBS-D when diarrhoea is the dominant symptom). When we were treating patients face to face in the clinic using the ‘no needle’ approach of electroacupuncture we found that too was a very effective way of relieving the symptoms of IBS - pain, discomfort, bloating and diarrhoea. IBS may not be life threatening but it can certainly be a life limiting condition - preventing sufferers from leaving the house in bad cases. We have seen several patients over the years whose life was governed by the need to know where the nearest WC was. (1) Acupuncture for Diarrhoea-Predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Network Meta-Analysis. Lingping Zhu et al., Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2018 / Volume 2018 |Article ID 2890465 | https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/2890465
The commonest problem that we saw in the clinic is low back pain, with or without pain radiating into the leg. The most important part of our treatment for this condition over the past 30 years has been ‘no needle’ electroacupuncture, which often proves to be the answer even in patients with longstanding pain. You can experience the same benefits with our at home treatment. With our treatment you will tap into the body's own healing mechanisms and pathways. By careful selection of points and areas on the body we can stimulate anti-inflammatory pathways, boost pain-relieving substances such as endorphins and produce changes in other chemical signalling systems such as dopamine pathways which lead to change and even remodelling in the brain itself. Many patients with back pain will have been told that they have a ‘slipped disc’ which is causing their pain, and many of them will have the Xray or MRI scan which seems to prove it. So a question that is frequently asked is “How is this treatment going to help me when my MRI scan shows that I have a slipped disc? Surely the only treatment is surgery?” In fact, there is ample evidence that there is no correlation between findings on MRI scans and the presence or absence of back pain.(1) (2) In other words, most people who have low back pain do not have changes on MRI scans to explain their pain, and many patients who have no pain whatsoever have very definite changes on their scans. Far from explaining the cause of back pain, it seems that MRI scans and Xrays can be positively misleading and may lead to inappropriate treatment. However if we stop thinking about low back pain and sciatica purely in terms of structural changes and damage to the spine and think more in terms of pain patterns which respond to other approaches, then we have more options for successful treatment, relief of pain and the goal of long term resolution of the problem. ‘No needle’ electroacupuncture and GHET tap into the body's own healing mechanisms and pathways. By careful selection of points and areas on the body we can stimulate anti-inflammatory pathways, boost pain-relieving substances such as endorphins and produce changes in other chemical signalling systems such as dopamine pathways. These changes lead to fundamental and lasting change and remodelling in the brain itself resulting in long term improvement. (1) Tonosu J, Oka H, Higashikawa A, Okazaki H, Tanaka S, Matsudaira K. The associations between magnetic resonance imaging findings and low back pain: A 10-year longitudinal analysis. PLoS One. 2017;12(11):e0188057. Published 2017 Nov 15. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0188057
(2) Deyo RA, Weinstein J. Low Back Pain. N Engl J Med 2001; 344:363-370 DOI: 10.1056/NEJM200102013440508 We have developed a treatment for Anosmia which can be self-administered at home. When loss of sense of smell has been caused by a virus, most people have recovered by 4 weeks. However, for a substantial minority, their sense of smell has not returned up to 18 months later. ENTUK suggests ‘smell training’ for those whose sense of smell has not returned by 4 weeks and this can be helpful for some. There are a number of studies showing that acupuncture can help restore olfactory function (sense of smell), even after lengthy periods of time (1) (2) (3) (4) and our own clinical experience when seeing patients face to face supports this. Several of those studies have emphasised the use of acupuncture points on the ear, which we are able to treat with our treatment. Our treatment approach brings together concepts of acupuncture with developments in the rapidly emerging field of Bioelectronic Medicine. Our treatment taps into the body's own healing mechanisms and pathways. By careful selection of points and areas on the body we can stimulate anti-inflammatory pathways, boost pain-relieving substances such as endorphins and produce changes in other chemical signalling systems such as dopamine pathways. These changes lead to fundamental and lasting changes and remodelling in the brain itself resulting in long term improvement. (1) Vent J, Wang D-W, Damm M. Effects of traditional Chinese acupuncture in post-viral olfactory dysfunction. Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery. 2010;142(4):505-509. doi:10.1016/j.otohns.2010.01.012
(2) Liebell D,Waking Up and Literally Smelling the Coffee: Inducing Olfactory Function with 3-Phase Auricular Therapy https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/acu.2018.1326 (3) Dai Q, Pang Z, Yu H. Recovery of Olfactory Function in Postviral Olfactory Dysfunction Patients after Acupuncture Treatment. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2016;2016:4986034. doi: 10.1155/2016/4986034. Epub 2016 Feb 29. PMID: 27034689; PMCID: PMC4789421. (4) Michael W. Anosmia Treated with Acupuncture. Acupuncture in Medicine. 2003;21(4):153-154. doi:10.1136/aim.21.4.153 Perhaps the second most common condition that we saw in the clinic was neck and shoulder pain, often with pain radiating down the arm into the hand and fingers. The most important part of our treatment for this condition over the past 30 years has been ‘no needle’ electroacupuncture, which often proves to be the answer even in patients with longstanding pain. You can experience the same benefits with our at home treatment. Our treatment taps into the body's own healing mechanisms and pathways. By careful selection of points and areas on the body we can stimulate anti-inflammatory pathways, boost pain-relieving substances such as endorphins and produce changes in other chemical signalling systems such as dopamine pathways. These changes lead to fundamental and lasting change and remodelling in the brain itself resulting in long term improvement. Just as with back pain, it is often more helpful to think in terms of pain patterns rather than changes on Xray or MRI scan. Several studies have shown that there is no clear relationship between pain in the neck and whether or not there are changes on scans. One review stated that “definitive conclusions cannot be drawn on the presence of MRI findings in individuals with WAD (whiplash associated disorder) or NSNP (non-specific neck pain) compared with pain‐free controls.” (1) So if we recognise that changes on scans and Xrays are not a firm diagnosis, and could be positively misleading, we could be more successful in treating patients by thinking about the pattern of pain (where it starts, where it radiates to, how it comes and goes) rather than any structural changes demonstrated by imaging. Probably most musculoskeletal pain actually arises from muscle, usually ‘myofascial trigger points’, and with this in mind there are many possibilities for treatment, relief of pain and perhaps long term resolution of the problem. (1) Farell SF et al., Cervical spine findings on MRI in people with neck pain compared with pain-free controls: A systematic review and meta-analysis: MRI Findings in Whiplash and Neck Pain. Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging 49(6) January 2019 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.26567
If you have had a painful condition for a while, usually more than three months, then it begins to change its character. Research over recent years shows that after a few months the nature of pain alters and can become more difficult to treat because changes start to occur in the brain and these changes will need different approaches from pain that has only been present for a short time.
The most important part of our treatment for this condition over the past 30 years has been ‘no needle’ electroacupuncture, which often is very effective even in patients with longstanding pain. You can experience the same benefits of this with our treatments. Our treatment taps into the body's own healing mechanisms and pathways. By careful selection of points and areas on the body we can stimulate anti-inflammatory pathways, boost pain-relieving substances such as endorphins and produce changes in other chemical signalling systems such as dopamine pathways which lead to change and even remodelling in the brain itself. There is a more detailed explanation about ‘no needle’ electroacupuncture and the broader field of Bioelectronic Medicine here. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) have recently issued draft guidelines for doctors to help them manage Chronic Primary Pain, following a review of the evidence for different treatments. The draft guidance notes that standard treatment with painkillers such as paracetamol, aspirin and the anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen are not effective for managing this type of chronic (or long lasting) pain. Other medications such as gabapentin, ketamine and steroids are also seen as largely ineffective, and all have the capacity to cause some harm. In their place, NICE is now suggesting that patients with chronic primary pain should be offered group exercise sessions, some types of psychological therapy, or acupuncture (these have been the recommendations of the American College of Physicians for some years as US doctors try to avoid prescribing opioid drugs for pain). One of the commonest reasons for people to try acupuncture is for pain relief of arthritis. Acupuncture may be very helpful in reducing joint pain and stiffness associated with arthritis, and the improvement is usually long lasting. In the clinic the most important part of our treatment for this condition over the past 30 years has been ‘no needle’ electroacupuncture, which often proves to be the answer even in patients with longstanding pain. You can experience the same benefits with our Treatment. Studying the brains of people having acupuncture and electroacupuncture for chronic pain and arthritis using MRI, has demonstrated that these techniques modify or modulate areas of the brain which are involved in processing pain and anxiety and responses to inflammation - all of which have a part to play in arthritis. The main reason that steroids are prescribed in many types of arthritis is to reduce inflammation. Both acupuncture and electroacupuncture have powerful anti-inflammatory effects, but of course stimulating the body's own healing responses and anti-inflammatory pathways like this avoids any of the side effects of using steroids. We found in our clinic that acupuncture and ‘no needle’ electroacupuncture where particularly effective in osteoarthritis of the knee and in many cases it will be possible to avoid what might seem to be an inevitable progression to surgery - we are always pleased when we can achieve this. A study carried out in Denmark found that a quarter of patients with severe knee arthritis were able to take themselves off the waiting list for a knee replacement, because they improved so much with a short course of acupuncture. (1) More recently, research has increasingly focused on stimulating the Vagus Nerve using electroacupuncture with surface electrodes and this recent development is another way that we can trigger one of the body’s own healing pathways to reduce inflammation and pain.(2) (1) Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica (1992) 36:519-25
(2) The Inflammatory Reflex and the Role of Complementary and Alternative Medical Therapies. Oke SL.Tracey KJ Ann. NY Ac Sci (2009) 1172, 172-80 If stress and anxiety are troubling you, then we strongly suggest you first try the breathing trainer for several days. Following this breathing pattern will slow your breathing down which leads to a number of major benefits in the body. The main one is that it will reduce the sympathetic activity of the autonomic nervous system (the ‘fight or flight’ part of the ANS) which keeps us in a state of high alert and leads to stress and anxiety and many chronic diseases. Slowing your breathing damps down this state of hyper alertness and reduces stress.
If you feel that this is not helping it may be time to try our treatment protocols as these may help you. With our treatment and the use of a digital electronic stimulation unit you will be able to tap into your body's own healing mechanisms and pathways. By careful selection of points and areas you can stimulate anti-inflammatory pathways, boost pain-relieving substances such as endorphins and produce changes in other chemical signalling systems such as dopamine pathways. These changes lead to fundamental and lasting change and remodelling in the brain itself resulting in long term improvement. |