Dear Colleagues:

But to put South American energetics into perspective, I first need to say how impressed I was that neural therapy in South American is practiced along very traditional lines. The Huneke brothers are still held in high regard and their names are mentioned often.   When neural therapy is discussed, the term used is "neural therapy according to Huneke". This appears to be the convention in Germany as well, judging from the title of Dosch's textbook, Manual of neural therapy according to Huneke.

This homage to the Hunekes reminded me of the osteopathic profession's ongoing respect for AT Still, the founder of osteopathy. In osteopathic circles, hardly a lecture is given without a tip of the hat to AT Still.  This is because both AT Still and the Huneke brothers were more than astute clinicians; they had the ability to communicate a whole new way of seeing pathophysiology. Their greatest gifts to those who followed them were their medical perspectives.  They were above all else thinkers!

Having said this, some, but not all South American neural therapists are using energetics in diagnosis, although not in therapy.  As mentioned last month, the bidigital O-ring test is commonly used to detect interference fields.  The treatment is however, procaine injections.  Energetic testing for factors inhibiting neural therapy, such as nutritional deficiencies, food sensitivities and toxic metals does not appear to be routinely done.

In a parallel development, some South American neural therapists have embraced a sophisticated form of energetics called Sintergetica medicine.  This system is the creation of Dr. Jorge Caraval, an influential Columbian physician, teacher and author of numerous medical books.  As the name suggests, ideas from a variety of healing traditions (Chinese, Tibetan, Ayurvedic, South American shamanistic and Western medicine) have been synthesized and applied using VAS (vascular autonomic response) in diagnosis and soft lasers in treatment.  These specially made lasers use a variety of complex frequencies in both diagnosis and treatment.

Sintergetica medicine attempts to integrate all aspects of an individual's being including gross and microscopic anatomy, metabolism, circulation, energy patterns and flow, temperament, emotions, psychic factors and "ancestral energy" (presumably the energetic phenomena observed in family systems therapy or in morphogenetic fields).  Drawing as heavily as it does from Eastern spirituality, it should not be surprising that the perspective is decidedly New Age http://www.sintergetica.com and may not be entirely acceptable to those with a Judeo-Christian world view.  Nevertheless many interesting observations can be found that have potential application to Western medicine including neural therapy.

The most intriguing part of this system (for me) is its correlation of specific frequencies with many aspects of an individual's identity, including levels of consciousness, personality, metabolism, gross and microscopic anatomy, etc. This information is incorporated into a chart (See below) which bears some resemblance to the periodic table. The rows ("bands" in Synergetica) correspond to the Nogier frequencies in the ELF range. (Acupuncture meridians and homeopathic remedies resonate in this range.)  The columns correspond to higher frequencies that are superimposed on the lower ones, just as sound frequencies are carried on radio waves.  Colour indicates relationships between the specific frequencies.

For example, the level of the rows corresponds with (among other things) levels of consciousness: the lower 3 being subconscious, the 4th transitional, the 5th and 6^th conscious, and the 7^th "transpersonal".  Rows generally correspond with character, columns with temperament.  At the same time, anatomy is also addressed; each specific frequency corresponds with a spinal segment (shown on other charts). 

As in homeopathy, multiple aspects of an individual's constitution are taken into account.  However syntergetica goes much farther, applying somatotopic principles and treatments not just to the patient's constitution but (potentially) to every part of the body.

Syntergetic medicine is a very different world than neural therapy.  However the energetic techniques that facilitate neural therapy (autonomic response testing and Tenscam) indicate there is overlap.  I look forward to the day that Dr. Caraval's ideas become available in English.