Neural Therapy FAQ

1. Where does neural therapy come from?

Neural therapy was developed by two German physician-dentist brothers, Walter and Ferdinand Huneke, in the 1920s and '30s. They accidentally found that procaine—a local anesthetic—when injected into certain spots such as scars, can relieve pain in areas away from the place of injection.

They also found that the pain relief lasts much longer than would be expected from the anesthetic effect alone. The brothers called these spots interference fields. Neural therapy is the treatment of pain and other illnesses by finding and treating interference fields.

2. Where are interference fields found?

The best-known location for interference fields is in surgical scars. However, they also may be found in teeth, in autonomic ganglia, at sites of nerve entrapment, in organs, at sites of somatic dysfunction or even in puncture sites.

3. How does neural therapy work?

The tissues in which interference fields are found can be shown to have abnormal cell membrane resting potential. This creates electrophysiological instability and abnormal afferent signals which, in turn, trigger abnormal autonomic nervous system responses. Procaine has a membrane-stabilizing effect (much like lidocaine in treating cardiac arrhythmias). By restoring cell membrane potential to normal for even a short time, cellular metabolism improves, a healthier local environment is created and the system stabilizes.

4. Is neural therapy about nerves?

Despite the name, neural therapy is not usually treatment of nerves. However, the nervous system, especially the autonomic nervous system, is very much involved.

5. What health conditions can neural therapy treat?

Neural therapy is best known for treating pain, but is also used for any condition where the autonomic nervous system is involved, such as asthma, migraine headaches, gastro-esophageal reflux disorder (GERD), sympathetic dystrophy, "nervous" stomach, irritable bowel syndrome, delayed healing of fractures and skin ulcers, sexual dysfunction and irritable bladder.

6. Are cures possible from neural therapy?

Occasionally, one neural therapy treatment will cure a condition. More commonly, repeat treatments are needed. If even a temporary response is obtained the first time, repeat treatments are usually increasingly effective. A limiting factor in the success of neural therapy is the general medical condition of the patient. If the patient is chronically tired, nutritionally deficient or toxic, neural therapy is less effective.

7. Does neural therapy have any side-effects?

About 5% of the time, neural therapy injections may provoke an increase in pain for a day or so. This usually means that the injection was not in the correct spot; however, a painful reaction usually means that the interference field is nearby.

8. Are neural therapy injections painful?

Neural therapy injections can be painful, but the pain usually lasts only a few seconds.

9. Does neural therapy offer any alternatives for patients who are afraid of needles?

Yes, it is possible to treat interference fields painlessly without needles. The Tenscam®, a hand-held electronic device, pointed at the interference field from a distance of 18 inches for about two minutes, seems to be as effective as procaine injections.

10. Why is neural therapy not better known in the USA?

Neural therapy was developed in Germany, where it is considered a normal part of medical practice. Virtually all the neural therapy literature has been published in German; very little has ever been translated into English. Thus, the non-German-speaking world has simply not been exposed to neural therapy.