The Effects of Neural Therapy Using 1% Procaine Injections on Pain and Autonomic Nervous System in Patients with Neck Pain

Abstract

The effects of neural therapy using 1% procaine injections on pain and autonomic nervous system in patients with neck pain. Abstracts Background: Neural therapy, is a treatment approach that targets the nervous system by altering resting potential through injecting a local anesthetic. Neural therapy can be used to treat local tissues such as trigger points. It was the aim of this study to evaluate the short-term effect of neural therapy, using 1% procaine injections at cervicothoracic region, in subjects with chronic cervical spine pain on the autonomic nervous system. The secondary aim was to investigate if neural therapy resulted in immediate change in reported pain. Methods: A convenience sample of 22 subjects were recruited for this study. Each subjected reported pre intervention pain level. After this they underwent an automated pupillometry measurement for 1 minute. Following this they received the neural therapy intervention paravertebrally and an immediate pupil measurement followed. A third pupillometry measure was taken 4 minutes later. After this the subject reported post intervention pain level. Outcomes: There was no significant change in the pupil measurements in both the right and left eye (p>0.05). There was a significant reduction difference in pain report post testing (p< 0.01). Discussion: The results of this study demonstrate that Neural therapy using 1% procaine has an immediate effect on localized pain perception with eight paravertebral 1% procaine injections at the level of C7-T3. No change in pupil diameter was observed following neural therapy indicating that the balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system did not change.