Are you sick of taking ibuprofen for pain that keeps coming back over and over again? Are you ready for an alternative tool for pain management. Read more about a unique treatment that may relieve pain.
Relax your Nerves with Sugar
Perineural Injection Therapy (PIT) is an injection of dextrose to nerves that run along the skin. Dextrose, a type of sugar, is chemically identical to blood sugar, glucose. Oxygen and glucose are the primary energy sources for cells. When there are injuries to nerve cells, they lose energy and send repeated pain signals to the body (1). By injecting dextrose, nerve cells can be fed and nourished. This fluid solution also breaks apart scar tissues. And treating nerves along the skin will also affect nerves throughout the body.
I treated a patient who had multiple knee injuries from playing sports. These surgeries initially relieved the pain but it soon came back and became chronic. After only one treatment, the patient was able to squat, something she had not done for many years. After a few more treatments, she could engage in more of the activities she enjoyed.
Another patient had such terrible thumb pain she couldn’t hold anything large in her hands. After one treatment, she grabbed a big water bottle and drank out of it. A patient suffered from debilitating headaches which sent her to the ER. Those headaches have stopped with PIT treatment. PIT also works for acute injuries. I recently treated a patient who sprained his ankle and knee while skiing. Pain reduced and range of motion increased after one treatment which he described as a “tremendous relief”. Significant swelling in the ankle shrunk after two treatments.
Treating the Cause of Pain Naturally
Pain is a part of life and unfortunately our common treatments – steroids, non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) like aspirin or ibuprofen, and opiates – are useful to some degree, but do not treat the cause of pain. Rather than just numbing, we need better tools.
As a naturopath, herbalist, and proponent of gentle body work, I love to utilize nutritional, botanical therapies, myofascial release, and craniosacral therapy in treating pain because I believe healing can start to happen when we see our body as a whole.
PIT and Holistic Natural Health Treatments
PIT is even more effective when combined with other holistic natural health treatments. Acupuncture moves Qi locally and globally and moxibustion (burning mugwart) promotes blood circulation, which provides the foundation for healing. PIT then provides targeted therapy to the affected area.
History of PIT
PIT was invented by Dr. John Lyftogt (2), a sports medicine specialist. In his practice, he was treating pain primarily with steroids, but it was not sustainable. He found old literature and studies on glucose deprivation and its relation to nerve injury and pain. Dr. Lyftogt, also an avid athlete, treated himself with dextrose injections and experienced long-lasting results and, in some cases, full recovery from his chronic pain. He offers PIT training for medical professions across the world.
References
- G. Lundborg et al.: Nerve compression injury and increased endoneurial fluid pressure: a “miniature compartment syndrome”. J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry 46, 1119 (1983)
- https://www.lyftogtmed.com/
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