Neural Therapy and Therapeutic Local Anesthesia: A Comparison

At first glance, neural therapy and therapeutic local anesthesia may appear similar since both procedures utilize local anesthetics. However, there are fundamental differences in the objectives, methods, and underlying concepts that set them apart. While therapeutic local anesthesia primarily serves as a pain management measure, neural therapy is a more complex, diagnostic-therapeutic approach that takes deeper physiological connections into account. This article highlights why neural therapy is much more than just a technique for pain management and how its diagnostic component differentiates it from mere therapeutic local anesthesia.

1. Neural Therapy: Integrating Diagnosis and Treatment

Neural therapy goes far beyond mere symptomatic pain treatment. It is based on the assumption that disturbances in the autonomic nervous system, particularly in the segmental area, can cause chronic complaints over time. One of the distinguishing features of neural therapy is that approximately 70% of the process involves diagnosing the underlying disturbance fields and regulatory disorders, while only 30% comprises the treatment itself.
Neural therapists not only consider the local pain area but also search for deeper causes, often located in other regions of the body. This is done through injections into specific areas that are linked to disturbance fields or segmental structures. The focus of neural therapy is to identify regulatory disorders that affect the autonomic nervous system. By injecting local anesthetics (usually procaine or lidocaine), disturbance fields are deactivated, thereby activating the healing process in the entire organism.
A neural therapist pays particular attention to the influence of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, which often become imbalanced during the course of illness. Through targeted injections, the disrupted balance can be restored, which, in turn, stimulates the body’s self-healing abilities.

2. Therapeutic Local Anesthesia: Symptomatic Pain Treatment

In contrast to neural therapy, therapeutic local anesthesia is primarily aimed at the symptomatic treatment of pain. It is commonly used in pain management and aims to block the perception of pain locally. Not only is a local anesthetic used, but often cortisone is added to achieve anti-inflammatory effects. Here, the focus is on the local pain, and the injection is administered precisely to the area the patient reports as painful.
While therapeutic local anesthesia does not typically aim to diagnose disturbance fields or segmental regulatory disorders, its primary focus is on local and temporary pain relief. It does not involve the autonomic nervous system or aim for a holistic regulation of the organism but rather seeks a short-term reduction in pain symptoms.

3. The Diagnostic Background of Neural Therapy

The origins of neural therapy lie in the understanding that chronic inflammation or autonomic dysregulation in the body can affect various, often distant, regions. As such, neural therapists are specially trained to look beyond immediate symptoms to identify underlying disorders that may not seem directly related to the patient’s complaints.
A neural therapeutic approach requires a precise understanding of the nervous system and the interactions between different body regions. This diagnostic component fundamentally distinguishes neural therapy from therapeutic local anesthesia. While the latter is primarily a symptomatic treatment, neural therapy is a deep-reaching method aimed at restoring disturbed autonomic balance, often linked to disturbance fields caused by old injuries, infections, or scars.

4. Neural Therapy as a Medical Discipline

It is important to emphasize that neural therapy is a medical discipline that requires not only therapeutic skills but also strong diagnostic capabilities. This sets it apart from both therapeutic local anesthesia and other manual techniques. Physicians who practice neural therapy are trained to recognize complex interactions and to develop patient-specific treatment strategies. Therefore, neural therapy is not just a technique for pain treatment but a comprehensive therapeutic approach that takes the entire regulatory system of the body into account.

5. Manual Medicine and Neural Therapy: A Comparison

Both manual medicine and neural therapy encompass diagnostic and therapeutic aspects. They are practiced by medical specialists who have undergone extensive training. Unlike manual therapy, which is primarily performed by physiotherapists, manual medicine involves an in-depth diagnosis of functional disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Like neural therapy, it requires a profound diagnostic knowledge base. Both manual medicine and neural therapy are medical disciplines rooted in thorough diagnostics.

Conclusion: Neural Therapy as a Comprehensive Medical Method

Neural therapy should not be equated with therapeutic local anesthesia. It is far more than just a method for reducing pain and is based on a deep diagnostic approach that considers the autonomic nervous system and segmental disturbance fields. Through targeted injections at specific points in the body, the disturbed balance in the autonomic nervous system is restored, ultimately supporting the healing process throughout the organism. As a medical discipline, neural therapy requires a deep understanding of the underlying physiological and pathophysiological relationships, which go far beyond symptomatic pain treatment.

Prof. Dr Hüseyin Nazlikul, MD

President of the International Federation of Medical Societies for Neural Therapy (IFMANT)