Mechanical mid-back pain can be a diagnostic challenge. Pain in this area (from, say T6
to L3) is less common and the mechanics of the area are less complex than in the low
back. Yet the results of mid-back pain treatment by manipulation or other physical means can be disappointing, even in the hands of skilled therapists. When this happens—or
preferably even before—consider the presence of abnormal reflex activity from visceral
organs.
Consider the effects of viscero-somatic reflexes
The existence of reflex connections between soma and viscera is standard medical
knowledge. Paralytic ileus is a well-known complication of L1 compression fracture and
general surgical textbooks remind us that mid-back pain can be a sign of “silent”
duodenal ulcer.
What is less apparent are the frequency and extent of these viscero-somatic and somato-visceral reflexes. If looked for carefully, they are surprisingly common and detecting them can be the key to successfully treating some of these “tough” cases. And neural therapy is an ideal method of treatment.
Case in Point
A 45-year-old self-employed painter presented with five years of bilateral mid-back pain
initiated by a lifting-twisting strain. The pain was worse at night and during the day was
exacerbated by certain movements, such as lifting or digging in his garden. Skilled
chiropractic, osteopathic and physiotherapeutic treatment and massage had given no
lasting relief.
His general health was good with the exception of quite severe heartburn for the previous 10 years and some fatigue. A measure of relief from the heartburn was obtained by taking Zantac and avoiding coffee, pop and greasy foods. He was under considerable stress from a failing marriage.
On examination of his musculoskeletal system, no abnormality (somatic dysfunction)
could be found, apart from tension in the lumbar and thoracic para-spinal muscles.
However autonomic response testing revealed an interference field at the gastro-
esophageal junction.
Neural therapy using quaddles of dilute procaine into the overlying skin resulted in one
day of complete relief of the back pain, but no change in the heartburn. Repeat neural
therapy a few weeks later resulted again in only temporary relief of the back pain and no
change in the heartburn.
This response indicated that not just the interference field, but its underlying cause
needed to be treated. Non-pharmaceutical treatment using nutritional supplements
(beyond the scope of this article) resulted in the heartburn settling within two weeks, but the backache nevertheless persisted.
On the next visit, no interference field could be detected at the gastro-esophageal
junction, but autonomic response testing indicated an interference field in the liver. This
was not entirely a surprise, as the patient’s occupation as a painter put him at risk for
low-grade organic solvent poisoning, a common cause of liver stress.
This time, neural therapy of the liver produced what the patient described as an
“awesome” response—heartburn gone, back pain reduced and improved energy and
clarity of thought for a few days. He was put on an organic solvent detoxification
program; liver interference fields were treated three more times; and nine months after
his presentation, both the back pain and heartburn were gone and his energy and mental
clarity were back to normal.
This case demonstrates that neural therapy sometimes has to be combined with other
medical treatments to be lastingly effective. It also shows that neurological signals from
more than one interference field often “summate” to produce a particular condition. Both
the gastro-esophageal reflux and the liver interference fields were contributing to the
mid-back pain. And both medical conditions had to be treated for the neural therapy to
produce a lasting effect.
Sincerely,
Robert F. Kidd, MD, CM
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Prof. Alastair Ferguson is keynote speaker
at Neural Therapy Retreat, Feb. 9-10, 2007, in Merrickville, Ontario, Canada
The head of Queen’s University Physiology Department, Professor Alastair Ferguson,
will present an update on autonomic nervous system neurophysiology at the mid-winter
Neural Therapy Retreat.
If you have taken at least one neural therapy course from Dr. Klinghardt or me, you are
invited to attend this event, Feb. 9-10, 2007, at Sam Jakes Inn, (www.samjakesinn.com)
in Merrickville, Ontario, Canada.
Registration will be limited, so please e-mail me at drkidd@neuraltherapybook. com or
call my office at 613-432-6596 if you are interested in attending the retreat.
The program will be informal: a few lectures, some invited guests, demonstrations, clinic
time and opportunities to ask questions. If you would like to present a free paper, please
contact me. Or if you or a family member has an intractable medical problem you would
like to have checked out, this might be the time and place to do it.
If there is an area of neural therapy you would like me to review or cover, that
information will help me plan the program.
More about the location: Merrickville is a little country town situated by the historic
Rideau Canal, about 45 minutes south of Ottawa. During the summer it is a lively place, a
favorite getaway for tourists and boaters. In the winter it is quiet and not much goes on—a perfect place for a get-away-from-it-all retreat. The inn is cozy and comfortable and the food is excellent.
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Your feedback is always welcome
I invite your comments and questions—as well as brief case histories. Please e-mail me at drkidd@neuraltherapybook. com.
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Contact information
e-mail: drkidd@neuraltherapy book.com
voice: 613-432-6596
web: www.neuraltherapybook.com
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