Neural Therapy - Greenville, SC
The Discovery of Neural Therapy
Neural Therapy began by accident in 1925 when Dr. Ferdinand Huneke in Germany tried to help his sister with terrible migraine headaches. During one severe attack, he gave her an injection he thought was medicine for joint pain. Instead, he had grabbed a vial of procaine, a mild numbing medicine. As he was still giving the injection, her migraine pain, flashing lights, dizziness, and nausea all disappeared completely—and never came back.
This surprising result led the Huneke brothers to study how procaine could heal problems far from where they injected it. They found that small amounts of this gentle anesthetic could reset nerve function and help the body heal itself. By 1928, they published their research on these "unknown distant effects" of local anesthesia.
How Neural Therapy Works
Your nervous system controls pain, healing, blood flow, and how your organs work. Sometimes, old injuries, surgeries, or ongoing stress can disrupt these nerve signals. When nerves get "stuck" sending the wrong messages, you may have chronic pain, headaches, or symptoms that don't make sense or show up on scans.
Neural Therapy uses very small, shallow injections of procaine to help reset these faulty nerve signals. The procaine doesn't numb the pain away—it helps nerves return to normal function. At Acupuncture Injection Greenville, Dr. Hendry places these injections at specific spots based on your pain pattern and medical history.
Who Benefits from Neural Therapy
Neural Therapy helps people with chronic headaches, TMJ problems, whiplash pain, nerve sensitivity, and pain that moves or changes location. It's especially useful when other treatments haven't worked or when symptoms seem disconnected from what doctors can find on tests. Many patients in Greenville find this therapy helpful for problems that started after car accidents, old surgeries, or stressful periods in their lives.
Dr. Hendry, who has hospital privileges at Prisma Health and has worked with emergency medicine doctors, often sees patients whose pain doesn't fit typical patterns. Neural Therapy can help when the nervous system itself needs to be "rebooted" rather than just treating muscles or joints.
Treatment Experience
Neural Therapy injections are very shallow—just under the skin—and most people feel little discomfort. The needles are small, and the procaine amount is tiny. You can usually return to your day right after treatment. Some people notice changes immediately, while others improve gradually over days or weeks.
The number of treatments needed varies widely. Some people get lasting relief from just one or two sessions, especially if their problem started recently. Others with long-term nerve disruption may need several treatments. Dr. Hendry explains what's realistic for your situation based on his experience treating similar cases.
Combining Neural Therapy with Other Treatments
Neural Therapy often works well with other therapies offered at Acupuncture Injection Greenville. If nerve problems are combined with weak joints, Prolotherapy may help stabilize the area. When muscle tension is part of the pattern, Trigger Point Injection Therapy can release tight spots. Acupuncture Injection Therapy may support overall healing when nerve dysfunction affects multiple body systems.
Understanding the "Lightning Reaction"
Sometimes, people have what Dr. Huneke called a "lightning reaction"—instant, dramatic improvement that lasts. This doesn't happen for everyone, but when it does, it confirms that the nervous system was the key to the problem. More commonly, improvement happens gradually as nerve function normalizes over time.
Common Questions About Neural Therapy
People often ask if Neural Therapy is safe, especially if they've never heard of it. Procaine has been used safely in medicine for over 100 years. It's related to novocaine, which dentists use, but in much smaller amounts. Side effects are rare and usually limited to slight soreness at injection spots.
Others wonder how this differs from nerve blocks. Medical nerve blocks use larger amounts of anesthetic to shut down nerve signals temporarily. Neural Therapy uses tiny amounts to help nerves work better, not to block them completely.
Some patients ask why their regular doctor hasn't mentioned this therapy. Neural Therapy is more common in Europe and has only recently gained attention in the U.S. Many doctors aren't familiar with it, which is why people often find it when searching for alternatives to ongoing pain medication or surgery.
If you live in Greenville and have chronic pain, headaches, or symptoms that haven't responded to typical treatments, Neural Therapy may offer the reset your nervous system needs. Our team takes time to explain how this gentle therapy might help your specific situation.
