Throughout the history of medicine, the treatment of chronic pain has been flawed at best - and impossible at worst - using the traditional Western medical model. Drugs and surgery may be effective in managing some conditions, but with many complex lifestyle pain syndromes, such as back pain, Fibromyalgia, and migraines, the elimination, or long term management of many patient's pain has been nearly impossible to achieve - at least not without the use of harsh and addictive prescription pain medication.

Unfortunately, the understanding of and dealing with complex or even general pain disorders is something medical/therapy schools do not adequately prepare students for. There are no courses entitled "Pain Management 101" in Western medicine.

How can therapists in the Western world be expected to deal with their patient’s acute, sub-acute or chronic pain with such a limited understanding of the subject? There seems to be a deep sense of dissatisfaction among many therapists because many pain patients don’t seem to get better with the therapeutic exercises that they are frequently prescribed and the “standard modalities” (ultrasound/TENS) now employed. Doctors keep sending these patients back for continued therapy, until doctor, therapist, and patient are completely frustrated. What is a pain sufferer, and the therapist desperately trying to help them, supposed to do?

MPS Therapy - Thinking Outside the Box 

How Does it Work? 

MPS Therapy applies concentrated DC micro-stimulation to produce an “acupuncture” response that “releases” muscle tissue that impinges nerves and causes joint articulations (pain). This action permits increased re-innervation of affected neural pathways, allowing patient pain levels to be substantially decreased, often instantaneously. This multi-pronged approach to the body’s nervous and musculoskeletal system is the reason why MPS Therapy works so well on pain. Designed for the layperson in mind, no prior knowledge of acupuncture is required to apply the MPS Therapy device, the Dolphin Neurostim.

Clinically, the intention of MPS Therapy is to isolate the root causes of a patient’s pain by applying micro-stimulation to acupuncture points that relate to different muscles, tissues and systems (neurological, segmental, limbic, myofascial, etc).

Through clinical research and trials, it is believed that the following seven steps are directly responsible for aiding or significantly controlling all pain conditions, regardless of the symptoms.

7 Steps of MPS Therapy 

1. Parasympathetic Points

2. The Autonomic Nervous System

Upregulation of the Autonomic Nervous System (also referred to as "hypersensitivity") may be caused by nerve root entrapment, called radiculopathy, misalignment of the spine or mandible, emotional stress such as anxiety or depression, or scars which innervate or energetically influence (through the acupuncture meridians) the hands or face. Whatever the actual cause, the patient is very hypersensitive and displays hypertonic muscles with very tender trigger points. These tightened neck and face muscles result in a patient’s reduced ability to open the mouth. 

In order to calm the patient and relax their muscles and reduce anxiety, there are several well known potent parasympathetic acupuncture points, located on the wrists and top of the head that significantly reduce the Sympathetic Nervous System, calming the patient, reducing muscular tension and permitting deeper tissue work without patient guarding.

3. Scar or Neural Therapy

4. Radiculopathy (Nerve Root Entrapment)

Entrapment of the nerve root can/will have significant influence on, or cause, pain along the nerve pathways (dermatome). Nerve roots get pinched when the paraspinal muscles shorten and compress the roots. This is often due to poor lifestyle, ergonomics, traumatic injuries or congenital factors. The tissues and organs innervated by that nerve root will be adversely effected and abnormally functioning on a proportional basis. This is called Cannon’s Law of Dennervation, and the law states: "any measure that reduces the flow of motor impulses will cause abnormal functioning in the receptor organ or tissue." A 50% nerve root impingement will cause 50% reduction in orthopedic functioning of the joint. Radiculopathy is the main reason why many physicians inject the paraspinal muscles for patient’s relief of pain.

Applying MPS Therapy to the muscles on each side of a pinched nerve will immediately relax the paraspinal muscles and “release” the nerve root entrapment, providing significant relief to the suffering patient. Treat the neck for upper limb pain and low back for leg pain.

5. Structural Realignment of the Sacrum and Spine

The sacrum, which sits at the base of the spine, is the foundation of your spine. As mentioned above, the spine influences many pain conditions, so if the sacrum is out of alignment, so will the spine.

Tightened muscles, especially around the lower back and beside the sacrum (buttock muscles), can misalign the entire skeletal system by rotating the sacrum. The sacrum projects significant influence on the pain cycle as it directly influences the Parasympathetic Nervous System, which, in turn, counteracts the pain cycle (Sympathetic Nervous System).

The implications of this approach are profound. Many chronic disorders, such as back pain, knee pain, fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue (to name just a few) have significant pain origins in the spine/sacrum. Relaxing the muscles in the lower back and around the sacrum help “realign” the sacrum and can produce immense long term benefits to the pain patient.

As a rule of thumb: all pain patients, regardless of conditions or symptoms, should have their lower back and buttocks (piriformis and gluteus medius muscles) treated.

6. Distal Acupuncture Points for Pain Relief - Treat the "Branches"

Traditionally acupuncture is the number one modality for the treatment of pain and disease. It has been employed for almost 5,000 years and has a great deal of research and EBM to support it’s clinical and at-home applications. There are many powerful pain relief points throughout the body, but most of the significant ones are easily found in the hands and feet.

Points in the hands and arms have provided significant influence on head and face pain. Many upper meridians influencing the face originate in the hands and can be quickly treated with MPS Therapy for immense relief of pain the facial region. Li 4, Tw 3 and traditional “Jing” points located at the tips of the fingers are exceptionally potent tools for relief of facial pain and dental analgesia.

7. Acupuncture Points for the Treatment of Limbic (Emotional) Conditions

Underlying emotional distress, such as depression and anxiety disorders, can/will have a negative effect of a patient’s ability to cope with pain, and in some cases, may be the direct root cause of that pain. MPS Therapy recognizes the influence and inter-relationship emotions have with regard to pain and homeostasis of the body. In this regard, MPS Therapy is one of the most powerful pain management techniques for these patients.

Each organ in acupuncture supports a patho-physiological role and is related to a specific emotion. The thought process is that once the physical components of pain have been eliminated, the emotional aspects of pain are much more easily accessible, and the patient is much more receptive to releasing locked in emotions. 

Summary  

All pain and joint dysfunctions (arthritis) of the limbs must have some source in the nerve root; therefore, releasing the paraspinal (erector spinae) muscles at the nerve root(s) that innervate the pain site will have significant and long term benefits to the pain patient. MPS Therapy can play a significant role in any clinical or pain setting by permitting the attending physician, or patient at home, to quickly isolate root causes of pain.

What do I use for the MPS Therapy?

Welcome to Dolphin Neurostim

The Dolphin Neurostim is a pain management device that produces minute micro-current impulses that gently relax muscles, calm the nervous system and release endorphins, the body’s natural pain killers. This multi-pronged effect on the body’s nervous, muscle and endocrine systems is the reason why Dolphin Neurostim works so fast and effectively on chronic pain.