Chronic pain is a major problem in our society not just because of its prevalence, but also because of the general lack of effective treatment for patients afflicted with chronic pain. When I was in medical school learning how to treat these pain problems, diagnosis and treatment was reduced to an algorithm or “recipe.” I dutifully memorized these algorithms and when I began practice, applied them as I was taught. While I would go through the algorithm, unfortunately most of the time the patient would be only slightly improved, and sometimes they would even get worse! I began a long quest for more knowledge by attending numerous conferences, seminars and workshops that had to do with pain treatment. One of the most effective treatments I encountered was a technique developed in Europe called “neural therapy.” This treatment is designed to repair dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system—that part of the nervous system responsible for the “automatic” functions of the body. When used in conjunction with other techniques, such as prolotherapy, I have found neural therapy to be very effective in resolving even the worst cases of chronic, seemingly intractable, pain. This article will discuss neural therapy, its history, background, technique and application. I will also discuss my protocol, the Harris Method of Pain Treatment, which provides a sequence for treatment of the chronic pain patient, along with case reports of typical patients treated.

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