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Biopuncture (provided by
J Kersschot)
Biopuncture describes the use
of biotherapeutics for injection into specific zones or points[1].
These products are mainly injected into joints, muscles and ligaments
as well as subcutaneously. In this way, they can regulate the defense
mechanisms of the body and stimulate natural healing in a direct
and efficient way [2] [3].
The goal of the biopuncturist
is to restore autoregulation, be it local or general. To achieve
this, the biopuncturist provides a stimulus by way of injections
(containing a biotherapeutic), with the purpose of evoking a reaction
from the patient. The purpose of the reaction is to facilitate a
response of the body which leads towards autoregulation.
Biopuncture is a bioregulatory
therapy method in which specific biotherapeutics are injected in
indication or tissue related bodily zones or points on the basis
of clinical and functional diagnosis.
The therapeutic strategy of
Biopuncture is concerned with two key factors: what to inject, and
where to inject it. Both are individualized in each patient, and
adapted during every session. The physician can indeed make an enormous
variety of combinations, using different products on several spots[4].
Giving these medications in the right spots or in the relevant body
zone gives an additional clinical effect. More and more physicians
are realizing that such local injections are expanding the scope
of their practice [5] [6] [7].
Differences with other injection
techniques
Mesotherapy
(MS) was described by its founder Dr Pistor (France) as injections
in the mesoderm with procaine mixed with conventional medication.
Dr Pistor never used homeopathic or botanical medication. In the
last decades, mesotherapy became famous outside France mainly for
aesthetic medicine (e.g. treatment of cellulites, wrinkles and local
fat burning). In natural medicine, the word mesotherapy is later
also used for subcutaneous injections with biotherapeutics –
for lack of a better term. This description is not really correct,
and probably originated before the term Biopuncture was known. Some
doctors use alternative descriptions such as biomesotherapy or homeomesotherapy
to describe intra/subcutaneous injections (mesoderm) with homeopathic
medications. However, there are no medical textbooks which clearly
define what these descriptions stand for.
The difference with Biopuncture
is that in mesotherapy (or biomesotherapy)
they don’t inject with longer needles (e.g. into ligaments
or muscles) but only use short needles (sometimes attached to a
meso-gun). And mesotherapists never give injections at a distance
(e.g. in trigger points) but always use local injections.
Homeosineatry (HS) is the use
of homeopathic medications injected in acupuncture points according
to ancient Chinese folk medicine (Sineatry means “according
to the Chinese philosophy”). The term was introduced by the
French doctor de La Fuye who combined his knowledge from classical
homeopathy with the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
Although injections into acupuncture points were described briefly
in the first textbooks on Biopuncture, the use of injections with
biotherapeutics into acupuncture points is not considered any more
as Biopuncture. So from 2004 on, these injections should be described
as homeosineatry.
Neuraltherapy
(NT) is a German technique. Huneke F and Huneke W described their
first experiences with local anesthetics in 1928[8]. The difference
between Biopuncture (BP) and neuraltherapy according to Dr Huneke
is that neuraltherapy uses only local anaesthetics. The textbooks
on neuraltherapy never described the injections of hyaluronic acid,
dextrose, botanicals or antihomotoxic remedies. When some neuraltherapists
add e.g. Traumeel to procaine, they should not describe it as neuraltherapy.
What they are doing is in fact combining neuraltherapy with Biopuncture[9].
Some injection techniques which are more likely to produce collateral
damage (e.g. injections into autonomic ganglia) are not used in
Biopuncture because of safety reasons. Biopuncturists also don’t
give injections into organs such as the prostate and thyroid, techniques
described in the textbooks on neuraltherapy.
Prolotherapy
(according to Dr. Hackett[10]) is an American technique where conventional
medication is injected into ligaments to promote proliferation of
collagen. The difference with Biopuncture is that the textbooks
of Dr. Hackett and Dr. Hemwall don’t mention biotherapeutic
products such as antihomotoxic medications or hyalruonic acid but
use chemical products such as phenol or sodium morrhuate. These
products are never used in Biopuncture.
In Biopuncture we also give
injections into ligaments and periost, and we also add dextrose
(and lidocaine) as they do in prolotherapy. A major difference is
that we add e.g. Traumeel instead of phenol - mainly because Traumeel
is safer than phenol. In Biopuncture, we also use other injection
techniques, such as subcutaneous injections or injections into muscles
–techniques which are not described in the textbooks on prolotherapy.
On the other hand, prolotherapists use techniques which are more
likely to produce serious collateral damage (e.g. injections close
to the ribs, deep injections in the neck). Although these injections
may be very effective, they are not used in Biopuncture because
they are more likely to produce complications (e.g. pneumothorax,
inadvertent injections into deep neck arteries or inadvertent injections
into the epidural space).
Triggerpoint
therapy (according
to Dr. Travell and Dr. Simons) is an American technique where local
anesthetics are injected into muscular trigger points. The difference
with Biopuncture is that they don’t use biotherapeutic products
such as antihomotoxic remedies, pitcher plant extracts or hyalruonic
acid.
In Biopuncture we also give
injections into muscle gellings, muscular pain points and in muscular
pain zones. However, we also inject other structures such as joints,
ligaments and bands. Injections into joints, ligaments and bands
are not considered as muscular trigger
point therapy. In Biopuncture we also add dextrose – a
technique not described in the books of Travell and Simons.
Some injection techniques described
in the textbook of Travell and Simons are more likely to produce
collateral damage (e.g. injections close to the lungs or kidneys,
deep injections in the deeper layers of the neck muscles). Although
these injections may be very effective (e.g. the anterior scalene
muscles, the deep occipital muscles in the neck, the intercostal
muscles), they are not used in Biopuncture because they are more
likely to produce complications.
Discuss
@ NATI Forum
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[1] Kersschot J, Biopuncture
in General Practice, Inspiration Publishing, 2004
[2] Kersschot J, Biopuncture
and the Management of Sports Injuries, USA, 2008
[3] Orizola A, Biopuntura y
su uso Clínico (Biopuncture: clinical utility), Santiago
de Chile, October 10, 2007
[4] Schultz, M, Biopuncture,
HSA congress South Africa, June 8, 2008
[5] Naidoo C, Biopuncture in
General Practice, Johannesburg, April 2005
[6] Vaisman A, Presentation
of clinical cases in Biopuncture, Santiago (Chili), August 2007
[7] Barkauskas D, Biopuncture
in Family Practice, €HSA congress South Africa, June 8, 2008
[8] Huneke F, Huneke W, Unbekannte
Fernwirkungen der Lokalanästhesie. Medische Welt 27/1928
[9] When biopuncturists add
local anaesthetics to the biotherapeutics, they are – strictly
speaking - combining Biopuncture with Neuraltherapy or with TLA
(therapeutic local anesthesia).
[10] Hackett GS, Hemwall GA,
Montgomery GA, Ligament and Tendon Relaxation Treated by Prolotherapy,
5th edition, 2008
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