Pulsing toward better health: Alpha Stim device aids in anxiety, depression treatment
Chalan Harper, Colorado Hometown Newspapers January 1, 2000
It almost sounds like something out of an old horror movie- a device that sends electronic pulses through the brain and works with neuro-chemicals to evoke changes in nerve signals and brain wave intensity.
But, in truth, the device is far from movie kitsch, and is a device medical professionals have been using for nearly 28 years.
The Alpha-Stim is Food and Drug Administration cleared to treat depression, anxiety and insomnia, and is used by licensed healthcare professionals, including veterinarians.
It’s a treatment Erie acupuncturist Allison Suddard has been using in her practice for the past five years and, she said, with great success.
Unlike the electronic charge and lightning used to awaken Frankenstein’s monster, the device only generates about a millionth of an amp worth of electricity.
"It’s different for every person; it’s a micro-current," Suddard said. "It coaxes the nervous system into a balance of health."
Here’s how it works in Suddard’s practice:
The patient is attached to the handheld device by two clamps, which attach to the earlobes. Then, the device is turned on and adjusted to the correct level. The user should be able to feel a slight tingle- not annoying or unbearable- however in their earlobes.
Then, it’s just a matter of relaxing for about 20 minutes, which Suddard said is the optimal time interval for using the device.
Though some might be skeptical and think such pulses might make their body go haywire, it actually has the opposite effect.
The device is very mellowing, but allows the brain to focus on tasks at hand.
The pulses work with the serotonin and dopamine and other brain chemical levels to balance nerve signals and brain waves into a more calming state, thus is also used as a helpful supplement to treat Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Suddard said.
In a veterinary setting, the device is used to calm hyperactive dogs, or dogs that lash out and destroy things when left alone.
According to Suddard, the device is also used by both the United States and Swedish military to combat stress disorders, like those associated with soldiers returning from the war.
Another feature of the device is the detachable pain probes. The probes almost look like short, dull knitting needles and are used on local pains, for example, in the shoulders, jaw or other extremities.
The electronic pulses from the probes help calm nerve signals from the brain and decrease the amount of pain.
"It turns down the nerves telling (the brain) that something is painful," Suddard said. "It turns down the nerve signals to normal levels."
And Suddard, who specializes in pain management and sports medicine in her practice, said she and her patients have experienced quite a bit of success.
For one gentleman she treats, who was experiencing severe pain in his jaw from the simplest lip movements, she said it only took a session with the probes for the pain to rapidly decrease.
The side effects to using the device are minor, Suddard said, with the potential for a headache if the device is turned too high, and possibly a feeling of vertigo.
Because the device has been FDA-cleared since 1983, it is one of the most widely-researched medical devices on the world market, Suddard explained.
To learn more about the Alpha Stim, visit http://www.theprovenremedy.com.
The Alpha-Stim device sends tiny electronic pulses through the brain to calm nerve signals and is helpful in the treatment of depression, anxiety and insomnia.
