This paper presents a
method to verify (for the first time) with "double-blind" placebo controlled
studies, the 2000-year-old Chinese definition of pain.
The
Chinese believe that pain is caused by the "blockage of Chi." - a concept
that has never been adequately evaluated in Western medicine. I submit
that "Chi" is the endogenous electrical potential in living tissue that can
be measured and quantified. I further propose that pain is caused by
cut, broken, or suppressed electrical connections between cells.
In support
of the theory, and through my practice of auricular medicine, I have measured
the electrical resistance at the site of pain, in more than 15,000 patients.
Where there is pain, the electrical resistance is always high, indicating
a blockage or suppression of the body's electrical signals.
To further
evaluate the Chinese theory of pain, I developed a highly conductive, silver
membrane to be applied over the site of pain. Once the membrane is
applied, it acts (electrically) like a living part of the body.
Below
are five case studies (from more than 1200 treatments) in which the membrane
was applied to relieve pain. The membrane (hereafter referred to
by the trade name "Biotape") is chemically inert. No medicine, drugs,
or external electricity is used with or applied by or through the tape.
Lois C.: Excruciating
endless pain since knee surgery in 1987. Biotape applied 12-12-96.
Patient reported eight months later that the relief of pain from one application
of the tape "is the greatest joy in my entire life." After nine years
of relentless pain, patient is still pain free eight months after treatment.
Carolyn A.:
Fibromyalgia. Disabling neck and shoulder pain for six years. Patient
spent more than two hours every night hot packing her shoulder just to be
able to function as the breadwinner for her family. Biotape applied
4-22-97 providing 70% immediate relief. Reapplied tape 5-21-97.
Patient reported two months later that her neck and shoulder were completely
healed.
Marvin W.: Peripheral
Neuropathy. Balls of feet almost too tender to walk on for five
years. Biotape applied 7-7-97. "There was instant relief and
no pain until the tape came off."
Brandon J.:
Back pain and headaches from an auto accident, unable to work for 18 months.
Lumbar spinal surgery scheduled the following week. Pain reduced
85% with one application of Biotape and auricular therapy 2-25-98.
Pain was completely gone the next day. Surgery canceled.
Tricia M.: Low
back pain so severe she couldn't stand or walk. Used magnets (that
are being touted for pain) for a week. The magnets had not helped
(because magnets are not conductive). Biotape relieved pain immediately
and patient could stand and walk.
Obviously not all cases are
this successful but they are representative of what does occur more often
than could be attributed to a placebo. (More case studies may be
seen at end of page.)
The existence of minute endogenous electrical potentials in the body is
not in question. It is a measurable phenomenon. If electrical
nerve signals are blocked, cells will die or degenerate, causing muscle
wasting. All muscular movements are controlled by electricity.
The heart works electrically. If the heart's pacemaker (sinus node)
fails, an electrical pacemaker is implanted. We are "brain dead"
when there are no more electrical signals going across the brain. I
submit that this is also true of every other cell in the body.
Western
medicine primarily addresses just the chemical and mechanical functions
of the body. Traditional Chinese medicine deals with electrical
processes. Acupuncture points cannot be seen, but they can be found
with modern electronic instruments called "point finders." The points
are areas of low electrical resistance that are no bigger than the head
of a pin. Incredibly, acupuncture points are precisely where the Chinese
have said they were for centuries!
A practice
which shows the mechanical orientation of Western medicine is to look for
"the cause of pain" with imaging devices such as X-ray, CT scans, MRI
scans, etc. Imaging instruments cannot see electricity (Chi) or
pain and no imaging device can tell what is going through a nerve, even
if the nerve is pinched. Nerves can function perfectly even if they
are pinched. Nerve signals can also be impaired and cause excruciating
pain when they are not pinched.
A study
published in the New England Journal of Medicine, June 7, 1990, p.1627
on the use of TENS (transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation) shows how
little Western medicine knows about the electrical functions of the body.
The study concluded that, "for patients with chronic low back pain, treatment
with TENS is no more effective than treatment with a placebo." This
is like learning that a drug is ineffective, and then concluding that
"all drugs are no more effective than treatment with a placebo."
Western medicine dismisses Chinese medicine the same way. Negative studies
are cited and then everything is rejected.
There
are potentially as many different kinds of electrical stimulation, wave
forms, frequencies, etc. as there are drugs. The only thing the
above study showed was that one particular TENS instrument, used as they
used it, was ineffective!
Western surgical
procedures cannot be proven with "double-blind" studies, the same as acupuncture
cannot be proven, because there is no placebo for either one. Does
this make coronary bypass surgery, angioplasty, spinal fusions, hysterectomy,
and all such surgery unscientific?
The
concept of pain in this paper is important because nearly everything that
is done for pain in Western medicine only masks the pain by suppressing
the pain signal. This is treating the symptom, not the cause. Masking
the pain with medication is harmful for many reasons: First, pain
signals cannot be suppressed without suppressing other vital functions.
Second, aspirin may cause Reye's syndrome in children. Aspirin and
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs cause gastrointestinal bleeding. Third,
continued use of even over the counter medications such as Tylenol, Advil
(Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen) etc. may cause kidney failure or liver damage.
Adult doses given to children may cause severe liver damage and even death.
Fourth, narcotics and steroids have harmful side effects in addition to being
addictive. Fifth, pain medication does nothing to repair the broken
circuits which cause the pain.
The
International Association for the Study of Pain defines pain as, "An
unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or
potential tissue damage." This tells us little about the physiology
of pain, and nothing about how to heal pain.
Western
medicine can name many conditions believed to cause pain. It is
known in nanoseconds how fast pain signals travel to the brain.
Pain control chemicals that are produced by the body have been discovered
in the brain and spinal column. Blocking the pain signal with drugs
is a highly developed science. Still Western medicine does not fully
understand the physiology of pain. Pain is caused by injured tissue,
but what causes pain when there has been no injury? How does the body
heal pain? The extolled "Gate Theory of Pain" revealed how pain signals
are transmitted, not what pain is.
Traditional
Chinese medicine has understood what pain is for more than two thousand
years. We now offer a simple method anyone can use to relieve pain
or verify the Chinese definition of pain. "Double-blind" placebo
controlled studies could easily be done using the conductive tape and tape
with an identical appearance that is not conductive. Unlike research
on acupuncture, neither the doctor or the patient would know who is getting
the real thing and who is getting the placebo.
The
reason we do not do our own double-blind study is because the outcome
would be questioned. Such a study should be completely independent
of the Pain Research Institute. We will provide materials and training
without charge to any independent researcher who has designed, conducted,
and published double-blind placebo controlled studies. A positive
outcome from such a study would be evidence for what is almost inconceivable,
that Western medicine has never learned the underlying cause of pain!
Note:
The following case studies were not included in the above published article.
More Biotape Case Studies: Case studies given are best-case examples. Not
all patients respond equally well or permanently. No medical claims are made for
Biotape. The evidence presented and the case studies given are
only anecdotal, until established by "double-blind" placebo controlled
medical studies.
Dorothy S.: Arthritis
in knees "swelled up as big as cabbages." So painful it was almost
impossible to walk. Biotape applied 10-22-96 around both knees.
Pain relieved almost 100% immediately. Swelling gone in two days
and has not returned. Tape reapplied for pain without swelling
10-29-96, 11-25-96, 12-10-96, 1- 7-97, 2-11-97. Received total relief
of pain lasting about a month each time.
Jane R.: Very painful "frozen shoulder." Biotape
applied 10-29-96 Received near 100% instant relief.
Royola A.:
Grandma with severe low
back pain from injury jumping on trampoline. Biotape applied right
side of lumbar spine 11-11-96. Ninety-five percent relief within seconds.
Tape reapplied 1-6-97. Pain still 75% better six months later.
Hope P.:
Arm and shoulder ached like a
toothache all night. Possibly lymph edema after mastectomy. Biotape
applied over shoulder and down to hand 10-7-96. Pain 100% better the
next night with no reoccurrence in eleven months.
Terry G.: Pain so severe in low back that patient couldn't
walk. Biotape applied 2-11-97. There was almost immediate
"miraculous relief." Biotape reapplied 5-2-97 when the pain started
to return. Patient reported four months later that the pain never
come back.
Elizabeth S.:
Back pain, "unending for years."
Biotape applied 1-15-97. Patient reported six months later that "It helped
a lot. The Pain is just starting to come back but not near as bad
as before."
Mary E.: Sciatic pain. Biotape applied 6-18-97.
Patient bent over immediately after and said "That's the first time I
have been able to bend over without pain in 10 years!" Pain a month
later still only about 10% of what it was before treatment.
Lisa R.: Low back pain with pregnancy. Biotape applied
down both sides of lumbar spine resulting in 95% relief.
Joleen S.: Thoracic pain so severe that she couldn't sleep
lying down for six months. Biotape applied 4-28-97. Patient
reported three months later that "It was extremely successful. Doesn't
hurt at all now."
Fredrick C.: Peripheral
neuropathy. Severe burning in the soles of feet. Significant relief
came with application of Biotape that stayed on for only three or four
days. Still 50% better a month later with no more tape. Biotape applied
to soles of feet 7-16- 97. Burning "gone" immediately.
Mary Jo S.: Post polio syndrome. Severely disabled.
Biotape applied over swollen knee 1-3-97. Patient reported 2-13-97,
"It helped tremendously. I was able to walk through the grocery
store for the first time in years and was not crippled after doing it!"
Summer D.: Unending pain from cheer leading accident
two years before. Biotape applied on left side of lumbar spine
9-18-96 for Pain gone until 10-23-96. Reapplied tape 10-24- 96.
Pain has still not returned 7-13-97.
Ben C.: Osgood-Schlatter's Disease. Biotape applied
6-18-97 around knee. "Pain gone" immediately. Has not returned
in more than a year.
Anne C.: Heel and Achilles tendon pain for six months.
Biotape applied 4-22-97. Pain still completely gone 7-11-97.
Glen A.: "Drop foot." Biotape applied down leg 11-4-96.
Definitely improved eight months later. Can now move toes.
Colleen M.: Rheumatoid arthritis pain in hands. Three
strips Biotape applied down arm to hand 10-8-96. Received 90% relief
within minutes.
Paul S.: Low back pain so severe patient couldn't stand
up. Applied Biotape. Relief was immediate. Pain completely
gone for more than a year.
Helen S.: Ninety-year-old with pain that came three
years after knee joint replacement surgery, so severe that she couldn't
walk. Biotape applied to knee and within 15 minutes she was walking
and 90-100% of the pain was gone. "Completely better" a month after
the tape came off.
E-mail: stoddard@healpain.net
Website: http://www.healpain.net
I am forbidden by an order of a U.S. District Court
to sell Biotape, or any products for pain. I am also not allowed
to tell you where to buy Biotape. You will need to do an Internet
search for the word "Biotape" on the internet to learn where to buy.
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Institute
The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics or cynics whose horizons
are limited by obvious realities. We need men who can dream of
things that never were and ask, why not. -- Spencer
W. Kimball