Homeopathic Mesotherapy (Biopuncture)
What is Mesotherapy / Biopuncture ?
Homeopathic injections given intramuscularly, subcutaneously or most commonly sub-dermally ( which is very superficial – just under the surface of the skin). These are sometimes given into trigger points, acupuncture points or just tender/painful areas. I do not inject into joints (intra-articular).
How is it thought to work?
When the physical barrier of the skin is disrupted, this evokes an immediate immune and thus inflammatory response. I describe it like “waking up” the body, especially in chronic conditions or in cases where homeopathy has been used orally and there has not been enough of a shift. Often the system needs a bit of a nudge to 'kick start the engine'.
I frequently encounter manual therapists commenting on how their treatment does not seem to "hold" as long as they would expect. Often this has to do with tissue congestion or poor ECM (extracellular matrix) drainage which disrupts tissue blood supply, tissue oxygenation and thus tissue repair. I find Homeopathic mesotherapy very useful at ‘moving’ this congestion to help support the manual therapy in holding. Thus, this approach is a great adjunct which really complements other types of manual therapies one may be using such as massage, physiotherapy, chiropractics and osteopathy.
Why homeopathic injections and not steroids?
I prefer using homeopathics instead of steroids as steroid injections may have a host of complications.
Long-term side effects of steroid injections depend on the dose and how often you have them done.
With higher doses and frequent shots, potential side effects include:
- Loss of tissue structure at the site of the injection
- Weakening of surrounding ligaments/tendons
- Easy bruising
- Thinning of the bones (osteoporosis)
- Rare but serious damage to the bones of the large joints (called “avascular necrosis”)
How often would you need to have treatment?
It is very much so patient dependent, however a general guide is once weekly/fortnightly for between 8-10 sessions. Once you have been assessed however, I would suggest the likely treatment plan you would need. Often patients feel improvements after the first session, however I would urge one to continue for a few sessions longer despite the improvement as this is a crucial time where relapses can occur if the therapy is not maintained. The reason for this is that in chronic conditions, there is a need for extended support of this physiological response. If one withdraws too prematurely, the condition may potentially regress.
In chronic degenerative diseases (e.g. RA, OA), one may find after the acute treatment of 8-10 sessions (2 / month), there may be a need to maintain functionality where fortnightly or monthly injections may be needed as maintenance.
What would you expect as part of the treatment:
Your thorough case history will be taken, upon which the suitability of mesotherapy will be discussed and decided.
Very rarely would the injection administration be limited to one spot, there will be multiple locations (typically 6) around the affected area that would need treatment. This is all done during one treatment session.
Once we have together decided mesotherapy is a good option, we would use an alcohol-free swab to clean the area at the site of administration. The injections would be administered. You would have the option of choosing to apply Traumeel ointment over the site of the injections as this can help reduce bruising and infection in those instances of susceptibility.
Common conditions seen for Homeopathic Mesotherapy / Biopuncture:
· Osteoarthritis / Rheumatoid arthritis / Ankylosing spondylitis
· Acute and Chronic Sports injuries
· Achilles tendinitis
· De Quervain’s tenosynovitis
· Tennis elbow
· Rotator cuff injury
· Disc herniation
· Neck pain
· Tension headaches / Migraines
· Neuropathic pain
Are there any Side Effects to Mesotherapy?
Short term side effects / reactions of Homeopathic Mesotherapy:
· Inflammation/redness at the site of the injection (typically subsides within 24hrs)
· Infection at the site of the injection (Very rare)
· Very light bleeding at the site of the injection (Common), typically stops within a few seconds.
· A bruise in the site of the injection
· Tenderness at the site of the injection (typically subsides within 24hrs)
Long term side effects of Homeopathic Mesotherapy:
None to my knowledge have been reported