As consumers have more access to information previously extremely difficult to find, many people with minor to significant chronic health issues have made the choice to limit the use of specific medications and pharmaceutical solutions for treating either the symptoms of the condition or the disease or condition itself.
Some of these patients are choosing very traditional types of treatments, including those from Eastern cultures, which are sometimes called holistic or alternative treatment options in the west. Yet other patients are trying something that is on the opposite end of the spectrum and turning to the relatively new field of electroceuticals.
The Basics of the New Technology
While not as new as some people assume, electroceuticals are specific devices that are used to create stimulation in the body, focusing on precise components of the nervous system. Commonly known and well-established options in this type of treatment include pacemakers for the heart and cochlear implants to allow people to hear.
A more recent advancement in technology is the use of devices for VNS or vagus nerve stimulation. This is the main nerve that carries electrical messages from the brain throughout the body. These signals control the release of hormones, the functioning of the immune system and even in the control of chronic types of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.
There is significant research that also shows promise in using electroceuticals in the control of epilepsy, Lupus, depression and in the reduction of tissue rejection after transplants. Through precision stimulation of the specific area of the vagus nerve, pinpoint treatments that are fully customized to the patient are possible.
With these implants, control is external, which means they can be adjusted over time without any additional surgical requirements. With the ability to eliminate medications with dangerous side-effects and to provide precision action that is unique to the patient, the use of these devices will only increase in the future.
