Kaufman's Pain Neutralization Techniques

The Kaufman Pain Neutralization Technique is a method of treating chronic body pain, including muscle pain and pain associated with trigger points, without the use of drugs of prescription medication. The technique is taught via DVDs available on Dr. Kaufman's website or at seminars and workshops throughout the country. The effectiveness of this treatment has not been researched by reputable government-associated medical sources, though many board certified physicians have adopted and endorsed the technique.

History

• The Pain Neutralization Technique was developed by Dr. Stephen Kaufman in the late 1980s as a response to the need for chiropractic adjustment to deal with chronic muscle pain and trigger points. According to his website, Dr. Kaufman discovered reflexology to treat muscle pain by eliminating a painful trigger point in a patient. He then developed this technique to assist doctors and chiropractors in treating patients with chronic pain associated with pressure points. The technique is now taught through DVDs and workshops to doctors, chiropractors and homeopathic practitioners, and does not require the use of pharmaceuticals.

Trigger Points

• Trigger points are caused by a lack of blood circulation in muscle tissue. This lack of circulation causes an aching sensation in the muscle, which can become chronic and intensify over time. Most commonly, trigger points cause pain when they are depressed, though unstimulated pain can occur in acute trigger points, which are typically located near the site of injury or trauma. The focus of the Pain Neutralization Technique is to locate and treat latent trigger points that can cause pain throughout the body in areas associated neurologically with the location of the trigger point.

Treating Trigger Points

• The application of the Kaufman Pain Neutralization Technique involves the use of reflexology and neurology to treat the cause of latent trigger points. These trigger points may be located far from the source of long-term pain. For examples, trigger points in the neck and upper back can cause long-term lower back pain and headaches. The technique focuses on stimulating the blood flow to the trigger point associated neurologically with the area of the body where the patient is experiencing pain. Increasing blood flow helps to repair damaged cell tissue, causing pain to subside.

Reflexology

• Building on the ancient Oriental concept of ah-shi,commonly associated with reflexology, the treatment of trigger points and the pain they create is done with the Kaufman technique by treating reflexes associated with these trigger points. When a muscle is stressed, another muscle that corresponds to the original one becomes tense, which causes physical pain. This is also true of trigger points. The Kaufman Pain Neutralization Techniques focuses on treating these tense muscles to help relieve the stress on the trigger point.