Biopuncture is a new therapy consisting of injecting biological products (herbs and homeopathic products) into specific areas. The name Biopuncture originated from combining the word biotherapeutics [ bio- ] with acupuncture [ -puncture ].
Most of these injections are given under the skin or in the muscles. Examples of products commonly used in biopuncture for many years are: Arnica, Calendula, Echinacea, Nux vomica and Chamomilla. Arnica is used for haematomas, and muscle pain, Nux vomica is injected for digestive problems, Ignatia is used for stress related symptoms, Echinacea is used to increase the natural defense system of the body. One can also inject cocktails of natural products. These cocktails contain several biotherapeutic products in one ampoule. Several such diluted products are mixed together in one ampoule, which has its own specific therapeutic characteristics. Traumeel for example is used for inflammations and sports injuries, and Zeel is used for tennis elbow, whiplash and arthrosis,

Where are these injections given?

Most people - especially those who are apprehensive about injections because they may have had bad experiences with injections in their childhood - are surprised how easily and quickly these injections are given. In fact, these injections cannot be compared with the usual injections given in conventional medicine. They are not as painful as a normal injection because the needle used is very fine and the quantity injected is very small. Most of them are given into or just under the skin, others are given into specific muscle points or into and around joints. In most cases, several little injections are given in a specific zone (or in several areas) of the body at each session.
It is important to be aware that the products used in biopuncture are not as strong as conventional medication (e.g. painkillers, cortisone), and that they may not be as rapidly effective in the short term. This means that you may need 3 or more sessions before any improvement is noted. If you have had problems for several months or even years, it means looking for deeper causes and working on these. As a result, you may need ten or more sessions to feel better. When you realise that these products are natural products that do not have any major side effects, you may be motivated to be more patient than usual. In the long run, however, the results of this form of natural medicine are longer lasting because your physician tries to work on a deeper level. For example, by encouraging the body's own defense mechanism to make the necessary repairs.

What about the safety and efficacy of this technique?

Biopuncture will always be performed according to the latest technical and safety standards. This includes a correct injection technique, and of course the use of sterile disposable material, so that transmission of disease (e.g. hepatitis, AIDS) is impossible.
The low dose herbal and homeopathic content of the injection ampoules mean that the side-effects are negligible. Most of the ampoules used for injection are made in Germany and are submitted to very strict quality control regulations and systems. In other words, both the technique and the products match today's standards of quality and safety.
Many of these products used have also been tested in double blind tests and drug monitoring. This means that many patients have received these products with good results before you.

How does Biopuncture work?

These natural products are injected with the primary aim of stimulating your own defense systems, i.e. the body is invited to start healing itself. In many cases, this is sufficient to get the body in balance again. You may receive injections in your neck for whiplash, on your chest for bronchitis, on your abdomen for gastro-enteritis, in your knee for joint pain, etc.
But there is much more to it than that. Local injections can also be given to stimulate the local blood circulation, and to support the ongoing inflammatory processes, if indicated, such as when treating sports injuries.
Some of the products are designed to relax muscles. They are used, for example, when dealing with neck pain and low back pain. Even pain in the knee or in the hip region can have a muscular origin and can sometimes be treated without injecting the joint itself.
One can also approach the issues by working on the nervous system and the ground regulation system (the matrix of the body). When working on that level, biopuncture can actually regulate the neural reflexes.

Another important issue is the detoxification of the body. It literally means cleaning the body. All the toxins that have accumulated in your body, for example from the environment, from bad nutrition, or from medication (e.g. antibiotic and steroid pollution) can block your immune defense system. They are called homo toxins because they are toxic for the homo sapiens. They can also disturb the reflex responses of your nervous system. All these toxins in your body are the reason why your body may not be functioning optimally, as it did when you were younger. Eliminating all these toxins is an important strategy, especially when dealing with chronic diseases. Biopuncture can help you enormously with that. Some products (so-called anti-homotoxic products) are designed for this purpose: they eliminate or neutralize the homotoxins in your body. Some work specifically on the liver (Hepar compositum), and others on the kidneys (Solidago compositum) or on the lymphatic system (Lymphomyosot).

Which conditions are best treated with Biopuncture?

Biopuncture is mostly used for minor orthopaedic and musculo-skeletal problems, whether they are acute or chronic. Neck pain, back pain, sciatica, sprained joints, frozen shoulder and Achilles tendonitis all respond well to this treatment. Biopuncture is also very successful in treating sports injuries, tennis elbow, and repetitive strain injuries.
However, Biopuncture is not just used for pain problems, but other conditions such as allergies and inflammations respond well, e.g. asthma, eczema and hay fever. Patients with arthritis, bronchitis, cystitis and sinusitis can also be treated with this technique.
The use of biopuncture should be considered by those patients who have tried conventional medicine but have had no success, or those who have had to stop taking conventional medication because of side effects. It is an interesting healing technique for those patients who want to avoid an operation (for example for sciatica or sinusitis). In some patients it may be advantageous to combine the conventional approach together with biopuncture. Many people still believe that one has to stop conventional treatments when choosing natural medicine. This is not true. When you are being treated with biopuncture, you just continue the medication you were already taking. In case of doubt, always contact your physician first for professional advice. Each case should be considered individually.

What to expect with treatment

Biopuncture cannot heal all your medical problems. This is not a miracle therapy and your health practitioner must decide what can be treated, and what can't. The majority of patients choose to be treated with biopuncture because they are in pain and do not support the use of conventional painkillers. However, it is important to realise that biopuncture cannot take away the pain as with conventional medication. Pain is seen as an important signal from your body that something is going wrong. It is similar to a red light in the dashboard of your car: the aim is not to just take it away but to look for the deeper cause. This means that, if pain can be alleviated without prescribing painkillers, there is good reason to conclude that the deeper cause of that particular pain has been eliminated. However, it may take a few treatments before you actually feel better. If your pain is recent, it may be treated in two or three sessions. If the pain has been there for months or years, it may take 10 or 20 sessions.

You may notice that after the first treatments (especially the day after the injection) you feel a little worse. This can be due to the traumatic effect of the needle injecting your soft tissues, but in most cases this happens because the healing processes are being activated. This is called the reaction phase. In other words, your body is working on the cause of the problem and that may produce some discomfort. One may experience even more pain than before treatment during the two or three first sessions, until a gradual recovery of the body defense systems and healing systems brings the functions of that area back to normal. Only then will the pain be better. But when you understand that this means that real healing is on its way, you will be more accepting of these minor reactions in the beginning of the treatment.

When is Biopuncture not appropriate?

Biopuncture cannot heal you from cancer, a heart attack or AIDS. Nor is it appropriate to treat you when you have high blood pressure, diabetes, depression or epilepsy. In some cases, the disease is too serious or too aggressive, and can only be stopped through conventional medication or surgery. Your physician will confirm this. When serious damage has already occurred, biopuncture will be simply too late to reverse the damage and bring the body back into balance again. For example, a viral hepatitis can be treated with biopuncture in order to support the healing mechanism of the body, but liver cirrhosis is a phase where cells are damaged beyond repair and healing is impossible. The same goes for chronic bronchitis. Biopuncture can help a lot here as long as there is no emphysema or lung cancer involved. That is why it is so important to first have a diagnosis before starting with biopuncture.

Conclusion

Biopuncture is a safe and efficient technique in complementary medicine. It uses biotherapeutic injections to stimulate the natural self-healing capacities of your body. It is worth considering if it can help you with your personal health problems.