Cranial Electrical Stimulation: Technology For Anxiety And Depression
While I am most interested in root-cause-resolution of what we are calling depression and anxiety, resulting from food intolerances, sugar imbalance, thyroid autoimmunity, nutrient deficiency, etc. I often present my patients with alternative options for more immediate symptom relief. I have been prescribing the Fisher Wallace CES device for many years now (I have no financial relationship with this company), and have come to think of it as meditation in a gadget.
FDA-cleared since 1979, this low-intensity alternating current is transmitted across the skull for 20 minutes once-twice daily to promote alpha wave activity, and to modulate neurotransmitters, endorphins, and cortisol (Gunther and Phillips 2010).
With over 160 published human studies reporting positive results, including 23 randomized controlled trials, it’s curious that I never learned about this extremely low-risk treatment option in my decade of training.
A brand new study contributes to this body of evidence, using a 5 week randomized, double-blind, sham controlled design to test the effectiveness of CES treatment on various anxiety disorders and comorbid depression within a primary care setting. On both depression and anxiety parameters, 83 and 82% of patients experienced reduction of more than 50% of symptoms, respectively, relative to controls, in a matter of weeks.
Used for 3 weeks, twice daily, and then less frequently, or even as needed, this device works from the premise that we are energetic beings, and that, accessing the body’s ability to recalibrate may come in many different forms.
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