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The Alpha-Stim SCS treats anxiety, depression, and/or insomnia with tiny electrical currents similar to those found naturally in the body, using a method called cranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES).
The treatment is simple. The current is applied by easy-to-use clip electrodes that attach to your ear lobes.
Alpha-Stim devices require a prescription from a licensed health care or mental health professional. You can use this Form to obtain an Alpha-Stim device.
Alpha-Stim Product Features |  | Alpha-Stim 100 For treating multiple pain areas, and the axiety, insomnia and depression often associated with chronic pain | | Alpha-Stim SCS For treating anxiety, insomnia and depression without pain | | Alpha-Stim PPM For treating simple pain problems on one or two areas of the body, without attendant anxiety, insomnia and depression |
| Primary Indications | ||||||
Pain | X | X | ||||
Anxiety | X | X | ||||
Insomnia | X | X | ||||
Depression | X | X | ||||
| Treatment Methods | ||||||
Probes for Pain | X | |||||
Electrodes for Pain | X | X | ||||
Ear Clips for CES | X | X | ||||
Five (5) Year Warranty | X | X | X | |||
Access to clinical and technical support | X | X | X |
For Clinical Application. This device is sold only to or by the order of a licensed practitioner.
You may feel a slight tingling sensation under the electrodes, but it is not necessary to feel this in order to achieve results. Most people feel nothing at all except positive results.
The Alpha-Stim SCS empowers you to control your anxiety, depression, and/or insomnia. Used just 20 to 60 minutes every day, every other day, or on an as-needed basis, it can help induce a relaxed state and enable the user to focus attention on the task at hand. The Alpha-Stim SCS is well tolerated and very safe in contrast to drugs, many of which have been proven to have undesirable side effects and can be addictive.
The Alpha-Stim SCS leaves the mind alert. The person undergoing CES treatment will often report a pleasant, relaxed feeling of well-being. Anxiety reduction is usually experienced during treatment, but may be seen hours later, or even the day after treatment. Depression and insomnia control is generally experienced after one to two weeks of daily treatment.
Maintenance of a relaxed, yet alert state is generally achieved with treatments three times per week. As a result, the Alpha-Stim SCS is suitable for clinical or home use.
At present, there are over 125 research studies on CES in humans and 29 experimental animal studies. The overwhelming majority of the scientific research is extremely positive. No significant lasting side effects have been reported.
Harvard University School of Public Health, Department of Health Policy and Management found: "The meta-analysis of anxiety showed CES to be significantly more effective than sham (P<.05)." (Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of cranial electrostimulation: efficacy in treating selected psychological and physiological conditions by Dr. Sidney Klawansky et al. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 183(7):478-485, 1995.
Caution statement for United States:
Federal law (USA only) restricts this device to sale by, or on the order of, a LICENSED HEALTH CARE PRACTITIONER. Outside the USA it is available world wide without a prescription but consultation with a qualified health care professional is recommended for difficult and unresponsive problems or when used with pharmaceuticals or other therapeutic intervention.
For possible insurance reimbursement:
Insurance reimbursement for your Alpha-Stim varies widely and mainly depends upon your insurance policy and carrier. Many plans that cover durable medical equipment will pay for the Alpha-Stim. Call us at 800-521-4640 or email sales@bio-medical.com for more information on insurance reimbursement.
Indications: Alpha-Stim cranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES) technology is continuously being subjected to rigorous study and evaluation by the international medical community. Findings to date indicate that the Alpha-Stim SCS is an effective treatment with broad applications for a variety of anxiety disorders, or for the short term relief of the symptoms of anxiety, depression and/or insomnia. In many cases it is the sole therapeutic method required. As with any therapeutic intervention, not all people will respond to the Alpha-Stim SCS. The degree of efficacy will vary with the nature of the problem being treated and the overall health of the person.
Contraindications: Alpha-Stim SCS may affect the operation of cardiac pacemakers (particularly demand type pacemakers).
Precautions: For external use only. Do not allow children to use or handle this device without adult supervision. Do not operate potentially dangerous machinery or vehicles during, and in some cases, for several hours after treatment. Safety of stimulation has not been established during pregnancy. There have been isolated reports of blood pressure being lowered by CES so care should be taken while using the Alpha-Stim SCS with high blood pressure medication.
Adverse effects: Adverse effects are usually mild and self-limiting. Adverse effects seen in approximately 4,541 patients in controlled, open, uncontrolled conditions, and by physician survey and reasonably associated with the use of CES are dizziness (6 cases, 0.13%), skin irritation/electrode burns (5 cases, 0.11%), and headaches (9 cases, 0.20%). Prolonged CES treatment at higher than necessary currents may cause dizziness or nausea that can last for hours to days. Treatment immediately prior to going to sleep may cause difficulty sleeping due to increased alertness. It is recommended that CES be used at least 3 hours before going to sleep. Paradoxical reactions such as hyperexcited states, increased anxiety, and sleep disturbances may occur. If the Alpha-Stim SCS does not control your anxiety, depression and/or insomnia within 3 weeks, discontinue use and consult your physician.
Currently, the Alpha-Stim SCS is not licensed for sale in Canada.
Check out our blog to see Alpha-Stim Videos
How does Alpha-Stim cranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES) technology work? The exact mechanism by which Alpha-Stim technology produces effects is not fully known. However, based on previous and ongoing studies, it appears that the Alpha-Stim microcurrent waveform activates particular groups of nerve cells that are located at the brainstem. These groups of nerve cells produce the chemicals serotonin and acetylcholine which can affect the chemical activity of nerve cells that are both nearby and at more distant sites in the nervous system. In fact, these cells are situated to control the activity of nerve pathways that run up into the brain and that course down into the spinal cord. By changing the electrical and chemical activity of certain nerve cells in the brainstem, Alpha-Stim technology appears to amplify activity in some neurological systems, and diminish activity in others. This neurological ‘fine tuning’ is called modulation, and occurs either as a result of, or together with the production of a certain type of electrical activity pattern in the brain known as an alpha state which can be measured on brain wave recordings (called electro-encephalograms, abbreviated EEG). Such alpha rhythms are accompanied by feelings of calmness, relaxation and increased mental focus. The neurological mechanisms that are occurring during the alpha state appear to decrease stress-effects, reduce agitation and stabilize mood, and regulate both sensations and perceptions of particular types of pain.
These effects can be produced after a single treatment, and repeated treatments have been shown to increase the relative strength and duration of these effects. In some cases, effects have been stable and permanent, suggesting that the electrical and chemical changes evoked by Alpha-Stim technology have led to a durable re-tuning back to normal function. Electromedical Products International, Inc. is dedicated to continued research into the mechanisms and effects through which Alpha-Stim technology can be beneficial to patients with pain, anxiety, depression and sleep disorders.
Alpha-Stim CES engages the serotonergic (5-HT) raphe nuclei of the brainstem. 5-HT inhibits brainstem cholinergic (ACh) and noradrenergic (NE) systems that project supratentorially. This suppresses thalamo-cortical activity, arousal, agitation, alters sensory processing and induces EEG alpha rhythm. As well, 5-HT can act directly to modulate pain sensation in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord, and alter pain perception, cognition and emotionality within the limbic forebrain.
Abbreviations: ACh: actetylcholine; LDT: laterodorsal tegmental nucleus of the brainstem; PPN: pediculo-ponitne nucleus of the brainstem; NE: norepinephrine; LC: locus ceruleus, 5-HT: serotonin
Note: Diagram not to scale
James Giordano, Ph.D. is a UNESCO Fellow and Scholar in Residence at the Center for Clinical Bioethics, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC. Dr. Giordano is also Visiting Scholar at the Center for Ethics, Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, NH, and Invited Lecturer at the Roundtable in Arts and Sciences, Oxford University, UK. As a neuroscientist, Dr. Giordano's ongoing work is focused upon neural mechanisms of pain, the philosophy of pain research and practice of pain medicine, and the neuroethical issues inherent to the development and use of emergent technologies in neurology and psychiatry. Dr. Giordano received his Ph.D. in biological psychology from the City University of New York. He was a NIEHS post-doctoral fellow in neurotoxicology and neuroscience at The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, served as Visiting Scientist in the Department of Clinical Neuropharmacology, Max Planck Institute for Psychiatry, Munich, Germany, was an American Psychological Association Visiting Fellow in neuroimaging at the Martinos Center for Advanced Imaging, Harvard University Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital, and completed post-graduate training in bioethics at the Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics and Health Policy, Loyola University/Stritch Medical School, Chicago, IL. The author of over 65 refereed publications on pain, ethics and medical philosophy, Dr. Giordano serves as Neuroscience Section Editor for the Pain Physician journal, Bioethics Editor for the American Journal of Pain Management, and Ethics Section Editor for the journal Practical Pain Management.
CE conformity statement for Europe: The Alpha-Stim SCS is a Class IIa, Type B medical device. It has been independently tested by outside agencies in order to provide assurance of conformity to applicable standards for medical equipment safety and electromagnetic compliance.
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