Dubai Medical Journal

Published date: Sep 30 2025

Journal Title: Dubai Medical Journal

Issue title: Dubai Medical Journal (DMJ): Volume 8, Issue 3

Pages: 281 - 295

DOI: 10.18502/dmj.v8i3.19854

Carlos Bustamantecarlos@bustamantemd.comFaculty of Medicine, National University of Colombia, Bogota, Bogota D.C.

Laura Pinilla-BonillaFaculty of Medicine, National University of Colombia, Bogota, Bogota D.C.

Introduction: Neuraltherapeutic Medicine (NTM), also known as Neural Therapy, is thought to exert modulatory effects on nonspecific responses through stimuli to the psychoneuroimmunoendocrine system, enhancing the system’s self-regulatory and adaptive capacities and increasing its resilience to stress that triggers specific pathophysiological events. Various studies have highlighted the potential of NTM in managing inflammatory conditions.

Case Report: This case report presents the clinical course of a 37-year-old male patient treated at a Neuraltherapeutic Medicine service in a public hospital for persistent symptoms following a course of coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) infection, diagnosed as post-acute coronavirus 2019 syndrome (PACS) based on his ongoing symptoms and a retrospective review of his medical records. The patient received four neuraltherapeutic sessions over a period of 60 days and showed satisfactory clinical improvement during a 22-month follow-up.

Conclusion: This case highlights the potential role of Neuraltherapeutic Medicine in addressing persistent sequelae of COVID-19 infection. While the results are promising, further research is necessary to establish its effectiveness and safety in this patient population.

Keywords: neural therapy, local anesthetics, neuromodulation, neurophysiology, post-acute COVID-19 syndrome

[1] Yuan Y, Jiao B, Qu L, Yang D, Liu R. The development of COVID-19 treatment. Front Immunol. 2023 Jan;14:1125246. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1125246 PMID:36776881

[2] Greenhalgh T, Sivan M, Delaney B, Evans R, Milne R. Long covid—An update for primary care. BMJ. 2022 Sep;378:e072117. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2022-072117 PMID:36137612

[3] Li J, Zhou Y, Ma J, Zhang Q, Shao J, Liang S, et al. The long-term health outcomes, pathophysiological mechanisms and multidisciplinary management of long COVID. Signal Transduct Target Ther. 2023 Nov;8(1):416. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41392-023-01640-zPMID:37907497

[4] Ahmad SJ, Feigen CM, Vazquez JP, Kobets AJ, Altschul DJ. Neurological sequelae of COVID-19. J Integr Neurosci. 2022 Apr;21(3):77. https://doi.org/10.31083/j.jin2103077 PMID:35633158

[5] Fedorowski A, Olsén MF, Nikesjö F, Janson C, Bruchfeld J, Lerm M, et al. Cardiorespiratory dysautonomia in post-COVID-19 condition: Manifestations, mechanisms and management. J Intern Med. 2023 Nov;294(5):548–562. https://doi.org/10.1111/joim.13652 PMID:37183186

[6] Scholkmann F, May CA. COVID-19, post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PACS, “long COVID”) and post- COVID-19 vaccination syndrome (PCVS, “post-COVIDvac-syndrome”): Similarities and differences. Pathol Res Pract. 2023 Jun;246:154497. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prp.2023.154497 PMID:37192595

[7] Bateman L, Bested AC, Bonilla HF, Chheda BV, Chu L, Curtin JM, et al. Myalgic encephalomyelitis/ chronic fatigue syndrome: Essentials of diagnosis and management. Mayo Clin Proc. 2021 Nov;96(11):2861–2878. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2021.07.004PMID:34454716

[8] Cook AD, Christensen AD, Tewari D, McMahon SB, Hamilton JA. Immune cytokines and their receptors in inflammatory pain. Trends Immunol. 2018 Mar;39(3):240–255. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.it.2017.12.003 PMID:29338939

[9] Bustamante C, Pinilla L, Amaris O. An approach to acute SARS-CoV-2 management with complementary neuraltherapeutic medicine: A case report. Clin Med Insights Case Rep. 2023 Apr; 16:11795476231159584. https://doi.org/10.1177/11795476231159584 PMID:37033677

[10] De La Torre FT, Pinilla Bonilla LB. Los principios de la terapia neural desde los fundamentos del nervismo hasta la neurociencia actual [The principles of neural therapy from the foundations of nervism to current neuroscience]. Rev Univ Ind Santander Salud. 2012;44(2):57–65.

[11] Li G, Hilgenfeld R, Whitley R, De Clercq E. Therapeutic strategies for COVID-19: Progress and lessons learned. Nat Rev Drug Discov. 2023 Jun;22(6):449–475. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41573-023-00672-y PMID:37076602

[12] Leng A, Shah M, Ahmad SA, Premraj L, Wildi K, Li Bassi G, et al. Pathogenesis underlying neurological manifestations of long COVID syndrome and potential therapeutics. Cells. 2023 Mar;12(5):816. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells12050816 PMID:36899952

[13] Klein Wolterink RG, Wu GS, Chiu IM, Veiga-Fernandes H. Neuroimmune interactions in peripheral organs. Annu Rev Neurosci. 2022 Jul;45(1):339–360. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-neuro-111020- 105359 PMID:35363534

[14] Dani M, Dirksen A, Taraborrelli P, Torocastro M, Panagopoulos D, Sutton R, et al. Autonomic dysfunction in ‘long COVID’: Rationale, physiology and management strategies. Clin Med (Lond). 2021 Jan;21(1):e63–e67. https://doi.org/10.7861/clinmed.2020-0896 PMID:33243837

[15] Sherif ZA, Gomez CR, Connors TJ, Henrich TJ, Reeves WB; RECOVER Mechanistic Pathway Task Force. Pathogenic mechanisms of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC). eLife. 2023 Mar;12:e86002. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.86002 PMID:36947108

[16] Bustamante C, Pinilla Bonilla LB, Restrepo JC. Neurological symphony: Post-acute COVID-19 syndrome, an innovative pathophysiological exploration from neuraltherapeutic medicine. Front Integr Nuerosci. 2024 Jul;18:1417856. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnint.2024.1417856PMID:39070159

[17] Engel R, Barop H, Giebel J, Ludin SM, Fischer L. The influence of modern neurophysiology on the previous definitions of “Segment” and “Interference Field” in neural therapy. Complement Med Res. 2022;29(3):257–267. https://doi.org/10.1159/000522391 PMID:35114664

[18] Orbeli LA. I.M. Sechenov i ego rol’ v razvitii fiziologii nervnoi sistemy [I.M. Sechenov and his role in the development of physiology of the nervous system,Russian.]. Zh Vyssh Nerv Deiat Im I P Pavlova. 1955;5(6):765–772. PMID:13301020

[19] Orbeli LA. Rol’vegetativnoi sistemy v patogeneze boevyk travm [Role of the vegetative nervous system in the pathogenesis of war injuries]. Voen Meditsinskii Sb. 1945;(2):3–9. PMID:20281197

[20] Tracey KJ. The inflammatory reflex. Nature. 2002 Dec;420(6917):853–859. https://doi.org/10.1038/ nature01321 PMID:12490958

[21] Pavlov VA, Tracey KJ. The vagus nerve and the inflammatory reflex—Linking immunity and metabolism. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2012 Dec;8(12):743–754. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrendo.2012.189 PMID:23169440

[22] Fischer L, Barop H, Ludin SM, Schaible HG. Regulation of acute reflectory hyperinflammation in viral and other diseases by means of stellate ganglion block. A conceptual view with a focus on Covid-19. Auton Neurosci. 2022 Jan;237:102903. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autneu.2021.102903 PMID:34894589

[23] Johnson RL, Wilson CG. A review of vagus nerve stimulation as a therapeutic intervention. J Inflamm Res. 2018 May;11:203–213. https://doi.org/10.2147/JIR.S163248 PMID:29844694

[24] Selye H. The general adaptation syndrome and the diseases of adaptation. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1946 Feb;6(2):117–230. https://doi.org/10.1210/jcem-6-2-117 PMID:21025115

[25] Lu S, Wei F, Li G. The evolution of the concept of stress and the framework of the stress system. Cell Stress. 2021 Apr;5(6):76–85. https://doi.org/10.15698/cst2021.06.250 PMID:34124582

[26] Deng JJ, Zhang CL, Liu DW, Huang T, Xu J, Liu QY, et al. Treatment of stellate ganglion block in diseases: Its role and application prospect. World J Clin Cases. 2023 Apr;11(10):2160–2167. https://doi.org/10.12998/wjcc.v11.i10.2160 PMID:37122525

[27] Vinyes D, Mu noz-Sellart M, Fischer L. Therapeutic use of low-dose local anesthetics in pain, inflammation, and other clinical conditions: A systematic scoping review. J Clin Med. 2023 Nov;12(23):7221. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12237221 PMID:38068272

[28] Egli S, Pfister M, Ludin SM, Puente de la Vega K, Busato A, Fischer L. Long-term results of therapeutic local anesthesia (neural therapy) in 280 referred refractory chronic pain patients. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2015 Jun;15(1):200. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-015-0735-zPMID:26115657

[29] Vinyes D, Mu noz-Sellart M, Caballero TG. Local anesthetics as a therapeutic tool for post COVID- 19 patients: A case report. Medicine (Baltimore). 2022 Jul;101(28):e29358. https://doi.org/10.1097/MD. 0000000000029358 PMID:35839020

[30] Galvin V, Cheek DJ, Zhang Y, Collins G, Gaskin D. Stellate ganglion blockade for persistent olfactory and gustatory symptoms post-COVID-19. Local Reg Anesth. 2023 May;16:25–30. https://doi.org/10.2147/LRA.S402197 PMID:37162813

[31] Duricka D, Liu L. Reduction of long COVID symptoms after stellate ganglion block: A retrospective chart review study. Auton Neurosci. 2024 Aug;254:103195. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autneu.2024.103195 PMID:38901177