Painful conditions, nerve paralysis, allergies and a whole range of other diagnoses are positively affected by the innovative treatment method applied by MUDr. Peter Olšák at the State Medical Spa in Janské Lázně. The groundbreaking method of using electroacupuncture brings results that are of interest to experts all over the world. And not only them – adult and child patients pin their hopes on Janské Lázně after serious injuries or illnesses. "I have been developing the electroacupuncture method since 2016. The biggest milestone was the treatment of patients with complete spinal cord severance," says the rehabilitation doctor.
How and to whom does electroacupuncture help?
The cases of a sixteen-year-old boy with a severed spinal cord or a thirty-two-year-old woman paralyzed from the chest down entered the media world at the end of 2023. Both the boy and the young woman are making unexpected progress thanks to electroacupuncture led by MUDr. Olšák. A twelve-year-old girl has also seen a significant improvement in her health, as have hundreds of other patients.
"Classical acupuncture can also affect many diseases - just look at the WHO website, where there are over a hundred diagnoses for which acupuncture is suitable for treatment based on clinical studies," the doctor points out, adding that the method he developed can affect acupuncture points not only by inserting a needle, but also by applying an electric current.
The clinical effects of electroacupuncture are described in hundreds of studies in scientific journals. However, their evaluation is not always completely simple, according to the doctor. The methodology of the procedure must always be carefully considered. Unlike the evaluation of drugs, the evaluation of the effects of electroacupuncture requires good professional knowledge to avoid misinterpretation of the results.
What is the AC-TIVE ENF method?
Stimulation through injection and electric current is nothing new, according to MUDr. Olšák. However, the way in which the AC-TIVE ENF method works is groundbreaking: "It is unique in that it stimulates with several different currents. These currents and the localization of the points change five to six times during the course of the therapy. At the same time, the patient is an active participant in the procedure, he can influence the course of the treatment with his will, and even perform some movements during the application."
He has been developing the method since 2016. He is constantly improving the procedures so that the patient can be helped effectively and in the shortest possible time. "In the past, I mainly treated adult paralyzed patients, but around 2019 I started applying electroacupuncture to children as well," says the rehabilitation doctor.
Over time, he encountered some technical application limits in the development of the method. In cooperation with the Science and Technology Park of Palacký University in Olomouc, the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic and other colleagues, he worked on a project in which he managed to develop and test an innovative acupuncture needle. Thanks to its properties, it can make treatment even more effective.
An individual approach plays an important role
For the effective use of electroacupuncture, diagnostics are also important. According to MUDr. Olšák, the individual approach is sometimes lost in medicine. "The effort to create the same treatment procedure for all diagnoses may not always bear fruit. Each person is original in their own way. In treatment, in accordance with the definition of evidence-based medicine, it is necessary to respect not only the scientific studies themselves, but also the opinion and experience of the doctor and, last but not least, to respect the preferences and abilities of the patient. This was how this assessment was defined in 1996 and, unfortunately, the integrity of this procedure is sometimes lost to us," he is convinced.
Before applying electroacupuncture using the AC-TIVE ENF method, the doctor determines whether the patient suffers from a disease that could be an obstacle to treatment. This mainly concerns whether the patient has a pacemaker, insulin pump, other implanted electrical devices, or is not in a high-risk pregnancy.
Minimum side effects, maximum effect
If the described treatment is carried out correctly, it has minimal risks. The patient can practically not be harmed - except for the bruise that appears after the needle is inserted. Another advantage, for example in the treatment of nerve palsies, is its speed and efficiency. And last but not least, it is necessary to mention the very low financial costs (compared to some other procedures).
"The application usually takes around 30 minutes. The number of sessions is different for each patient, depending on the diagnosis. For some painful conditions, 2-3 sessions may be enough. For severe paralysis, there may be as many as 50," states MUDr. Olšák.
The effects of the method depend on many factors. One of the most important is the time that has passed since the injury and the specific diagnosis. "But we usually know whether it is effective for the patient in the first applications," says the doctor.
Comfort above all
What does a typical electroacupuncture application look like? "I try to explain to the patient what to expect and what feelings they will have. We have to fine-tune the current intensity threshold together so that the application is as comfortable as possible. The principle is that it must not be unpleasant or painful for the patient. Then I try to instruct each patient on what movement they could try to do and, if necessary, I guide them on how to do it," the doctor describes, adding that movements that healthy people normally perform almost subconsciously must be "rediscovered" by paralyzed patients. And that is not an easy task, especially for people who have impaired perception of the paralyzed part of their body.
If everything goes well, you can see a change after the first treatment. But this is not always the case. Sometimes more applications are needed for the doctor to properly assess their effectiveness. Of course, there are also cases in which the treatment is not beneficial at all. If there is no improvement even after three applications, it is usually not continued.
It is ideal to combine electroacupuncture with other methods. Working in a wider team brings personal and professional enrichment, and the results are also better when combining treatment methods.
Myograph monitors patients' progress
"We have several options for monitoring the effects of treatment. The basis is clinical examination, we mainly use video documentation. We are currently starting to test the myograph, which was lent to us by scientists from the Czech Technical University. And we will look for other tools and ways to further improve the monitoring of results," reveals MUDr. Olšák.
Despite the rehabilitation doctor's original expectations, the patient's age does not play a big role in the success of the treatment: "So far, I have been showing a video of a patient from 2017 in lectures, when she was 78 years old. She had partial spinal cord damage, and was paralyzed in her lower limbs. Initially, the findings did not look good, but after six months she was able to walk without any aids. Nevertheless, it is usually true that younger people respond better to treatment."
One more "interesting fact" MUDr. Olšák mentions. Excessive alcohol consumption has proven to be a relatively large risk factor for poorer treatment effectiveness. "Its destructive effect on the nervous system is described, but I thought it would not be so pronounced. However, this only applies to patients whose alcohol consumption is significantly higher than in the general population. We have not measured this exactly yet, but it surprised me a bit when monitoring patients," he says.
New needles, new procedures and education
MUDr. Olšák is definitely not resting on his laurels. As he says, if everything goes well, he wants to use new needles in clinical practice in time, which do not yet have the necessary certification. So far, they can only be used experimentally. ""I am also still researching what combinations of points and currents to choose to continuously improve effectiveness. I will be happy to help patients improve their self-sufficiency to the highest possible level," he says.
As in previous years, he has been lecturing at several domestic and international conferences this year. For example, he reported on the results of treatment of patients with complete spinal cord severance at the April neurorehabilitation congress, and his autumn dates are almost full - in September he will travel to the World Congress of Medical Acupuncture in South Korea with his findings.
The professional public will certainly not miss the XVIII. Janskolázeň Symposium focused on neurodegenerative diseases and related disorders. It will take place on January 8-10, 2025, and MUDr. Olšák will present further advances in electroacupuncture treatment using the AC-TIV ENF method.
