MESOTHERAPY

Mesotherapy has been used in France for over 50 years and is recognized by the French Academy of Medicine. The French believe that it is a safe and effective modality for the treatment of a wide range of medical conditions, including CAID. This type of treatment has not yet achieved widespread acceptance in the United States.

The basic premise of mesotherapy is to use the smallest dose of medication, injected in a location determined to be correct by the practitioner. The treatment consists of a series of superficial injections, direcdy over the affected site, with conventional, botanical, or homeopathic medications. The medication is injected to a depth of 1-2 millimeters, causing minimal to no discomfort. By injecting intracutaneously, or under the skin, the solutions can remain in the area longer, because they are not cleared by the bloodstream as quickly as a deep injection. This allows for the use of smaller amounts of medication compared to oral agents and they have a more profound effect.

Mesotherapy can open the sinuses to allow for easier drainage. Usually a solution is prepared and injected locally over the affected sinuses. The solution is composed of three ingredients:

■ Procaine. A local anesthetic that can dilate the blood vessels, allowing easier absorption of medications.

■ Pentoxifylline. A medication that improves the properties of the blood flow, thereby enhancing tissue oxygenation. It also has been shown to inhibit neutrophil activation. (Neutrophils are the bloods inflammatory cells and are frequently present in chronic sinusitis.)

■ Calcitonin. A parathyroid hormone that acts as a potent antiinflammatory whenever bone is involved (as in the case of sinusitis).

I have patients who speak very highly about their success with mesotherapy. Often, these patients suffer from headaches (temporo mandibular joint, migraine, sinus) that have been hard to resolve with other forms of therapy. It is my understanding that there are very few mesotherapy practitioners in the United States.

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