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Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation Products on this website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not approved to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging. Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation (CES) essentially consists of applying a very low current that is usually pulsed at 0.5 to 100 Hz to the mastoid processes or the earlobes. It is thought to modulate neurotransmitter systems in the brain including the serotonergic system. There are a few devices on the market which the FDA allows to promote for the treatment of anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Such devices require a prescription in the United States. CES has been around for many years. The research I have seen concerning its efficacy is relatively good, and my clinical experience has also been good. CES may not be all that well known because it may have a hard time competing in a market dominated by pharmaceuticals. It seems to be a relatively safe alternative or complementary treatment. Research has also seemed promising in the area of the treatment of addictions. CES may be contraindicated if you have a pacemaker. It may also cause some dizziness and nausea among other side effects but is generally well tolerated. A major drawback might be the initial investment. One of the best researched units seems to be the Alpha-Stim CES which goes for $495.00. While this may seem pretty steep, relative to the cost of medications it might not actually be that bad and apparently a few insurance carriers might help, and on at least one website the device is also available on a lease option. A very good website in my opinion is www.alpha-stim.com. There are links to several research papers on CES and I especially find the video clips on the site which include excerpts from well known news programs to be good as far as giving CES credibility. Alpha-stim products may also be ordered via this site. The CES Ultra is another prescription only device. This device operates at 100 Hz and is not as expensive as the alpha-stim. There is some useful information on this device at www.cesultra.com. There are some other devices which are unable to claim efficacy as they have not had FDA approval as such, but are available without a prescription. One such device is the "BT7 Bio-tuner." It is a lot less expensive than the prescription devices and may be worth a try. |
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