NEURO-EMOTIONAL TECHNIQUE: 35 YEARS OF MIND-BODY HEALTH CARE: A COMMENTARY

Abstract

In its 35-year history, Neuro Emotional Technique (NET) has resonated with the principles of  (i) the biopsychosocial model developed by Engels; (ii) Waddell’s application of that model to lower back pain; (iii)  numerous observations that the interrelationships of biological, physiological, and psychological factors are all drivers of pain; (iv)  manual muscle testing as the centerpiece of Applied Kinesiology introduced by Goodheart; (v)  Pert’s theory that the expression of emotions united the immune, endocrine, and neurological systems as a hallmark of psychoneuroimmunology; mediated via the Psycho Immune Neuro Endocrine (PINE) Network and finally (vi)  the appearance of these concepts and several health disciplines into the application of NET as currently applied by trained practitioners. The overlying objective of the mind-body approach undertaken by NET was to normalize a physiological imbalance caused by an emotional trauma that could not be resolved because of a neurological or meridian deficit. This concept has been updated to specifically indicate that recollection of the past stress-related event has been deemed sufficient to recreate the same type of chemical conditions in the body, which could then be addressed by a combination of manual muscle testing and offering graded interrogations to encourage the patient to access those emotions.

A review of case study, cohort, and randomized clinical trial research included two larger studies. One was the striking demonstration by Monti of parallel changes of fMRI images of the parahippocampus with the reduction of cancer patient distress after NET applications, thereby revealing a possible neurological signature of NET. The second was the report by Bablis and coworkers that, compared to a placebo treatment, an NET regimen produced clinical and statistical significance with declines of Inflammatory and Immune blood markes also declines of virtually all physiological pain and disability markers by gains in quality-of-life indicators at baseline, 1, 3, and 6 months in patients with chronic back pain. Thereby depicting a possible PINE Network signature of NET.These beneficial effects in all outcome measures were sustained, as additional interventions at 3 and 6 months produced no further improvement while at the same time there was no deterioration of these measures during that period. The authors suggested that these results were consistent with the principle of resilience.