USA Today recently sponsored a panel of experts in the field of substance abuse to share their insights on the nation’s ongoing opioid crisis. Part of the USA Today Opioid campaign, the purpose of the panel was to shed light on the scope of the stigma attached to addiction, and to discuss innovative solutions.
Dr. Javier Francisco Vilasuso
Expert panelist Dr. Javier Francisco Vilasuso, of Florida’s Anesthesia Pain Care Consultants, spoke about technological innovations that can be utilized for pain management and to combat the overuse of and reliance on dangerous medications. Dr. Vilasuso discussed the use of electrical signals in the body as a “nonmedicinal way to aid in relieving pain” – and this is precisely where Alpha-Stim is leading the charge.
Dr. Vilasuso’s trust in Alpha-Stim when treating patients at Anesthesia Pain Care Consultants is a testament to its effectiveness:
“We have utilized this device on many of our most challenging opiate dependent patients and have seen promising results. Most patients are finding that they need less opiate medication to control their pain. They also mention that their stress levels are much improved.”
Reduced dependence on medication is a clear asset in the midst of our country’s opioid crisis. Alpha-Stim is non-addictive and bears no risk of lasting side effects. What sets Alpha-Stim even farther apart from drugs is its cumulative effect. With most medications, patients must take ever higher doses to attain the same results, due to the body adapting to the drugs. Alpha-Stim, on the other hand, becomes more effective over time – patients who at first need daily treatments may find that they are able to taper down to a few treatments per week, or only as symptoms dictate.
Alpha-Stim is a noninvasive medical device that uses Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation (CES) to send signals to the brain to alleviate pain and insomnia. The microcurrent is delivered through ear clips and is mild – most people do not even feel it. To treat pain, the Alpha-Stim M delivers Microcurrent Electrical Therapy (MET) directly to the site of a patient’s pain with two handheld probes or electrode pads. Pain relief is long-lasting and often occurs immediately. Alpha-Stim is FDA cleared and has been proven effective in over 100 clinical studies.
In a study of severe pain patients, Alpha-Stim significantly reduced pain by an average of 71% after only 5 treatments. (1)
Breaking away from a paradigm in which opioids are prescribed without pause is no small feat; the innovative practices embraced by Dr. Vilasuso and the rest of the USA Today panel – as well as many others who share their pursuit – are making enormous strides in a safer, more sustainable direction.
Patients who are in pain may fear that there is no alternative to opiates, that their suffering is unending, that the reduction in prescription drugs means nothing but continued discomfort and stress. But Alpha-Stim is a safe, effective, and easy to use treatment that brings lasting results. Get started today!
About Dr. Vilasuso
Javier Francisco Vilasuso, MD, a fellowship-trained interventional pain medicine physician, earned his medical degree from the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine. He attended the University of South Florida where he completed his fellowship training in pain management and residency in anesthesiology. He currently practices at Anesthesia Pain Care Consultants in Tamarac, Florida.
Dr. Vilasuso is a member of the American Board of Anesthesiology, the American Society of Regional Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine and the American Society of Anesthesiologists. He has contributed to numerous conferences and case studies with regard to techniques used in the treatment of chronic pain patients.
In 2013, he was honored by the International Association of Anesthesiologists and recognized in its renowned publication called The Leading Physicians of the World.