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Post Herpetic Neuralgia” (PHN). The Chicken Pox virus we had as a child never goes completely away. The virus finds a weak spot in one or two adjacent nerve clusters inside the spinal cord called Dorsal Root Ganglion, present between every spinal vertebra. There the virus remains dormant for life, usually anyhow.

In a small number of people, emotional, environmental, or physical trauma can reactivate that virus. Diabetes, chemotherapy and other illnesses, weakens the immune system, increasing the risk of the virus being reactivated.

Of the nerve roots exiting between spinal vertebra, some innervate the skin in a pattern that wraps around from back to front, much like someone standing behind you and placing their arms around you. These nerves are called Peripheral Nerves / Sensory Nerves (sensory meaning you can feel your skin). The pattern is called Dermatomes.

The Chicken Pox virus reactivates, causing intense itching and pustules, just like how the original Chicken Pox affected you years earlier. This reactivation is called “Shingles.” The severe inching and pustules can last several weeks. Many times it might go away after the virus has run its course just like in your youth. However it never fully goes away.

Shingles can change the electron vibrations in the peripheral nerves permanently, usually unless treated with specific frequencies to nullify the altered electron harmonics. Without appropriate microcurrent treatment, the virus can go back to being dormant again, but leaves the peripheral nerves compromised. It is possible to have a second and third Shingles outbreak. Appropriate microcurrent treatment has been shown to reduce the chances of a second Shingles attack.

Some people can learn to live with altered electron harmonics of the peripheral nerves and might eventually forget about it. However, the peripheral nerves in about 20% of Shingles patients can become chronically inflamed which leads to scarring of the nerves. Scarred nerve fibers will not conduct nerve action potential at full value. The result can be lifelong nerve pain in the dermatomal peripheral nerves. This can start post three weeks after the first outbreak of Shingles. This is called “Post Herpetic Neuralgia.” “Post” meaning after the fact. “Herpetic” because Chicken Pox is a form of Herpes. “Neuralgia” because the peripheral nerves are chronically inflamed.

Sometimes PHN might affect quality of life for only 90 days, or until the patient “adapts.” The key point is learning to adapt. Other times the nerve pain becomes very debilitating for life, causing severe quality of life compromises.

Applying specific microcurrent frequencies (Frequency Specific Microcurrent / FSM) to these patients has been found to help many patients, especially if administered before PHN becomes debilitating. FSM has also shown many times to shorten the course of the Shingles outbreak. The FSM doctor might also be helpful after PHN becomes problematic, but it becomes more time consuming to treat because severe nerve damage has already occurred.