Retired US Marine Logan Shield and retired US Army General Stephen Xenakis, MD, discuss using the Fisher Wallace Stimulator® for the treatment of mood and sleep disorders.
Scientific American has published a blog post by guest author David Levine titled “Why I Get My Brain Zapped – Conventional therapies haven’t done much good for my anxiety disorder“.
The article relates the experience of the author in seeking a solution to his anxiety disorder. The article discusses the potential of prescribed medication (and the drawbacks), talk therapy, and a range of electrical treatments including electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and the Fisher Wallace Stimulator. Mr Levine has been using the Fisher Wallace Stimulator for about six years to help with his anxiety and chronic pain, as well as occasional use for insomnia and jet lag.
The full article is available on the Scientific American website at http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/mind-guest-blog/why-i-get-my-brain-zapped/
Fox News aired a 1:49 minute broadcast on the Fisher Wallace Stimulator. The video discusses the benefits of non-medication options for the treatment of depression, insomnia and anxiety.
So many people looked at the pharmacy for relief and one of the top prescriptions – anti-depressants. More than one in ten Americans take one but now we’re learning about a new way to treat depression and other disorders and involves zero medication. That’s right and Doctor Jo gives us a peek at the special device that’s making it possible.
At first glance, it doesn’t look like much, but Bob Kilpatrick says this device changed his life. “So no doubts in your mind?” – “No, there’s no doubt”. For years, Bob couldn’t get to sleep. Instead of taking pills, he strapped on this special headband and flipped the switch. How’s it work? The stimulator emits a mild electrical current – 15,000Hz to be exact. It’s not much – just a fraction of what is used for electroconvulsive shock therapy – but studies show that small amount is enough to power up feel-good chemicals in the brain. “Dopamine, serotonin and beta endorphin” – Chip Fisher, Fisher Wallace
And some doctors believe that kick can even benefit patients struggling with PTSD. “..and many family members will say that these have been more helpful to them than any other treatment they’ve had” – Dr Richard Brown, Columbia University Psychiatrist.
Unlike other FDA-approved stimulators, this is the only one approved for use in home. It’s over the counter in Europe. Here in the US, you’ll need a doctor’s prescription for this medication-free treatment. “I’m not saying medicine’s bad, but I think there are other ways to do it that have more benefits to help the whole brain”, “and there’s no pain or discomfort”. Patients like Bob believe stimulators like the Fisher Wallace will become more popular. “Over the next year and following after that, you’re going to see much wider use.”
Helping patients get rest and feel better minus the medicine.
In this video, President of Fisher Wallace Laboratories, shows how to use the device.
Hi, I’m Chip Fisher, President of Fisher Wallace Laboratories. Our portable medical device is called a “Fisher Wallace Stimulator” and it’s cleared by the FDA for the treatment of depression, insomnia, anxiety and pain.
It’s called a stimulator because it delivers a general electrical pulse that stimulates the brain to produce serotonin, and other neurochemicals, required for healthy mood and sleep. It’s been proven in multiple published studies and is preferred by doctors at Harvard, NYU, Cornell and other top institutions.
In this video, I’ll show you how to use the device to treat depression, insomnia, and anxiety. You can refer to the instruction manual included with every device regarding the treatment of pain.
The device comes in five parts:
- the wires
- the base unit
- the sponge applicators
- the headband, and
- the body band
First, place the base unit in your hand and open the battery compartment by pushing the locking slide down, and lifting the back case off the unit. Following the diagram, place the two AA batteries in the compartment and re-close the case.
Next, open the headset packet and connect the black and red wires to the two white caps. Insert the black wire into the hole with a black dot, and the red wire into the hole with a red dot.
The two yellow discs inside the headset caps are sponges that will expand when wet. Take the sponge applicators and dip them thoroughly into a glass of cold water. Squeeze out the excess water, and place them on the table.
To use the device to treat depression, insomnia, and anxiety, take the headband and place it above your ears with the front of the band resting just above your eyebrows. The sponge applicators are then placed securely under the headband just above the sideburns. If you have long hair, make sure to place the applicators under the hair as close to the scalp as possible.
There’s a wheel on the right side of the device that should be turned clockwise to the ‘off’ position. You’ll hear a click when the device turns off.
To turn the device on, turn the wheel counterclockwise. You’ll hear the click again and you’ll see the green light come on. If you do not see the green light come on, either the batteries are not installed properly, or the batteries have been depleted.
Once the device is on, continue to turn the wheel until you see the first yellow light come on. This is yellow light number 1. The yellow lights will only come on if the device is successfully conducting. If you have too much hair in the way, or if the sponges are not wet enough, the yellow lights will not come on.
Yellow light number 2 is the setting we recommend starting with to treat depression, insomnia, and anxiety. If you do not experience results at level 2 after two weeks, increase the setting to level 3 or 4. If you use the device at level 3 or 4, you may notice some flashing lights in your peripheral vision. This is a normal stimulation of the optic nerve, and is perfectly safe.
You can use the device where you work, read, relax, or use the computer. The device will stay on for 20 minutes, after which you will hear an audible beep sound turning the device off and ending the session.
The device should be used on a daily basis, ideally twice a day for at least 30 days before making a decision to keep it or return it for a refund.
If the device completely relieves your symptoms, you may start using it on a maintenance basis two or three times a week.
Our device has been on the market since 1991 and there’s no evidence of negative effects from long-term use. This is another advantage of using our device in comparison to drug therapy.
The device may also be used on the body to treat chronic pain including neuropathy, arthritis, back pain, and other forms of chronic and acute pain.
To store the device, take off the head band and wrap the headset around the base unit. When storing the device in its case, leave the sponges on the outside of the bag so they can dry thoroughly.
The device may be used with or without medication and often starts to relieve symptoms during the first week of use. Some patients require two to four weeks to see results, so don’t be discouraged if results take a bit longer to experience.
If you have any questions, our highly trained customer service representatives are available to help on a daily basis.
Thanks for considering the Fisher Wallace Stimulator – I truly hope it will help you feel better.
An article has been published on the website of Psychiatric Times (http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/electroconvulsive-therapy/rise-cranial-electrotherapy) that describes how cranial electrotherapy devices such as the Fisher Wallace Stimulator are used to treat insomnia, anxiety, and depression.
In July of 2014, the US FDA announced that it plans to approve the device to treat depression, anxiety and insomnia. The cranial electrotherapy medical device is the only home-use device approved (in the US) to treat depression.
The article is written by Stephen N. Xenakis, MD.
As featured on The Doctors TV, the video discusses how the Fisher Wallace Stimulator is used to treat insomnia.