before you read my review, you should know that I am a reseller for alpha stim. Here is my experience with the device.

- In my first experience with the Alpha-Stim® SCS, I was at the end of a particularly long stressful day. I had been observing peripherally several other individuals from our office who had tried the device just before me. With each person running a twenty minute session on the device there was plenty of time for me to hear their experiences before I tried it. The feedback I was getting from them was interesting, but mostly positive. When it came to be my chance with the device, I was instructed to add the alpha conducting solution to the electrode pads, and connected the electrodes to my earlobes. I turned on the device, and was told to adjust the dial up slowly, to increase the micro-current until I could just feel a tingling in my earlobes. I didn't have to turn it up very much at all, I believe the dial goes up to five, and I only just got the dial a little above one and I could feel a tingle in my ears. As I turned the dial further, I actually felt suddenly dizzy, and turned the dial back down. There was no doubt that the device was having an effect.
- My twenty minute session with the SCS device was otherwise uneventful. I felt increasingly calm and relaxed during the session, and as I had come into the session at the end of a long day, I was feeling tired, with a bit of a headache. The headache certainly subsided a bit during the 20 minute session, but not completely.
- The really interesting experience to me was after the session. The name Alpha-Stim, to me, would seem to be associated with Alpha brainwaves, which is what your brain makes in a day dream or calm resting state. I was not prepared for the significant energizing effect that I had several minutes after my session. About 10 to 20 minutes after my session I felt noticeably more awake and alert. And this was a very good feeling, not like the forced awake feeling of caffeine. And, my headache was also much better at that point.
- I was later informed that this awake feeling from the SCS can be so powerful for some individuals that it's often not a good idea to do a session close to the end of the day, because it will be harder to get to sleep. But my experience was actually quite the opposite, in that I am sure I had a better, more productive nights sleep than usual. But then, I am not one to have a problem falling asleep.
- In conclusion, I found this device to be much more powerful than I had expected, and that powerful effect was far more positive and beneficial to me than I had anticipated as well.

I also have been having some very remarkable resonses to alpha stim in my practice. Like Kurt I am also a reseller who became involved because of the type of responses that I was seeing in my patients and myself. One boy with Tourette's disorder has stopped ticking as long as he uses alpha stim regularly, another boy who has severe obsessions that did not respond to 300 mg a day of ZOloft has stopped his obsessions. People with panci disorders say that they feel much better. Others have stopped antidepressants. Nearly all of these patients come from my day to day practice and could not or would not afford the time and/or oney for neurofeedback, so use of alpha stim has not been an either alpha stim or neurofeedback choice for them. Rae Tattenbaum however has lost a number of clients for neurofeedback when they have started to use the alpha stim. So that is a cuation if you are going to use it in a neurofeedback practice. If you do I would introduce it at the end of the trianing time and offer it as part of a continuing treatment for hom use after the neurofeedback is concluded.

Hank Mann

Hello Kurt and Associates list members,
As an authorized Alpha-Stim distributor since March, 2003, I would like to add a few comments to your and Hank Mann's remarks.
First of all, it is important for potential users to know that Alpha-Stim has been through the FDA process. It is authorized for treatment of anxity, depression, insomnia, pain and stress. It is available by prescription from an M.D., D.O., D.C., or by order of a physical therapist, nurse, or mental health practitioner.
The Alpha-Stim device has been successfully used for the following conditions:
Anxiety, alcohol and drug treatment, arthritis pain, auto-immune conditions, including lupus, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, bi-polar disorder, carpel tunnel, cerebral palsy, hypoglycemia, insomnia, mental clarity, mood disorders, muscular aches, pain, sprains, and strains, rosacea, refelxive sympathetic dystrophy, and stress.
The Alpha-Stim device increases the production of and release of endorphins and seratonin providing a sense of energy and well-being.
Prozac has been shown to be 10% more effective than placebo. Zoloft has been shown to be 20% more effective than placebo. Paxil has been shown to be 32% more effective than placebo. Alpha-Stim has been shown to be 63% more effective than placebo. I would be hapy to respond to any questions regarding the models of the Alpha-Stim device.