Dr. Bernard Straile did not go over the heads of his audience during his Feb. 6 presentation at the Seniors of Skaneateles' monthly meeting. Instead, Straile came too close to their heads for comfort.

The Camillus-based chiropractor had just introduced the Seniors of Skaneateles to NAET - Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Technique, named after the doctor who pioneered it. NAET is a drug-free and non-invasive method of desensitizing the mind to allergies. But in the audience at the Auburn Holiday Inn's Seneca-Cayuga Room, one man was a bit bothered.

“I get nervous when someone messes with my brain,” said Bill Pavlus, a member of Seniors of Skaneateles.

Straile quickly eased Pavlus' fears by explaining that NAET does not meddle with the conscious mind. It instead manipulates the autonomic portion of the brain that regulates the body. This modality of medical treatment has been in development for almost 30 years, but Straile notes that NAET has recently been gaining ground.

“Now we're at a stage where more research is being done about it, finding that it's very powerful and can achieve incredible results,” Straile said.

Straile links NAET with the successful elimination of food allergies such as milk and peanuts. He begins the procedure by placing a patient in contact with a vial of water that has been charged to the frequency of the food item. Through kinesiology, he measures the strength of one arm against that of the arm holding the vial in order to assess the severity of the allergy.

The mind is then desensitized to the stimulus through manual neuromodulation, a procedure that places pressure on the spinal cord in order to send signals to the brain.

“It's very gentle, some see it as a massage,” Straile said.

The spinal stimulation builds a more pleasant association between the allergen and the brain. Other practitioners of NAET use acupuncture or acupressure to send signals through the spinal cord, but Straile prefers to take a chiropractic approach.

“Some people think chiropractic means snapping people's necks, but it just means working with your hands rather than a scalpel,” Straile said.

He estimates that NAET is practiced by more than 6,000 physicians worldwide. The efficacy of the treatment depends on the strength of the allergy it treats. Straile said that a patient with hayfever could be cured of their affliction after one treatment session. But someone with rheumatoid arthritis could require several visits to their doctor in order to see results.

“I thought it was interesting that he said shingles could be gone in three treatments, I had always associated (the condition) with a longer process,” said Senior Mary O'Brien.

In addition to shingles, Straile suggested that NAET could be implemented to alleviate the agony of osteoporosis and arthritis, two other conditions that weigh heavily on the minds of most seniors.

The doctor began his presentation by discussing the causes of the skeletal frailty that characterizes osteoporosis, particularly nutritional factors. NAET can optimize the nutrition of someone with osteoporosis by doing away with food allergies that hinder the absorption of calcium and vitamin D, two nutrients that strengthen bones.

Treating arthritis with NAET is even simpler. The pain of the condition is caused by inflammation of the joints - a frequent consequence of allergic reactions. Straile estimates that 75 percent of all arthritic conditions are aggravated by food and other allergies that could be eliminated through NAET.

“I found it interesting that he connected arthritis to allergies,” said senior Marian Marchand.

Straile's presentation provided the Seniors of Skaneateles with several points to contemplate as many of them continue to face the often debilitating effects of aging.

“They're things to think about as you get older and more achy,” said Jean Eaton, president of Seniors of Skaneateles.

The prospect of a few non-invasive treatment sessions for these afflictions contrasts the daily medications and monthly doctor's visits that several seniors must endure along with their pain.

“It allows some problems to improve without medication, because you can't medicate everything,” Straile said. “Some people don't do well with medication, they're sensitive enough to chemicals as it is.”

Eaton knew from the audience's silence during Straile's presentation that the Seniors were very attentive to what he had to say about osteoporosis, arthritis and other medical conditions common within that group.

“If they get bored, they talk,” she said.

Staff writer David Wilcox can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 245 or david.wilcox@lee.net