Fear of needles motivates a lot of us. Otherwise perfectly sensible people cringe and shrink away from the tiniest syringe. perhaps it is something atavistic; but fear of needles is a big issue, and a major source of noncompliant behavior. We can talk about "how little it hurts," but for some folks, it's like a phobia. What do we do about it? How do we help people past their fear of needles?
One option is the ShotBlocker. Without chemicals, currents, analgesic creams, or waiting time, it provides an anesthesia of sorts; the pain from the insertion of the needle is blocked, and the injection becomes less an object of dread.
Veterinarians have known for years that an animal distracted from the pain of an injection will not react to that injection. ShotBlocker uses the same idea. They call it the "gate theory," but what it means is if you "stimulate the skin" around the injection site, you won't notice the injection. It's like pinching a horse so he doesn't react to the stick -- and it works.
It's a simple piece. Looking like a flattened piece of prickly fruit, or a vaguely predatory drain-stopper with a hole in the middle, it has about 100 short, blunt "tines" on one side. Placed around the injection area (the injection is made through the open hole in the center), you don't notice the "stick."
ShotBlockers are single-use, sold in packages of 50 ($34.95) or 100 ($49.95).
Contact: Bionix Medical Technologies, 5154 Enterprise Blvd., Toledo, OH 43612;
telephone: 1-800-551-6810; website: www.bionix.com