Research Overview The Applicator of Kuznetsov is easily to described as a form of Yogi's bed of nails. The Applicator's prototype was made out of tire rubber with a number of office pins in it , and was large enough to cover most of the human trunk. The hope was to access the needed acupuncture points with some of the pins, like shooting a penny with a large number of pellets. The intent was that the many pins not on the target would not harm whatever good the right pins might do. It is possible to say that these hopes came true since the inventor, Mr. I.I.. Kuznetsov, first healed himself and then, eventually thousands of other suffering people. The device subsequently was approved by the Department of Health. It was mass produced and distributed by the cooperative firm of Kuznetsov's and eventually could be bought in any drug store. A documentary was filmed and aired on national television. In 1980s, at the Moscow cooperative clinic the "Terapevt" headed by Mr. Kuznetsov, I was shown thousands of letters where people shared their experience and described recoveries from an amazing number of diverse diseases as a result of this form of skin stimulation. Ailments noted included: Arthritis, asthma, bone fractures, breast cancer, cerebral palsy, diabetes, frequent colds and flu, gastric ulcers, high blood pressure, insomnia, leukemia, low blood pressure, osteomyelitis, radiation syndrome (Chernobyl's victims), sarcoma, varicose veins. The Kuznetsov's office files also included clinical testimonials about informal research trials, conducted at some of the leading medical institutions in Moscow for a two year period (1981-83): National Institute of Physical Education, Central Institute of Traumatology, Institute of Neurosurgery, Institute of Experimental Surgery, and the Second Moscow Medical Institute. The testimonials revealed that the positive effects were more reliable and longer lasting than similar effects from drug treatments. Plus, no side or adverse effects were reported. Among the most reproducible benefits mentioned were the following: 1) pain, spasms and stress relief; 2) immune system enhancement; 3) metabolic level increase, plus 3) regenerative, anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor action. Even with these outcomes, no scientifically based hypothesis was available, and no professional publications or discussions existed in the medical community about these results. In 1996-97, the Community Holistic Health Center in Carrboro, NC, USA, conducted a research pilot study (122) of the new (American) version of the device. This device was a flexible mat with 1320 pyramidal pointed 'needles' arising from the base. It is made of a specially selected brand of Polyurethane, hard enough to provide the needed sharpness to the needles but viscous enough to make the device flexible. The Center followed up on 200 volunteers; 126 of them filled out and returned the questionnaires. Among them, 105 tried the device for specific health problems. The five most frequently reported conditions were: (starting with the most frequent): stress, pain, muscle spasms, mood swings and insomnia. One or more positive effects were reported by 99 of the 105 participants with specific health problems and 13 out of the 21 participants with no specific health problems. Of the total 126 participans, 103 participants experiencing positive effects: 98% reported pain relief 96% reported relaxation 94% reported improvement of sleep quality, 81% reported an increase in energy level. The researchers have suggested that, since this type of skin stimulation has been repeatedly shown to elicit reflexes causing release of Endorphins into the blood stream, most of the reported results can be explained by the mobilization of this particular type of endogenous stress- and pain protective mechanism.