How Nettle's technology works
Nettle’s non-invasive brain-based approach to menstrual wellbeing is the first of it’s kind. Here we explain how this technology works to optimise your wellbeing and manage symptoms.
Brain activity changes through the menstrual cycle.
During your luteal phase, fluctuations occur in certain brain regions which contribute to symptoms of PMS and menstrual pain such as low mood, anxiety, brain fog and cramps.
Your brain runs on electricity, and neurons communicate using electrical signals called action potentials. Nettle uses the natural language of neurons to activate them and enable more effective connection between them.
This is done by administering safe and small electrical pulses to brain regions where these fluctuations occur. We are able to target them via the placement of the electrodes on the headband, one targeting your dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and the other targeting your insula via your motor cortex (M1).
This stimulation gets neurons firing in a way that is more consistent with follicular phase activity, empowering you to feel your best even during the premenstrual phase.
Nettle provides emotional regulation and pain relief by stimulating two different areas of the brain at once.
Nettle's Front Band
Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC) stimulation for emotional regulation (PMS)
Nettle specifically targets the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), a region crucial for regulating emotions and cognitive functions. It plays a critical role in modulating responses to emotional stimuli and stress, essential for maintaining emotional stability. In individuals suffering from PMS, the DLPFC may be under active or functioning sub-optimally. By targeting and supporting this area, Nettle helps regulate the intense emotional responses often experienced by those with PMS.
Nettle's Back Band
Motor cortex stimulation for pain perception and pain relief
The motor cortex, specifically the primary motor cortex (M1), plays a role in the modulation of chronic pain, by indirectly modulating the activity of the posterior insula. Studies suggest that disruptions in the motor cortex can contribute to central sensitisation, a condition where the central nervous system is in a heightened state of reactivity, lowering the pain-perception threshold. By stimulating the motor cortex, Nettle can recalibrate the neural pathways that play a role in regulating the perception of chronic pain. This stimulation has shown to increase the pain-perception threshold.