Michael Dale from Sylvania thinks he might have the answer in a little patch he claims can give various degrees of relief from pain.

He also says it can increase energy, help you lose weight, or aid in getting a good night's sleep.

Called Lifewave, the patch was developed in California and claims to provide mild and temporary stimulation of acupuncture points.

Using nanotechnology which deals with structures so small they can't be seen by the human eye, the patches are said to contain amino acids, carbon and other organic matter.

Described as a homeopathic product, Lifewave is ``non-transdermal'', meaning nothing actually enters the body.

Instead, the patches work on ``energy medians'' and the body's natural frequency.

Mr Dale said he had a life threatening illness more than four years ago and wasn't given long to live, and so turned to alternative health remedies.

Sceptics might argue that any benefits are merely psychosomatic, an argument Mr Dale hotly disputes.

``The science is good,'' said Mr Dale, who sells the product in Australia. ``Lifewave is a class 1 medical device and is registered with the Therapeutic Goods Administration in Australia. There have been clinical trials, and it doesn't interfere with other medication you might be taking.''

But Lifewave has its detractors, and hoax and scam sites on the internet have targeted the health management system for its health claims and sales techniques.