Sometimes, long after an injury has healed, the body still sends pain signals to the brain. Known as complex regional pain syndrome, the condition can be quite debilitating and is surprisingly difficult to treat. With the new “scrambler therapy” technique, however, pain relief is now in sight for individuals suffering from this syndrome.
Scrambler Therapy
Scrambler Therapy is a type of electro-analgesia where electricity is used to ease the pain. The electrical signals generated during the treatment interfere with the pain signals the body is sending to the brain. One explanation is that Scrambler Therapy sends “non-pain” signals to the brain along with the pain signals the body sends. The signals transmitted using the therapy overwhelm the body’s pain signals. The brain stops responding to the pain signals and the sensation of pain is diminished. Electro-analgesia has advantages over drug therapy for pain, including a lower potential for addiction. There are considerations to keep in mind with the treatment, however, including the electrical current itself. It can interfere with pacemakers and cause trouble for people with heart conditions. Additionally, people with epilepsy or brain damage may not be candidates for the treatment.
Potential Advantages
Scrambler Therapy is one application of electro-analgesia. It has had much use worldwide, and there are many examples of it being used as a successful treatment method. Other types of chronic pain that can be treated with the therapy include pain from failed back surgery, lower back pain, phantom limb syndrome, and sciatic and lumbar pain. Treatment is non-invasive and does not require highly specialized facilities.
In some cases, pain reduction occurs in a few minutes with just one treatment. Scrambler Therapy can be successful during the first treatment with very high-intensity pain, even in cases where other forms of electro-analgesia have failed. Pain reduction is not permanent but may last months before another treatment is necessary.
Potential Disadvantages
One of the most critical factors that impact the success of the treatment is the quality of the training the technician who uses the device has had. Studies have shown that in cases where technician training was poor, the success of the therapy was much reduced. Technique is an important part of Scrambler Therapy.
Treatments can be sessions of 45 minutes each scheduled for five days a week for several weeks. Sessions can cost anywhere from $200 to $500 each. If the treatment is going to be ineffective, however, that is usually known in the first several visits. That means that patients paying for a full course of treatments that won’t help is unlikely.
If you suffer from intractable pain that conventional treatments cannot help, consider a visit to a center that practices Scrambler Therapy. In some cases, the first treatment is free, so there is almost no risk in trying it and the potential upside is enormous.
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