What is neuropathic pain
Neuropathic pain is a type of pain, usually chronic, caused by an injury or dysfunction of the nervous system. Often called neuralgia, this type of pain is related to the way the brain interprets pain signals. Most of the time, there is no tissue or nerve injury, but the brain receives the false information that there is an injury in the periphery and thus amplifies the pain signal.
Pain can be felt from any level of the nervous system: peripheral nerves, spinal cord or brain.
Neuropathic pain is often described as a shooting or burning sensation. It may go away on its own, but is often chronic.
Neuropathic pain can be caused by various conditions, such as:
- alcoholism;
- diabetes;
- facial nerve problems;
- HIV or AIDS infection;
- disorders of the central nervous system (stroke, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, etc.);
- complex regional pain syndrome;
- Zona Zoster;
- other causes: chemotherapy drugs, radiation therapy, amputation (phantom pain), compression or inflammation of spinal nerves, trauma or surgery with nerve damage.
What is Scrambler Therapy?
Scrambler therapy is a non-invasive method of managing chronic neuropathic pain, including severe forms unresponsive to pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies.
Basically, this therapy is, in fact, an electrocutaneous treatment, which involves the use of an ST-5A medical device. It transmits electrical impulses of very low intensity, by means of surface electrodes (similar to electrocardiographic ones) applied to the skin. Thus, the “pain” message is intercepted and replaced with a synthetic “non-pain” information, achieving immediate analgesia. Through this process, an attempt is made to “re-educate” the brain so that it does not assign pain to a chronically affected area.
Scrambler therapy was developed to help patients who have pain from cancer and chemotherapy, from chronic diseases such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis and arthritis, back and neck pain.
What is this procedure?
Scrambler therapy is an electrocutaneous treatment. The first step in this procedure is to identify and delimit the areas of pain. After that a set of electrodes is placed on the skin around the areas of chronic pain. The electrodes then receive the signal, with a gradual increase in intensity, to a point where the patient is able to feel sensations, without pain.
When the therapy is successful, the patient reports that instead of the pain sensation, tingling occurs. This generally happens within a minute or two. Sometimes the electrodes need to be moved, to achieve effective results, or several sets of electrodes are needed to cover the area of discomfort.
How many sessions make up a treatment?
Initially, Scrambler therapy is administered daily for 10 to 12 days. Depending on the results, some patients may need more or fewer sessions.
As the treatment begins to show its benefits, the pain-relieving effect lasts longer and longer between sessions.
A Scrambler therapy session is considered complete when pain relief lasts 24 hours or more after one session.
Pain relief will last between three and nine months, and when symptoms begin to return, the patient may receive one or two booster treatments. Usually, the remission period increases after consecutive booster treatments.
How long does a session last?
Each Scrambler therapy session typically takes 30-45 minutes on the machine after the electrodes are placed on the painful areas. Sessions are scheduled for approximately one hour.
When Scrambler Therapy is recommended
Scrambler therapy is recommended for treating neuropathic pain caused by:
- chemotherapy;
- cancer;
- failed back surgery syndrome;
- sciatic and lumbar pain;
- phantom limb syndrome;
- postherpetic neuralgia (zone Zoster);
- post-surgical neuropathic pain;
- brachial plexus neuropathy;
- back pain.
When Scrambler Therapy is contraindicated
There are certain categories of patients in which Scrambler therapy is not recommended:
- with implanted pacemakers, aneurysm clips, vena cava clips, cranial plates, and brain-injured patients;
- who have recently had a myocardial infarction;
- treated for epilepsy;
- pregnant or lactating women;
- patients with unstable or untreated mental illnesses;
- people who use drugs;
- patients with a history of seizures/epilepsy or symptomatic brain metastases from cancer.
Bibliography:
- “Neuropathic Pain: What It Is, Causes, Treatment.” Cleveland Clinic, 2020,
- Holland, Kimberly. “What You Should Know about Neuropathic Pain.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 5 Feb. 2020, www.healthline.com
- “Neuropathic Pain Management.” WebMD, WebMD, 4 Feb. 2005, www.webmd.com
- “Mayo Clinic Researchers Test Scrambler Therapy for Pain.” Healio.com, 6 Jan. 2016, www.healio.com
- Marineo, Giuseppe. “Inside the Scrambler Therapy, a Noninvasive Treatment of Chronic Neuropathic and Cancer Pain: From the Gate Control Theory to the Active Principle of Information.” Integrative Cancer Therapies, vol. 18, Jan. 2019, p. 153473541984514, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- “Scrambler Therapy – Natural Pain Relief in Hopkins and Woodbury | Hopkins Health and Wellness Center.” Hopkins Health & Wellness Center, 26 Aug. 2022, www.hopkinswellness.com
- “TMS Los Angeles.” TMS Los Angeles | Westwood & Pasadena, 2023,
- “Scrambler Therapy.” Musc.edu, 2023,
