For those suffering from chronic or neuropathic pain, Scrambler® Therapy may offer relief in a way that no pain management treatment has been able to do before. This non-invasive treatment uses a special device that interrupts, or “scrambles,” the transmission of pain signals by stimulating nerve fibers to send non-pain signals instead. Scrambler Therapy claims a 90% success rate without requiring any surgery, though repeated treatment is necessary to obtain long-lasting results.

By overwhelming the nerves that transmit chronic pain information with what appears to be normal, non-pain electrical information, Scrambler Therapy can retrain the brain to believe there is no pain in the treatment area. This process of retraining is due to a phenomenon called brain plasticity or neuroplasticity. (The original meaning of “plastic” is moldable or changeable.) As medical researchers continue to learn how brain plasticity works, treatments that exploit it are becoming more common and more effective.

In a clinical trial at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, Scrambler Therapy was used to treat patients suffering from chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. CIPN is a set of symptoms associated with damage to peripheral nerves (like those found in our arms and legs or used for bladder and bowel control) caused by chemotherapy or other drugs used to treat cancer. After ten days of treatment, patients in this clinical trial reported a 50% reduction in pain during treatment days. These patients self-reported weekly for ten weeks following treatment and these reports reflected an overall benefit from Scrambler Therapy.

Scrambler Therapy is being used to treat other types of neuropathic pain like chronic back or leg pain caused by sciatica, post-surgery nerve lesion neuropathy, lower back pain and more. Chronic pain can be frustrating due to its difficulty to treat with prescription drugs, invasive surgery or other standard treatments that might have negative side effects and may not resolve the problem in any case. Scrambler Therapy is non-invasive and it has no side effects.

Located in Boise, Pain Care Clinic of Idaho recommends six to ten Scrambler Therapy treatments over the course of two weeks. Patients can expect pain relief to last three to six months or longer based on the severity of the injury or condition. Our physicians are able to evaluate your pain and recommend an appropriate treatment path that may also include medication, activity, and diet instructions to ensure that you receive the maximum benefit from the therapy.

Ideal candidates for Scrambler Therapy include those who have been dealing with unbearable chronic or neuropathic pain and have exhausted all other options or wish to avoid invasive surgery or strong drugs. If you’re ready to learn more about Scrambler Therapy, call Pain Care Clinic of Idaho for an appointment: 208-629-2492.