Preparing for Your First Scrambler Therapy Session
If you're gearing up for your first Scrambler Therapy session, you might feel a mix of hope and hesitation, especially after other treatments haven't eased your pain! It's natural to wonder if this time will be different. Skepticism can be hard to shake when you've been disappointed before. But Scrambler Therapy offers all new hope to find the relief you so desperately need, and we're here to help shake away the nerves as you prepare for your first session!
What is Scrambler Therapy / Calmare Therapy?
Scrambler Therapy, once known as Calmare Therapy, is an innovative approach to pain management that is non-invasive and doesn't rely on risky medications. Instead, it uses a device (model ST-5A) to send impulses through your skin to your brain that mimic our body's normal, pain-free nerve impulses. By changing the messages your brain receives, you can reset your pain perception, effectively 'scrambling' the faulty signals that are causing you to suffer endlessly with chronic pain. Unlike other pain-relief methods that just mask the problem and only treat the symptoms, Scrambler Therapy treats the root cause of your pain.
During a session, electrodes are strategically placed on your skin near the affected area. The machine then generates a low-energy electrical impulse that interacts with your nerve pathways. This process helps your brain recalibrate and stop interpreting those signals as pain through the power of neuroplasticity. Many patients report an instant or near-instant reduction in pain intensity that is long-lasting!
It offers a promising option for those who have not found relief through conventional methods, providing an all-new hope without the use of drugs or surgeries. As you prepare for your first session, knowing how this therapy works could make you more comfortable with the process and optimistic about the outcomes.
Who Can Benefit from Scrambler Therapy?
If you're struggling with relentless nerve pain, the kind that throbs through your day and keeps you awake at night, Scrambler Therapy is the relief you've been searching for! It is powerful for serious nerve conditions like diabetic neuropathy, where every step can feel like walking on pins and needles. Or chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), which can leave your hands and feet burning or freezing without warning.
For those enduring the sharp, lasting ache of postherpetic neuralgia after shingles, or the deep, consuming pain of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), Scrambler Therapy offers hope. These conditions not only cause physical pain but also take an incredibly heavy emotional toll, robbing you of your ability to function daily and often leaving you misunderstood, isolated, and hopeless about returning to the life you once had.
If you have any of the conditions below, it could be a life-changing treatment that allows you to reconnect with the joys and people you love. It's a chance to restore normalcy and vibrancy to your days, as each session brings you closer to long-term relief.
Non-cancer pain such as neuropathic back pain
Low Back Pain (LBP)
Failed Back Surgery Syndrome (FBSS)
and more
Scrambler Therapy can allow you to look past these conditions and reclaim your days where you can focus on life's pleasures, not your pain.
Where Can I Access Scrambler Therapy?
Access to Scrambler Therapy is more widespread than you might think, with over 80 locations across the United States! This availability means that finding a treatment location near you is easier than ever. You can view these locations on our map here to find the closest facility that offers this transformative therapy.
If you're considering traveling for treatment, you're not alone. Many people find the overwhelming benefits of therapy to be well worth the journey. Curious if traveling for the sessions is right for you? Check out our blog, "Traveling for Scrambler Therapy: Is It Worth It?"
Whether you're nearby or planning a trip, finding a location that offers Scrambler Therapy is the treatment you've been looking for to regain the life you have been wishing for, free from the constraints of constant aches, burning and tingling of chronic pain.
Preparing for Your First Session
Ok, so you're all booked in! Now what? Preparing for your first Scrambler Therapy session can give you a bit of the jitters as you anxiously wait for the upcoming treatment that has had so many patients, just like you, have life-changing results!
To ease any anxieties and to ensure you make the most of this opportunity, here are a few ways you can prepare for your first session:
A Week Or More Before:
Medications: Certain medications that might interfere with the effectiveness of the therapy should be avoided. Some of them can take a week or more to ween off. These include drugs that impact the neural system, such as anticonvulsants, antidepressants, and neuroleptics. Examples include Lyrica and gabapentin. If you're unsure, consult with your healthcare provider to ensure your medication regimen is compatible with Scrambler Therapy and coordinate when it's safe to change your medication schedule.
The Day Before:
Physical Preparation: Since the therapy involves placing electrodes on specific areas of your body, wear appropriate clothing. This way there is easy access to the affected area(s). Think:
Lower back, legs, and feet: wear shorts or skirts and a t-shirt.
Shoulders, arms, hands: wear a short sleeve shirt that allows access to shoulders.
Stomach, chest, back: wear a shirt or tank top allowing easy access.
The Day of Your Session:
Arrival: Plan to arrive a little early to settle in and discuss any last-minute questions with your medical provider.
Diet and Hydrations: Ensure you’ve had a light, healthy, and well balanced snack and are nice and hydrated. This can ensure your blood sugar stays stable and no dizziness, faint spells, or general discomfort can creep in!
Discussion with Your Medical Professional: Be ready to discuss the specifics of your pain in detail. Your medical provider will ask you questions like:
"Where are you feeling the pain?"
"Where is the pain the most intense?"
"Where are the borders of the pain?"
They may even use a touch approach to identify not only areas of pain but also areas where your neurons may not properly receive the new signal. Unlike traditional treatments, there's no need to mark the pain areas beforehand, as they need to assess the pain in real-time. Don't be alarmed if the pain seems to move between sessions; this is normal as you work through the full series of treatments.
During the Session:
Sensations: As the electrodes are placed and activated, you'll feel a distinct sensation, but it won't be painful. Patients often describe it as a tingling or vibrating feeling in the area of pain. The intensity of these sensations can be adjusted to ensure your comfort throughout the session, so communicate openly with your therapist about what you're feeling.
Duration: Each session typically lasts about 45 minutes. During this time, you'll be seated or lying down in a comfortable position, allowing the machine to target the nerve signals effectively.
After the Session:
Monitoring The Pain: Finally, the pain is gone! Following the first session, you’ll most likely notice you’ll be pain-free ranging from half an hour, to a few hours. Each subsequent session, the pain will stay away longer and longer. Keep a journal of your pain rating, how long it took to come back, and any other changes you’ve observed. You will need to share this with your medical provider so they can track how well your body is picking up the new non-pain code!
Keep the Same Routine: With the pain gone, the urge to jump back into favorite activities like gardening, long walks, or dancing, will be stronger than ever! You’re so close to experiencing all the beautiful parts of life again. But your body won't yet be used to these activities. Doing too much too soon can bring on new pain, complicating electrode placement and making it harder to achieve the desired outcomes. Slowly ease back into your favorite activities, allowing your body time to adjust and strengthen.
Plan for Continued Treatments: Continue with your treatments until the pain stays away for a full 24 hours. If it's time for your next session and there's no pain, call your medical provider; you may be able to skip that session. Once the pain stays away for around 48 hours, no further treatments are typically needed. Most patients need an average of 10 sessions. If the pain returns days, weeks, months, or even years later, you can schedule additional sessions to maintain your pain-free life.
Once you’re done with your sessions, don’t forget to write to us and let us know how it went! We love to hear your personal stories and so do other patients just like you. Your voice gets to help so many others looking for solutions! Send us your testimonial here or join our Facebook group!
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