Chronic pain can severely affect a person's
quality of life, whether it's caused by arthritis or a persistent back
injury. However, recent studies propose a promising solution for this
issue. Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers have discovered a noninvasive
pain treatment called scrambler therapy, which has shown remarkable
results in providing substantial relief to about 80 to 90 percent of
chronic pain sufferers.
Researchers say scrambler therapy can be more efficient than
transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), another noninvasive
treatment. Approved by the U.S. FDA in 2009, scrambler therapy involves
applying electrical stimulation through electrodes on the skin,
targeting areas above and below the origin of chronic pain.
The goal is to intercept nerve signals from the painful area and replace
them with signals from neighboring pain-free areas. Therefore, this
"scrambles" the pain signals being sent to the brain, explains primary
study author Thomas Smith, M.D., the Harry J Duffey Family Professor of
Palliative Medicine at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, as well
as an associate professor at Johns Hopkins University.
A patient with chemotherapy-induced
peripheral neuropathy undergoing scrambler therapy. The red bursts
correspond to the areas of pain perception.
The therapy was developed by Professor
Giuseppe Marineo in the 1980s and gained significant attention for its
potential for providing pain relief without the use of drugs or invasive
procedures.
Nearly all types of chronic pain, including
nerve and neuropathic pain, have a common origin, which can be traced
back to two key factors. Firstly, damaged nerves emit unceasing pain
impulses that ascend to the brain's pain centers. Secondly, the failure
of inhibitory cells to block and suppress these impulses leads to their
persistence, contributing to the chronicity of the pain.
In a media statement, Prof. Smith suggests
that blocking the ascending pain impulses and strengthening the
inhibitory system could reset the brain's response to chronic pain. This
could result in a significant reduction in its intensity. The analogy
used is similar to pressing Control-Alt-Delete repeatedly. Many patients
have experienced substantial and sometimes permanent relief after
undergoing three to 12 half-hour sessions.
Smith concludes that Scrambler therapy is the most exciting advancement
he has witnessed in years. This treatment is not only effective but also
noninvasive, which leads to a substantial reduction in opioid use with
permanent results.
TENS therapy operates through the application of mild electrical signals
on the skin, using electrode pairs placed at the pain sites. Pain
relief tends to cease shortly after discontinuing the electrical
impulses, explains Smith. Based on a review of 381 randomized clinical
trials, it was concluded that TENS treatment is not statistically
significantly different from a placebo treatment in terms of pain
relief.
The study is published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Labels: chronic/ neuropthic pain, damaged nerves-emit unceasing pain impulses, discontinues electrical impulses, non-invasive, reduction in opioid use, scrambler therapy. blocks pain nerves
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