FAQ

Many people may have questions before visiting with an M.D. certified in Scrambler Therapy®. This is perfectly normal. Our clinic hopes this information will help alleviate any stress or apprehension about how this can help you find relief from the current pain that you are experiencing.

Does your clinic accept insurance?

Yes. We accept most insurances. As a courtesy to you, we will attempt to communicate with your insurance provider to determine what coverage you may have. If a financial arrangement is needed, we also accept CareCredit. Visit carecredit.com for more information.

Scrambler Therapy? medical device is FDA cleared most insurances do not cover the therapy yet because it is so new to this country however it is being used by the Military, several hospitals and cancer research centers for pain from chemotherapy. http://www.st-team.eu/military-medical-centers.htm

What type of pain clinic do you have?

Pain Care Clinic of Idaho is a minimally invasive, non-narcotic pain clinic. We treat chronic and neuropathic pain and various chronic disease conditions. Our clinic offers a new state of the art medical treatment called Scrambler Therapy for chronic and neuropathic pain and for patients experiencing pain from cancer and chemotherapy. We also offer several other types of therapies for acute pain and pain from chronic disease conditions?see our site.

How do I know my pain is chronic?

Pain becomes chronic when it persists beyond the expected period of body tissue injury and healing. Generally, in order to qualify for a diagnosis for chronic pain the range is pain lasting 3 to 6 months after the injury has healed or as part of an ongoing condition. It can also occur without any previous injury, illness or known cause. The pain is severe and persistent and sets the stage for the greatest changes in our lives. Chronic Pain Is A Real Disease www.uspainfoundation.org

What is neuropathic pain?

It is a type of chronic pain that occurs when there is actual nerve damage. Nerves connect the spinal cord to the rest of the body and allow the brain to communicate with the skin, muscles, and internal organs? www.medtronicneuro.com. Neuropathic pain can be continuous or episodic with pain that is like short and sharp stabbings or electric shocks. Common qualities include burning or coldness, ?pins and needles? sensations, numbness and itching. It can also be associated with abnormal sensations called ?dysesthesia? or pain from normally non-painful stimuli (allodynia).

What is scrambler therapy?

Scrambler Therapy? is a pain management approach where a certified M.D. uses a standalone MC-5A FDA 510 (K) cleared medical device to block the transmission of pain signals by providing ?non-pain? information to nerve fibers that have been receiving pain messages. The medical device looks in appearance like an electrocardiogram medical device. It is an electrocutaneous process where leads are placed by the physician on the skin to comfortably stimulate (like a vibration) surface receptors on normal tissue near the site of pain but never on the site of pain. The signal from the medical device replaces the message of ?pain? with a synthetic one of ?non-pain? via nerves that have been transmitting chronic pain information. A process termed plasticity enables the brain to be retrained over a ten treatment period so that it no longer ascribes pain to the chronic area.

Is it important to have a certified physician who is an M.D. administer the treatment?

YES. Scrambler Therapy? success on chronic, neuropathic and oncologic pain is statistically very high, but strictly dependent on correct usage and compliance to the original standards and protocols provided in the training courses to an M.D. who becomes certified either by the inventor Giuseppe Marineo in Italy or at a site of excellence like PCCofID. A physician is able to provide a diagnosis or work with the diagnosis of a referring physician and understand why the electrodes are placed in certain areas on the body. The certified physician maintains a medical record in the ST-NET software which increases the efficacy and safety of Scrambler Therapy? for the correct usage and best clinical practice. It is important to understand that Scrambler Therapy? is more than just a medical device named ?Scrambler? used by a non-certified professional for pain therapy.

Will I still experience pain while I am taking treatments?

This is a very good and important question. The first diagnostic screening which is complimentary at PCCofID is to determine if you are a candidate for Scrambler Therapy?. In order to qualify for Scrambler Therapy?, the certified physician must bring the pain level to near zero by the end of the treatment. After this screening the benefit will be short-lived, lasting for minutes to hours because it takes repetitive treatments to retrain the brain. The treatment process is standardly up to 10 treatments although stopped earlier if the pain entirely leaves and does not return for 48 hours. After each treatment the patient is asked to keep a record for the next 8 hours to record when the pain and intensity returns. After each successive treatment as the brain is being retrained the length of time before the pain returns should get longer until zero pain is achieved for the 48 hour period. The pain relief can last between 3-6 months or longer depending on the injury or condition. If the pain returns it can usually be treated again with a few booster treatments.

What conditions does scrambler therapy treat?

Scrambler Therapy? is a revolutionary, state-of-the-art medical pain therapy administered by an M.D. certified in Scrambler Therapy?. It treats multiple types of chronic pain syndromes including neuropathic pain, RSD/CRPS, cancer pain caused from chemotherapy, neuralgias, post-surgical pain, phantom limb, post-traumatic/surgical, failed back pain and other conditions listed on our site.

How long are the treatments and how many treatments are necessary?

The treatment usually lasts 45 minutes. The average is 6-10 consecutive treatments over a period of two weeks. Booster treatments may be required depending upon injury or underlying condition. Our clinic will follow the patient?s recovery and recommend after a 3 month period to come in for a booster or shorter series only if the pain should start to return. It is important for the patient to return to our clinic should any pain return so a booster/series can have the greatest effect and the patient have longer periods of relief.

What are the success possibilities?

The chances of success are very high. The success rate is approximately 90 percent. The physician can make a more detailed forecast after consultation. The length of time for pain remission can be 3 months to a year before a patient may need a booster treatment.

Do I need be off, lessen or refrain from taking any pharmaceuticals before or during the treatment process?

The usage of anticonvulsants e.g. Gabapentin, Lyrica, Neurontin, Lamictal and Toradol in pill, inhaler and cream form generally calls for a greater number of treatments while the patient is being weaned. The potential of a weaning process will be evaluated by the certified M.D. in conjunction with the primary physician since the patient may be taking the anticonvulsants for a different medical condition. A patient should not try to wean themselves without being monitored by a physician or health professional. For the maximum efficacy of our treatments it is best to be either off the anticonvulsants completely for a minimum of one week or at the lowest possible dose. Patients must also refrain from taking muscle relaxants but only during the therapy series of treatments unless required by primary or referring physician. Opiate usage is discouraged but can be taken during the therapy process but only at a very low dose and any weaning from opiates must be supervised by the primary physician. Ketamine, including cream form is incompatible with Scrambler Therapy? and the patient must be Ketamine free for at least 6 months. The normal analgesic effect of Scrambler Therapy? after the patient stops taking Ketamine is unknown. Any over the counter analgesics and herbs should also be discussed with the physician and technician if taken during the process. This will assist the physician in understanding the true analgesic effect of the Scrambler Therapy? treatments. We offer acupuncture assistance and monitoring for our patients during any detox process.

Do you offer any assistance to spouses or caregivers?

YES. We provide special information for spouse, caregiver or support person that can be very helpful for you and them during one of the most difficult times in your lives. We will be glad to discuss the information and assist you in any way possible. Our staff is compassionate and understands the experience of pain as a Real Disease. We also understand what it means to feel like you have exhausted all your choices and you are tired. WE WILL BE A REAL CHOICE FOR YOU BECAUSE YOU DESERVE THE BEST.