What to Expect at Our Calmare Scrambler Treatment Center
Initial Consultation (90 Minutes):
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Understanding Your Pain: At our Calmare Scrambler treatment center, Dr. Maxwell, DPT will take the time to listen to your story and understand the full picture of your pain experience, including numbness, tingling, and any other symptoms you might be experiencing, like phantom limb pain. This helps to personalize a treatment plan tailored to your specific needs.
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Neuroscience of Pain: Max will explain the science behind chronic pain and how your brain processes pain signals.
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Evaluation and Trial Session: Dr. Max will perform a comprehensive evaluation to determine if Calmare Scrambler therapy for chronic pain is a suitable option for you. This includes a full 42-minute treatment session using the Calmare device.
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Electrode Placement: Surface electrodes will be placed on the areas of greatest pain or numbness. The device can accommodate up to 10 electrodes to target multiple affected areas.
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Pain Reduction Potential: While most patients experience some symptom reduction during the initial session, more complex or long-standing conditions (over 10 years) might require more sessions to start seeing a benefit. A positive sign is feeling the electrical stimulation "spreading out" towards your pain area.
Initial Treatment Plan (Variable Length):
The number of treatment sessions at our Calmare Scrambler treatment center varies depending on your individual response. Here's a general guideline:
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Standard Treatment Plan: Typically consists of 10 daily sessions on consecutive weekdays. Weekend appointments can be accommodated for patients travelling long distances.
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Treatment Completion: Treatment concludes when you experience sustained pain or numbness relief for a full 24 hours. If relief persists for 48 hours, that indicates the "non-pain message" has taken hold and may last for 3-12 months before potentially needing a top-up visit to remind your nervous system of the non-pain message.
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Extended Treatment Considerations: Certain severe and/or complex conditions or patients that are unable to discontinue anticonvulsant medications (under their doctor's supervision) 72 hours before starting treatment might require 15 or more sessions for optimal relief. The list of interfering medications is located on the "First Treatment" tab for you to review prior to scheduling. Patients are encouraged to print off and share the interfering medications list with their prescribing physician in order to seek alternative temporary solutions to manage their pain while attempting Scrambler Therapy.
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Pain Reduction and Monitoring: Throughout your treatment plan, our therapist in Oshkosh will closely monitor your progress, including decreased pain severity and reduced size of the affected area. We will adjust electrode placement for faster improvement and may also recommend exercises to enhance sensory integration and adjust to your "new normal".
Maintenance Phase (1-2 visits every 3-12 months)
Following your initial treatment plan, pain relief will typically last for 3-12 months. Most patients can expect to need maintenance visits to maintain their relief. However, some experience permanent relief and may not need further visits. With each subsequent maintenance visit, the intervals between visits often become longer as your brain strengthens its hold on the "non-pain message."