SCENAR Pain Relief and “Trigger Finger”

Over the last five years of working with people in pain, a curious phenomenon has emerged. Frequently, I will notice that a number of clients will show up in the same time period with the same condition. Recently, it has been something called “Trigger Finger.” It is similar to Carpal Tunnel syndrome where the little tubes, or sheaths, through which the nerves and tendons move in the wrist become inflamed, scarred, and narrowed, impinging on the nerves and tendons themselves, and causing pain, tingling, and restricted flexibility in the hand. The tendons also become inflamed by traveling through the narrowed and scarred passageways.  In “Trigger Finger” the sheaths and tendons in the palm of the hand become inflamed causing one or more of the fingers to get “caught” in the bent position. When straightened out, the client feels a “popping” sensation as the inflamed tendons are freed from the restriction of the sheath through which they travel. Often a bump or nodule can be found below the affected finger or thumb. Today’s lifestyle involves much more fine motor activity of the hands, most notable being the use of the computer and cell phone. The structure and function of the hands is often compromised by this increase in fine motor activity. Without ergonomic adjustments, the pressure of this sustained activity over time can create inflammation and damage. In researching this condition, I found a nutritional support for the work I do with the SCENAR. Read more »

Why Consumers Turn to Alternative Medicine

In June of 2009, the Journal of Consumer Research published a study  that asks in layman’s terms why consumers choose to use alternative medicine. Based on surveys done in the US, China, and India, the authors found that consumers prefer alternative medicine when they are uncertain about the cause of an illness because holistic medicine tolerates uncertainty better than western medicine. Most alternative modalities favor a holistic approach, view the mind and body as a whole system, and rely on inductive tools and methods for treatment. The study also found that survey respondents preferred holistic approaches because they tend to focus on underlying sources of the problems rather than symptom alleviation, which is the focus of western medicine.

In another study reported in the June 2008 Journal of General Internal Medicine, primary care physicians who see the bulk of patients with chronic pain are frustrated by the limited options of western medicine (opioid drugs, physical therapy, or surgery), and the overwhelming numbers of alternative therapies which are only now being researched more empirically. This makes it difficult for them to know what treatment will work for a given patient. The researchers also say that these physicians have not been well trained in pain management.

Reading these studies brought to mind a client we have worked with who had surgery to treat a dangerous narrowing of his cervical vertebrae that could have impinged on his spinal cord causing paralysis. He had been in constant pain for nearly a year since the surgery. In working with him with the SCENAR, it was pretty clear that the muscles of his upper back were in severe spasm, likely from trying to adjust to relating in a new way to the four fused vertebrae in his neck. He related that he had developed significant pain in his mid back as well that radiated around to the sides. When he talked to his neurologist about it, he was told that it was his heart and he was sent to a cardiologist who after running numerous tests said that his heart was fine. The neurologist had nothing further to offer about the intractible pain the client was suffering. It was after that experience that he decided to try something alternative. The SCENAR identified the area in distress and the treatment greatly reduced his pain there as well as in his upper back. The SCENAR  assists the body to gently relax spasming muscles so they can return to their normal positions, thus relieving pain. The experience of this client exemplifies why consumers turn to alternative medicine.

Healing Frequencies in a Cat’s Purr

In a Chinaberry Christmas catalog there is an advertisement for “Catnap Kitties”. These are soft cuddly stuffed animal kitties that produce a sound using the frequencies of a real cat purr. Apparently research has been conducted into not only the soothing experience of a cat snuggling up to you and purring, but also the healing produced by the frequencies of the purr itself. It has been found that all cats (from lions and tigers to the domestic cat) purr within a frequency range of 20 Hz to 151 Hz. Most domestic cats purr between 20Hz and 50Hz which seems to be the most healing. According to the catalog and research found on the web, these frequencies can help a whole list of things from insomnia to the healing of bones, muscles, and tendons, as well as pain relief.

What is fascinating about this is that the frequency range of most SCENARs is between 10Hz and 350Hz. The low frequencies are used to treat chronic issues because the slower vibrations penetrate more deeply and are more soothing. Chronic muscle tension and tendon inflamation are treated with the lower frequencies as are issues like insomnia. Years ago when I first heard the Denas SCENAR being used at 20Hz, I was struck by how much it sounded like a cat’s purr.

So, if you don’t own a SCENAR, the next best thing to help your healing may be a cat!

Chronic Pain + SCENAR = Relief

Chronic pain is difficult. It can take the pleasure out of living. Most of the people who come to Healing Innovations have long standing pain for which they have tried all manner of things to relieve it. Although the process for treating chronic pain with the SCENAR reqires more time, it can bring relief where hope was lost (see our “What Our Clients Say” page).

We can categorize the issues people bring to us into four main areas: low back/hip, neck/shoulder, knees, and extremities like foot, wrist or hand pain. Treatments involve working not only with the direct area of pain, but also with the body as a whole to reawaken it to the problem. Chronic pain conditions emerge from poor healing of an injury usually as a result of repetitive stress on the area (it’s hard not to walk even though the knee/foot/hip is complaining about it). The body seems to “forget” about healing chronic areas. It can’t seem to get ahead of the reinjuring that is going on, so it does its best to “stablize” the area. This is when pain becomes chronic.  All the while the pain fibers are always doing their job of alerting your consciousness to a problem your body is having. You are conscious of the problem, but your body may have disconnected from the area to the degree that there are no signals getting out to alert it that the area needs healing. The SCENAR simply awakens it. Once awakened, the body goes about what it does to heal itself.

That sounds simple, but chronic pain issues are very complex. For example, the SCENAR can only provide temporary relief if there is a structural problem that needs correcting. Other modalities such as chiropractic or osteopathic care can speed the healing that SCENAR treatments initiate by correcting structural problems that are underneath the issue of pain. SCENAR works very well in concert with physical therapy as well, both to relieve the pain that sometimes results from PT treatments, but also mobilze the body’s resouces toward recovery.

There are things that an individual can do to minimize their chronic pain. On the “Healing Tips” page are suggestions about how to release your own neuropeptides, among them being endorphins which stop pain. There are also instructions on how to do a mindfulness meditation that may be helpful.

If you have chronic pain and want to try SCENAR to see what it can do for you, call us at 828-337-6854 for a free 30 minute introductory session.