SCENAR Therapy Device – A paradigm shift in therapy for pain and chronic disease

By Dr. med. Jorg Prinz

ln his latest book Medicine Beyond [1] Keith Scott-Mumby condemns the sole use of pharmaceuticals in medical therapy. He argues that all living organisms are dependent on physical energy. ln the last 60 years the focus of medical therapy has only been on bio-chemical therapies. More and more researchers nowadays focus on the bio-physical aspects of life and disease – and these scientists have uncovered a wealth of new insights that are still underutilised by conventional medicine. During the last century Russian researchers were not as limited in their studies of bio-physical aspects of health as their western medical counterparts.

Forty years ago Russian physicists in conjunction with medical doctors invented the SCENAR device. A group of scientists around the prominent engineer, Dr. Alexander Karasev, and the equally prominent physicians, Dr. Yuri Godinkel and Dr. Alexander Revenko, developed the device and its therapeutic application, (scenar therapy). The Russian company, RITM OKB, furlher developed the SCENAR devices and produces them today. RITM OKB celebrated its 35th anniversary in 2015.

SCENAR is a device that stimulates the body through the skin with a unique electrical impulse. Unlike a TENS device, which stands for Trans-cutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulator, the SCENAR is a regulator: a “Self Controlled Energo Neuro Adaptation Regulatof’. The application of the therapeutic impulses might
be similar between TENS and SCENAR. The therapeutic concepts of the two devices are however completely different [2]. The European CE, American FDA, Australian TGA and New Zealand’s MedSafe have registered the SCENAR device as a pain relief tool. There is however plenty of evidence that the
SCENAR and its application can do much more than just offer pain relief.

SCENAR application is a totally holistic therapy concept. That means that in order to influence a ‘system’ (the body) one needs to influence just one part of that system (here the skin) in order to influence the controlling parl of the system (here the nervous system) to achieve a positive change (healing and homeostasis on top of the pain relief) [3]. Of course all aspects of holistic medicine like nutrition, hydration, environment, physical and psychological wellbeing are also incorporated in SCENAR therapy. That makes SCENAR therapy a stand-alone as well as a complementary therapy.

A SCENAR is foremost a biofeedback device. That means that any SCENAR application is guided by the reaction of the skin towards the electrical influence of the SCENAR impulse. A lot of research over the last 1 00 years has been conducted about electrotherapy. Most of the research has been around direct currents and galvanic currents. TENS devices and others deploy a pulsed impulse on the skin that can be regulated in frequency and amplitude. These applications usually work quite nicely for the first 5-15 applications but lack of effectiveness from then on: the body adapts quickly to the impulse and the pain reliving effect dwindles [4].

The SCENAR device produces a bipolar impulse [5]. The shape of the impulse is automatically altered according to the electrical skin resistance which constantly changes under therapy. Therefore the impulse changes constantly, too, and adaptation does not occur. That is one pad of the biofeedback effect. The idea to use a bipolar impulse came from nature itself: nerve impulses in the body are bipolar as well. lnstead of the body having to deal with a “foreign impulse” such as is produced by a TENS machine, the SCENAR impulse is a “familiar impulse” and this adds to the effectiveness of SCENAR therapy. The other part of the biofeedback effect shows itself under SCENAR application: a change of skin colour, or sound (the skin vibrates under application), or sensitivity changes or the device dragging on the skin indicates skin areas of interest [6,7]. These changes can show inflammation or reactive areas that are connected to the disease process. There can be anatomical or physiological connections. However, “adaptive systems”, meridians, acupuncture and trigger points, as well as reflex zones are also included in SCENAR therapy [8]. SCENAR can be applied to acute pain, e.g. after injury or surgery and in sports medicine, as well as to areas of chronic pain. By applying SCENAR to the affected site several effects are well documented [9]:

1. There is a marked reduction in pain – SCENAR stimulates the release of endorphins [3]
2. There is a marked reduction of swelling at the affected site [10l
3. There is a fast improvement in functionality, e.g. mobility of joints [11]
4. There is a measurable improvement in blood circulation [12]
5. There is a measurable anti-inflammatory effect [13]
6. SCENAR stimulates neuropeptide release which helps with a faster regeneration and repair [3].

All these effects are well documented in a large online library; Russian physicians have done many studies to demonstrate the effectiveness of this device – see https://scenar.com.ru/en/materials/articles-and-dissertations.html for the English translations of these studies. The effectiveness of the pain relief is so good that many ambulances and A&E departments of Russian hospitals carry and apply SCENAR therapy in emergencies. Many German hospitals use SCENAR on pre- and post-opera-tive patients to reduce swelling and aid the patients in a faster mobilisation and wound healing for a quicker rehabilitation l’141. Speaking of Europe: with regards to SCENAR therapy, doctors there have a20 year head start over Australia and New Zealand as SCENAR only came to our shores some twelve years ago. lt is not surprising that the indications of SCENAR therapy there is much wider than here: in New Zealand SCENAR is used for pain relief only. The list of conditions or body systems for which SCENAR treatments are recommended by German physicians [15], however, is long and includes the following:

•  skeletomuscular system
• nervous system
• upper and lower respiratory tract
• digestive tract
• urogenital tract
• sensory organs . immune system,
• skin diseases, o cardiovascular diseases and
• endocrine disturbances.

Well, that covers a lot of conditions, including some for which “conventional medicine” has a name but no answer in terms of an efiective therapy. How could it be possible that an electrical device applied to the skin can influence a systemic disease, or a disease deep inside the body, or even lessen the symptoms
to a point where the “disease” is no longer there?

With all its different receptors, the skin is closely connected to the CNS, and could almost be considered to be a parl of it. This connection has been long recognised by acupuncture and reflexology. Reactive changes in the skin correlate with changes in CNS and organ activity. Electrical currents run naturally throughout the body. These currents not only use nerves as conductors. The fascia and the entire connective tissue play a major pad in conveying electrical currents [1 6]. These structures not only connect organs, muscles, bone and skin with each other. They connect cells with each other and even form a cell “skeleton”, a matrix that also connects each cell nucleus and its DNA with the entire rest of the body. Applying a similar impulse to that of human nerve-cells to the skin can and will have an effect to related organs, CNS activity and can even influence the nucleus of cells and the DNA [1 7].

What does that mean for holistic health practitioners? They can target specific skin areas that have anatomical connections to the pain or the underlying disease process [7,15,18,19,20]. Via the nervous and meridian system biophysical regulation assists the body to repair, to restore homeostasis. This can and should be combined with biochemical assistance like nutrition and/ or pharmaceuticals. While the nervous system (stimulated with SCENAR) regulates what substance is used, the nutritional or pharmaceutical aspect of a therapy ensures that the body has what it needs to get back to homeostasis. People with good and balanced nutrition benefit greatly from SCENAR therapy alone. Most people these days lack good nutrition. Therefore a complementary therapy to SCENAR applications is advised.

What does it mean for people who suffer from pain and disease? Home user devices are available. With these patients can treat themselves for quick pain relief. Applying the SCENAR to what is called general zones patients need assistance as these areas, e.g. the whole back, is hard to reach. A family member
can do these treatments. This way SCENAR becomes a tool that assists greatly in self-healing. A chronic and painful condition took time to develop. And it needs some time to resolve. A single SCENAR application does usually give a good pain relief but doesn’t cause a full health recovery. Patients need to work often on the areas of concern.

There are training courses available for professional SCENAR practitioners that show in several 3 day live training seminars how to effectively use the device. ln 20.15 the training materials have been revised to provide a structured approach to SCENAR therapy which makes it easier for the practitioner to achieve great results for their patients. There is also a live half day training seminar available for SCENAR home users.

The theoretical parts of all these seminars can be found online at https://scenargoldcoast.com

References:

1. Keith Scott-Mumby: Medicine Beyond. SupernoeticsrM lnc.;
   ISBN-1 3: 978-098841 9681
2. Jacob Grinberg : The Concepts of Electro-therapy. Scenartherapy and Scenar-experfise: Collection of articles. lssue 5, 1999
3. Jacob Grinberg: Effectiveness of SCENAR-therapy. Physiological Aspects. Sce n ar-th e rapy an d S ce n ar- expertlse : Collection of articles. lssue 4, 1998
4. Walsh DM, Howe TE, Johnson Ml, Moran F, Sluka KA’. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for acute patn, (Review), Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2009, lssue 2. Ar1. No.: CD006’142. DOI: 10.1002/14651 858.CD0061 42.pub2.
5. Michael Unakafov: SCENAR – the secrets of effectiveness. Presentation 1st American RITMSCENAR Conference, October 2014,LasVegas. https://cloud.mail.ru/public/eius/lo85kd-Fzu
6. Jacob Grinberg: Physical lnfluencing Factors in SCENARtherapy. Application Sound Therapy. Southern Federal University Bulletin.Technical Sclence Journal. Vol 99, lssue 10,2009
7. Dr. med. Jorg Prinz: SCENAR training manuals Level 1-3, RITM Australia Pty. Ltd.,2015
8. Pyoir K. Anokhin, Biology and Neurophysiology of the Conditioned Reflex and lts Role in Adaptive Behavior. Pergamon Press. 1974
9. Alexander Revenko: SCENAR – The place of SCENAR therapy. https://cloud.mail.ru/public/eius/lo85kd-Fzui
10. S. Moiseev: SCENAR-Technology and Sports Medicine.
    SCENAR therapy and SCENAR expertise  : Collection of articles.
    lssue 3, 1997
11. lgor G. Gorodetskyi et al.: Use of Noninvasive lnteractive Neurostimulation to lmprove Shorl-Term Recovery in Patients with Surgically Repaired Bimalleolar Ankle Fractures. The Journal of Foot & Ankle Surgery 49 (2010) 432-437
12. Alexander Cherchago: Effect of SCENAR-therapy on vasculature functionality. http://www.scenar.com.au/docsys/down-load.php?docid=86
13. S.H. Luspikayan, A.V. Tarakanov, D.A. Voronkin: Efiect of
    arthrophon with use of Transcutaneous Neurostimulation on values of lipid peroxidation at complex post-surgical therapy in patients with purulent appendicular peritonitis. State Medical University of Rostov-on-Don. Pharmacology – Practical Healthcare, lssue No: 7, September 2007
14. Christian W. Engelberl: SCENAR und Homoosinialrie. Biologische Medizin / Hett 2 / Juni 2006
15. Dr. med. Ulrich Scherer und Dr. med. Christian W. Engelbert:
    SCENAR Medizin – Lehrbuch und Atlas. Stix Verlag 2007)
16. Daniel Keown: The Spark in the Machine: How the Science Acupuncture Explains the Mysteries of Western Medicine. ISBN-10: 1848191960
17. James L. Oschman: Energy Medicine: The Scientific Basis. ISBN-1 0: 0443062617
18. Yuri Starovoytov: Home Treatment: Modern Electro-impulse Therapy. Published through RITM OKB, Tanarog, Russia
19. Drs John & Lorraine Hache: Current Medicine. ISBN-10:
    1 51 1 870001
20. losef Semokatov: “Underlying Factors of SCENAR Therapy”. Presentation 4ih Australasian SCENAR Conference. Coolangatta QLD, Australia; 18th -21st April, 2015