Author Archives: calmarenj

Tune in and turn down chronic pain

Posted on May 9, 2013 | Leave a comment

By Dr. Michael J. Cooney

Everyone knows that lullabies are very effective in soothing babies to sleep. But did you know that just one hour a day of music can be beneficial to adults as well? Multiple studies show that listening to music daily can significantly reduce pain and depression and increase feelings of control. This is great news for people dealing with chronic pain. While ‘zoning out’ to a good song cannot totally eliminate pain (or take the place of quality medical care, of course), it is a safe, inexpensive way for chronic pain sufferers to get some relief and push the pain away for a while.

A natural pain remedy with no side effects
Music provides a safe, natural add-on to pain treatment. Some of the same pathways in your brain that process music also process pain. (We use these same pathways with Calmare Therapy which painlessly scrambles the pain message so that is can no longer emit the pain signal). Focusing on music keeps your mind engaged and triggers emotional responses that compete with pain pathways to lessen pain. In addition, music causes the body to release endorphins, natural painkillers, which can be effective even when traditional pain medications have failed (the same way exercising can brighten your mood and lessen stress).

Just what the doctor ordered
The idea that music can be therapeutic is not surprising to anyone who has ever turned on their favorite song to help them relax after a bad day. Music has been proven to be effective in lowering blood pressure, slowing breathing and heart rate, reducing body tension and relaxing muscles, all of which can ease your pain and lift your spirits. And the best part is that the type of music doesn’t matter. Whether you love classic rock or classical music, pick songs that you have an emotional connection with and you will have the perfect prescription for pain.

About Dr. Cooney
Michael J. Cooney, DC, is a chiropractic physician and medical director of Rutherford Allied Medical Group and Calmare Pain Therapy NJ, located in Rutherford, NJ. The practice is comprised of board certified physicians, chiropractic specialists and physical therapists who treat pain biophysically, without medication. Calmare Pain Treatment Therapy® is an FDA-cleared, non-invasive scrambler therapy proven to help relieve chronic pain. For more information, call (201) 933-4440 or visit http://calmaretherapynj.com/

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Posted in alternative therapy for chronic pain, Calmare Pain Treatment Therapy, calmare therapy, Cancer pain relief, Chronic neck pain, Fibromyalgia, new treatment for crps, new treatment for fibromyalgia, new treatment for rsd, Pain neuoropathy, Rutherford Allied Medical Group, scrambler therapy

Tagged calmare, certified calmare doctors, crps pain, dr. Michael Cooney, music and pain, painless treatment for chronic pain, rsd treatment, scrambler therapy

Our war on RSD continues (thumbs up)

Posted on May 1, 2013 | Leave a comment

April 30, 2013

We’re delighted to report not one –but two–positive outcomes in the works with two RSD patients who began treatment last week. They’ve given us permission to share their stories as a vehicle for helping others who may read this (thank you both!).

Let’s begin with Deena from Pennsylvania –

Deena is shown here with the Calmare machine (April 2013).

In 2008, Deena fell on a wet tile floor and experienced hyperextention of the knee with a grade 2 tear of the medial collateral ligament (MCL). A year after her injury, she was diagnosed with reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD). Treatment efforts for the past three years have consisted of physical therapy, nerve blocks and painkilling drugs such as Gabapentin and Tramadol, with no positive results.

Unable to walk without pain on the right side from the buttock to her foot, Deena has not been able to work or be fully engaged in day-to-day life.

Living in central PA, Deena felt isolated with her chronic pain, but through Facebook, she discovered other people who were also living with RSD. Over time, she read about several positive experiences with Calmare scrambler therapy, she called the national headquarters for more information she was referred to Dr. Michael Cooney in New Jersey, who has treated many RSD / CRPS/ Fibromyalgia patients.

When she arrived at Calmare Therapy NJ last week, her lower extremity pain level was severe, 10 / 10. After five treatments, her pain has been reduced to a three at night only at the original pain site (knee). The rest of her lower extremity pain is gone. Her mobility is vastly improved — she has no more limping or pain when walking and has overcome the allodynia (pain when touched).

Deena is finishing up her therapy this week and we look forward to her video depicting her experience with Calmare. Deena–it’s been a pleasure having you here in New Jersey and we are excited to hear about how your life is about to change once you return to PA. Stay in touch!

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Posted in Calmare Pain Treatment Therapy, calmare therapy, Fibromyalgia, new treatment for fibromyalgia, new treatment for rsd, Pain neuoropathy, Radiating pain, rsd, Rutherford Allied Medical Group, treatment for fibromyalgia pain, treatment for rsd

Tagged calmare certified us, certified calmare providers, chronic knee pain therapy, knee pain, knee pain therapy, mcl damage treatment, new therapy for knee damage, scrambler therapy, treatment for knee pain

The Pain Exhibit offers forum for artists living with chronic pain

Posted on April 25, 2013 | Leave a comment

April 26, 2013

The PAIN Exhibit is an online educational, visual arts exhibit from artists with chronic pain with their art expressing some facet of the pain experience. The mission is to educate healthcare providers and the public about chronic pain through art, and to give voice to the many who suffer in silence http://painexhibit.org/

Many of my patients are socially isolated due to their medical conditions related to chronic pain. As a result, many are incredibly creative artistically and use it as a way to express how they feel. I could not be more impressed that this forum exists. I encourage you to take a stroll through their online gallery.

If you have art you would like to share, reach out via this link.

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Posted in Chronic pain syndrome, diabetes pain therapy, Failed back surgery syndrome, Fibromyalgia, new treatment for crps, new treatment for fibromyalgia, new treatment for rsd, Pain neuoropathy, Rutherford Allied Medical Group, scrambler therapy

Tagged calmare therapy, chronic pain and art, chronic pain forum, new treatment crps, new treatment fibromyalgia, new treatment rsd, pain and art, pain forum

The importance of your Calmare Therapy provider’s expertise

Posted on April 19, 2013 | 1 Comment

April 12, 2013

By Dr. Michael J. Cooney, Director, Calmare Therapy NJ

I’ve received several patient queries lately about the expertise of the healthcare professional who is actually administering Calmare Therapy. I’d like to touch on the importance of this question today─

Calmare is a “provider dependent” therapy

The scrambler therapy is performed by a “provider,” the specially-trained clinician who places each of the leads on the patient, sets the voltage, monitors response minute-by-minute and day-by-day, and makes ongoing adjustments based upon the patient’s response. In my practice, I am the provider, 100 percent of the time, from start to finish ─ no exceptions. The administering healthcare professional must have extensive expertise, training and understanding to accurately diagnose the precise location of the pain site/s. This can be easier said than done.

Why? Because the placement of the leads (patches) which are attached to each of the algorithms must be precisely placed in order to alleviate pain. If these leads are placed in the wrong area, this lessens the overall capability of the Calmare MC-5A technology to optimally perform its job. I have served as a Trainer for the treatment for some new doctors introducing Calmare, and it is a responsibility I take very seriously.

What to look for in your Calmare provider

The most experienced Calmare Therapy providers have received a careful review and on-site examination by the company’s administrators who may or may not designate the top providers as Calmare Certified. I strongly encourage you to seek out these providers for your therapy. Secondly, ask the provider you are considering how many patients they have treated with your specific chronic pain condition ─ back and neck pain, post surgical pain, RSD / CRPS / fibromyalgia, pain after chemotherapy, diabetic neuropathy, etc.

Your Calmare technology will be most successful when your chosen provider has advanced expertise in the placement of each lead. In my opinion, this vitally important task should only be administered by a healthcare professional specifically trained in the diagnosis and treatment of several types of advanced neuropathy.

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Posted in alternative therapy for chronic pain, Calmare Pain Treatment Therapy, Cancer pain relief, Chronic neck pain, diabetes pain therapy, Dr. Michael Cooney, Failed back surgery syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Lower back pain, new treatment for crps, new treatment for fibromyalgia, new treatment for rsd, Pain neuoropathy, rsd, Rutherford Allied Medical Group, treatment for fibromyalgia pain, treatment for rsd

Tagged calmare certified treatment centers, calmare mc-5a, provider dependent therapy, scrambler therapy

Calmare patient Terry Whitmyer shares his progress fighting RSD

Posted on April 11, 2013 | Leave a comment

(You may recall, I wrote about one of our recent patients with RSD as a result of two surgical procedures performed during one operation. We had a chat with Mr. Whitmyer earlier this week and were delighted when he offered to share this overview of his medical challenges and firsthand experience with Calmare Therapy. He has kindly permitted us to repost it here. Terry has a remarkable understanding of neuropathy and the very latest treatment alternatives. Please enjoy Terry’s story):

“I am a 70-year-old fit and active senior who elected to have my left shoulder repaired via arthroscopic surgery as well as my left hand’s Dupuytren’s Contracture at the same time on November 17th, 2012. By December, I was experiencing a lot more pain than what would appear to be normal for these surgical procedures. On January 2, 2013, my orthopedic surgeon diagnosed my pain symptoms as being caused by RSD. He prescribed Gabapentin and continuation of physical therapy.

Having a diagnosis for my pain, I started to study RSD/CRPS online and realized I was up against a serious, chronic, life-altering and painful syndrome. Gabapentin was allowing me to get some sleep at night, but really not very much, and it seemed to have too many unpleasant side effects to want to take it around the clock. Besides, I was concerned that it’s anti-convulsive nerve-blocking effect may also inhibit my central nervous system from re mapping my nerves back to a normal connectivity. However, research does not appear to support that assumption. Regardless, in late January, I learned about Calmare Scrambler Therapy and decided it was worth trying to get me off Gabapentin and better allow my body to take advantage of the physical therapy.

I went to Dr. Cooney, Rutherford Allied Medical Group, on February 1st for a trial session and experienced immediate pain relief. After nine more sessions, I appeared to have my pain problem under control. Within a few more weeks, I realized my efforts at physical therapy were also having a positive effect. Soon, I could turn a door knob with my left hand.

I am steadily making progress in my strengthening exercises at the local gym. I did return to Calmare NJ for a booster session on 3/29 as some of my arm and hand pains seemed to be returning. But now, a week later, I am thinking with my continuing physical improvements, I will be able to get this CRPS into total remission by the end of this summer.

Calmare Scrambler Therapy has played a significant role in expediting my recovery.

Thank you Dr. Cooney.

Terry Whitmyer“

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Posted in Calmare Pain Treatment Therapy, Chronic neck pain, Dr. Michael Cooney, rsd, Rutherford Allied Medical Group, treatment for fibromyalgia pain, treatment for rsd

Tagged alternative treatment for pain, alternative treatments for neuropathy, calmare and tens unit comparison, calmare treatment nj, calmarenj, calmaretherapynj.com, new treatment for chronic pain, scrambler therapy, tens unit

Melissa, with full body RSD, heads home with 0 pain

Posted on April 2, 2013 | 1 Comment

April 1, 2013

Melissa on the final day of her Calmare Therapy.

We closed the office to celebrate Easter weekend with the best news imaginable. Melissa, who arrived March 20 with one of the more advanced cases of full-body RSD we have seen, completed 9 consectutive treatments lasting about an hour each. When she presented, her pain level was a consistent 10.

As I stated below after treatment 4, we were making progress but the outcome was uncertain. Having treated many RSD patients, at this point I know precisely where to place the leads according to the pain source.

March 27 – Report after treatment 7:

At this juncture, the neuropathy in the rest of her body is gone. The ankle pain, the original pain site 15 years ago, is now at a 4.

March 29 – Report after treatment 9 (she didn’t feel she needed the last treatment and is keeping it as a possible booster, if necessary):

Patient reports 0 pain in ankle and body. Pain level decreased from full-body 10 to 0.

April 1 – Conversation with patient back at home

Melissa was also dealing with gastroparesis {stomach issues} which have also cleared to date. She also reported that chronic swelling of one knee, hair loss and nail beds all also improving.

Keep in mind, due to the severity (full-body RSD) and longevity of her condition (15 years), I expect Melissa to require occasional booster treatments on an as-needed basis. Or, conversely, we may never need to treat her again. Every patient’s pain is unique and the way they heal is not assured.

Nevertheless, the reduction in pain of the original injury site, with the additional elimination of pain throughout the body, provides a marked success with this young woman.

Thank you, Melissa, for your courage to try Calmare even after all the failed therapeutic efforts before it. You’ve officially come out on the other side. You are winning. You have inspired every member of my team not to give up. To keep going. No matter what.

Dr. Michael Cooney

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Posted in alternative therapy for chronic pain, Calmare Pain Treatment Therapy, new treatment for crps, new treatment for fibromyalgia, new treatment for rsd, Pain neuoropathy, rsd, Rutherford Allied Medical Group, scrambler therapy, treatment for rsd

Tagged certified calmare providers, dr. cooney calmare, rsd pain treatment, rsd successful treatment, scrambler therapy vs tens unit, scs failure, spinal cord stimulator alternative

Calmare Scrambler Therapy vs. Full Body RSD

Posted on March 23, 2013 | 1 Comment

March 23, 2013

Melissa, age 28, arrived here from south Jersey for Calmare treatment on Wednesday after suffering from full body RSD for 15 long years. The original injury began in her left ankle after a fall, followed by a second injury as the result of a car accident. Over the years, her RSD slowly spread until it encompassed her entire body.

She and her husband aggressively sought new pain treatments for RSD ─ a laundry list of drugs, spinal cord stimulators (SCS), multiple nerve blocks, etc. Melissa was searching on the Internet for drug-free treatments and discovered one of our patient stories on YouTube. She contacted us and we talked at length about her medical history, treatment efforts and expectations. I shared my experience treating many people living with RSD / CRPS/ RND / Fibromyalgia using Calmare, and we mutually decided to begin treatment.

My strategy is to initiate treatment exclusively on her original pain site, the left ankle. After the first treatment, her Mother became emotional saying the early results were the first positive treatment outcome she could remember.

After Treatment Day 3 (yesterday), Melissa described her pain as “sore” but far from the 8 -10 level reported a few days ago. She noted both arms are receding in pain.

Time will tell. Her case is very advanced and has been in place for more than a decade. As I’ve said before, the longer the period of sustained neuropathy, the longer the treatment process can be. Have I seen exceptions to this guideline? Yes, absolutely. But this is typical.

Melissa’s early positive early signs are encouraging to me. Her mother is staying here in town with her for week one and her husband will come up for week two. With her permission, I’ll keep you updated on her progress.

Good weekend to all,

Dr. Cooney

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Posted in alternative therapy for chronic pain, Calmare Pain Treatment Therapy, calmare therapy, Cancer pain relief, Chronic neck pain, Chronic pain syndrome, Dr. Michael Cooney, Lower back pain, Pain neuoropathy, Rutherford Allied Medical Group, treatment for fibromyalgia pain

Tagged calmaretherapynj.com, dr. cooney calmare, dr. cooney chiropractor, dr. cooney nj, michael cooney doctor, new chonic pain solution, new therapy for reflex sympathetic dystrophy, new treatment for chronic pain, new treatment for CRPS, new treatment for neuropathy, new treatment for RSD, scramber therapy, what is scrambler therapy

Chronic pain sufferers find valuable support from online chat groups

Posted on March 20, 2013 | Leave a comment

March 20, 2013

By Dr. Michael J. Cooney

A colleague shared this article supporting online chat rooms for people living with chronic pain. For those of us at Calmare Therapy NJ, this is not news. Many of our patients are enthusiastic users of Facebook groups, Twitter and other sites where people living with neuropathy or specific medical conditions can interact and share support. We often join in relevant discussions as well from a healthcare provider perspective.

The caveat, of course, is when non-medical professionals share healthcare information that is one-side on simply incorrect. We have had more than a few patients contact us with mis-information about Calmare Therapy, in fact.

Nonetheless, my team and I actively join in on some of these online discussion groups because we can often offer clinical information on scrambler therapy and answer simple questions to help patients determine if this therapy (or another) might help minimize the cause of their pain.

My suggestion? Search for some online support groups and read the posts for a while to see if the tone and quality of information suits your needs. If you choose to jump in and ask a question or share your experience, you can maintain your privacy by posting under a username that protects you.

Nearly all the chronic pain support groups have chat rooms. Here are a few groups that we participate in below. If any of our readers would like to share additional recommendations, please do so!

Here to Help – RSD

Surviving Chronic Pain

DailyStrength.org (sign-up required)

rsdcrpsdoesntownme.com

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Posted in calmare therapy, Chronic neck pain, diabetes pain therapy, Dr. Michael Cooney, Pain neuoropathy, Radiating pain, treatment for fibromyalgia pain

Tagged calmare online support group, calmare therapy chat room, chronic neuropathy website, drug free pain therapy, new treatment for CRPS, new treatment for RSD, rnd pain treatment, rsd pain treatment, scrambler therapy

Progress to help women in pain is too slow

Posted on March 17, 2013 | Leave a comment

March 18, 2013

About 25 percent of Americans experience chronic pain, and a disproportionate number of them are women. Women suffering from autoimmune diseases almost doubles that of men. A report by the Campaign to End Chronic Pain in Women found that inadequate physician training in diagnosing and treating just six pain disorders that affect women either exclusively or predominantly, including fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

I can tell you in my own chiropractic and Calmare Therapy programs, most of the new female patients I see come with a basketful of prescription painkillers prescribed by doctors who don’t know how else to help them.

Here’s an interesting and detailed report in the NY Times on women in chronic pain written by a fellow sufferer. If I could, I would make sure every physician in America received a copy.

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Posted in alternative therapy for chronic pain, Calmare Pain Treatment Therapy, Chronic neck pain, Dr. Michael Cooney, Dr. Robert Kelly, Pain neuoropathy

Tagged Calmare therapy nj, certified calmare facility, drug free pain treatment, new treatment for fibromyalgia, new treatments for neuropathy, ny times study on women in pain, women chronic pain