Category Archives: Cancer pain relief

Tune in and turn down chronic pain

Posted on May 9, 2013 | Leave a comment

By Dr. Michael J. Cooney

holding-headphones-listening-to-music-1Everyone 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

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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

Calmare Certified Location LogoI’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

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Calmare Scrambler Therapy vs. Full Body RSD

Posted on March 23, 2013 | 1 Comment

March 23, 2013

woman in shadow anonymousMelissa, 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

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Welcoming our first Calmare patient from the UK

Posted on November 6, 2012 | Leave a comment
The past week has been a tough one on us personally and professionally. Thankfully, we were able to keep the office operational throughout most of the storm. All of us sustained significant destruction of our homes but that is only brick and mortar (and a lot of mud…) which can be repaired and rebuilt.
 
Remarkably, one of our new patients was able to fly into NJ from England over the weekend in order to start her Calmare Therapy as scheduled beginning yesterday. What a remarkable woman to make the journey in search of a solution to her chronic pain as a result of  CRPS/RSD in the left foot and knee for more than two years! Other therapies and drugs did not lessen or alleviate her pain.  She read about our positive results treating RSD using Calmare and made the long (and painful) journey here to start treatment. We look forward to keeping you updated on her progress.

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Posted in alternative therapy for chronic pain, Calmare Pain Treatment Therapy, Cancer pain relief, Chronic pain syndrome, Pain neuoropathy, rsd, Transdermal pain modulation

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Transcript from Dr. Cooney on “RSD and You” on Oct. 19

Posted on October 29, 2012 | Leave a comment

I spent an engaging hour with Joseph Aquilino on his BlogTalk radio show last week. I particularly enjoyed taking with callers  asking about other conditions for which Calmare Therapy would also be appropriate (diabetic pain and pain after chemotherapy treatment).

Thanks for having me, Joseph. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/joeygiggles/2012/10/19/rsd-and-you-show

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Posted in alternative therapy for chronic pain, Calmare Pain Treatment Therapy, calmare therapy, Cancer pain relief, Chronic neck pain, diabetes pain therapy, rsd

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When no one can hear you scream…

Posted on September 27, 2012 | Leave a comment

September 27, 2012

Last week, a doctor blogger  wrote about the debilitating chronic pain an older patient was forced to endure after chemotherapy and radiation treatment in one of my favorite medical blogs, Well, in the New York Times,  He survived the cancer – but lives with never-ending pain.   

Calmare Therapy is (apparently) still little-known in the medical community. In fact, it is a non-invasive and highly successful treatment for chronic pain, particularly chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN).

I’m haunted by a statement in the article by the daughter of the patient cited who says, “I’ll never forget what my father had to go through,” she said, weeping. “I wouldn’t wish this on anyone.”

If only this man, his family, or, more importantly, his team of oncologists, surgeons and pharmacists had even an inkling about the benefits of Calmare Therapy for this kind of pain, this man’s quality of life could be so much better. If only.

For we lucky healthcare practioners who have seen people’s lives forever improved after Calmare treatment, reading these kinds of articles is like being in a room where no one can hear you scream…

To learn more about Calmare Therapy for CIPN pain:

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Posted in alternative therapy for chronic pain, Calmare Pain Treatment Therapy, Cancer pain relief, Chronic pain syndrome, Dr. Michael Cooney, Pain neuoropathy

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Ketamine and Calmare Therapy

Posted on August 28, 2012 | 4 Comments

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

I’ve frequently been asked by patients if they can undergo Calmare Therapy after or in conjunction with Ketamine Infusion Therapy. Before I respond, let me offer a little background on Ketamine. For RSD, CRPS and fibromyalgia sufferers, Ketamine therapy is sometimes recommended for temporary chronic pain relief. It is an NMDA blocker that shuts down pain signals coming from the brain and then reboots the brain without the pain signal. Published successful outcome statistics for RSD patients is less than 50%, as an average. Boosters are necessary every two – three months and the cost averages about $2,000/ treatment. Each treatment takes about four to five hours. Some patients experience significant side effects from this drug, including hallucinations, nausea, extreme fatigue and ‘claw hand’ syndrome.

If you have undergone Ketamine treatment without a successful outcome, you can still be treated with Calmare (assuming your condition is determined to be appropriate for treatment). However, there must be a full three-month span between the last Ketamine treatment and the start of Calmare Therapy. In fact, the less neurolytic drugs (Lyrica, Neurontin, Morphine) patients are using during Calmare Therapy, the better. Why? Because these drugs have an effect on brain activity and conflict with the functionality of Calmare to optimally do its job. 

I fully realize that for patients who have been reliant on neurolytic drugs for months or even years, reducing the dosage can be daunting. My argument is that the potential rewards from undergoing Calmare Therapy can eliminate the need for these expensive and debilitating drugs. I fully believe this is a gamble worth pursuing.

Every patient’s case is unique because we all react to injury, acute or chronic, in different ways. If you or a loved one are interested in learning more about my expertise using Calmare Therapy, please feel free to contact me at (201) 933-444-zero.

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Posted in alternative therapy for chronic pain, Calmare Pain Treatment Therapy, Cancer pain relief, Chronic neck pain, Dr. Michael Cooney, new treatment for fibromyalgia, Pain neuoropathy

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Calmare Therapy Booster Treatments

Posted on July 30, 2012 | 2 Comments

July 30, 2012

By Dr. Michael Cooney

For patients with medical conditions appropriate for Calmare Therapy, the standard treatment protocol is 10 consistent treatments over a two week period. Most of the time, each treatment lasts from 45 minutes to an hour, but every patient is unique.

Depending on the severity of the original condition and the length of time the patient has been experiencing chronic pain, periodic booster treatments may be required to combat any return of pain. Keep in mind, many of our patients never need further therapy but in RSD cases and other conditions resulting in long-term chronic pain, boosters can be extremely useful against any eventual elevation in pain.

The number of booster treatments required ranges from a single session to five or more treatments. Patients who experience a recurrence of pain should document when the pain returns, subsides and what environmental issues were involved (stress, weather conditions, excessive use of the affected area) or if there was no specific cause for the elevation of pain.

If you have additional questions about Calmare Therapy or booster treatments, please feel free to contact me directly at (201) 933 – 4440.

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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. Floyd Michel, Fibromyalgia, Lower back pain, Pain neuoropathy

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201 Health Magazine features Calmare Therapy NJ

Posted on June 25, 2012 | Leave a comment

 

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Posted in alternative therapy for chronic pain, Calmare Pain Treatment Therapy, Cancer pain relief, Chronic neck pain, Chronic pain syndrome, diabetes pain therapy, Failed back surgery syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Lower back pain, new treatment for fibromyalgia, Pain neuoropathy, Phantom limb pain, Radiating pain, Transdermal pain modulation, treatment for fibromyalgia pain

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More scrambler therapy clinical study news: American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)

Posted on May 18, 2012 | Leave a comment
The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) completed a clinical trial on the benefits of scrambler therapy to be presented June 1:

“Scrambler therapy appears to have a promising effect on post herpetic neuropathy (PHN) with prompt and continued relief and no side effects.” PHN is a chronic, painful burning condition affecting nerve fibers and skin.

Why is this important?

Continued independent clinical trial studies confirm that Calmare scramber therapy offers substantial and ongoing relief from several sources of chronic pain, including cancer and chemotherapy-related treatment.

Abstract:

Background: Post herpetic neuropathy (PHN) is common in cancer and hematologic malignancy patients. It can be debilitating and difficulty to treat effectively. Scrambler therapy, a patient-specific neurocutaneous stimulation device, can be effective in treating chemotherapy induced neuropathy (JPSM 2010) and other neuropathic pain (JPSM 2012).

Methods: We treated ten patients, 2 with cancer as their primary diagnosis, with refractory PHN Scrambler therapy at two institutions. Scrambler therapy was given as 30 minute sessions daily for 10 days. Pain was recorded before and after treatment.

Results: The patient mean age was 54 ± SD 13 years, 6 men and 4 women, with a mean duration of PHN for 15.6 months (range 2.5 to 48 months) without satisfactory relief despite conventional drugs. The average pain score rapidly diminished from 7.64 ± 1.46 at baseline to 0.42 ± 0.89 at one month, a 95% reduction, with continued relief at 2 and 3 months. Patients achieved maximum pain relief with less than 5 treatments.

Conclusions: Scrambler therapy appears to have a promising effect on PHN, with prompt and continued relief and no side effects. Further research is warranted.

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Posted in Calmare Pain Treatment Therapy, Cancer pain relief, Rutherford Allied Medical Group, Transdermal pain modulation

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