The prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) continues to increase worldwide, making it one of the most common metabolic diseases globally. One of the most common DM-associated complications is peripheral neuropathy. Scrambler therapy (ST) is a Food and Drug Administration-approved treatment for neuropathic pain supported by multiple trials. However, to the best of our knowledge, there is no published literature about the use of ST for treating neuropathic pain related to DM. We recently successfully used ST to treat a patient with diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
45-year-old female complained of bilateral plantar foot pain. She had been treated for diabetes mellitus for 5 years as stage 2a diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Oral analgesics did not resolve her pain. Even nerve block therapy did not adequately relieve her pain. We performed a posterior tibial nerve block and a lumbar sympathetic ganglion blocks (LSGB). One week after the blocks, all two nerve block were ineffective. We therefore planned for ST. We set up a 45-minute treatment session once a week for 10 weeks at the same time and provided. The patient\'s NRS score decreased from 6/10 to 3/10 after the first ST session. After 10 treatment sessions, the patient reported an NRS score of 2/10 for bilateral plantar foot pain. After that, the patient decided to visit the hospital when she felt discomfort, but she has not come to the hospital for 6 months.
In conclusion, Scrambler therapy is effective for the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Moreover, effective pain management can be achieved for patients who complain of general pain of the sole, including the toe, by attaching scrambler patches around the ankle.