| I would like to tell you a story about my partner and his | | | | social worker who found me a reclining chair, a blanket, |
| experiences regarding an injury he suffered to his left | | | | a sandwich and a hot cup of tea. After what I had |
| knee. This story is written from his perspective. It goes | | | | been through I felt that I had been rescued from the |
| like this.... | | | | depths of despair by one of Gods own angels. It was |
| "It was only a few months ago when I stopped playing | | | | almost heavenly! |
| with my children. It wasn't out of choice but rather | | | | Six o'clock the next morning and I could not get out of |
| circumstance. It happened one afternoon when my | | | | that place quick enough. A taxi ride back to the airport |
| two young children wanted a game of cricket. I said, | | | | and I was on the first flight back home. Upon arrival, |
| 'OK, let's have a game.' Five minutes later I was in pain | | | | Angela and the kids were waiting for me as I hobbled |
| and could hardly walk. It was just a simple swing of the | | | | on my crutches off the tarmac and into the airport |
| bat that did it. The pain I felt in my left knee was | | | | lounge. I don't think I have ever been so happy to be |
| excruciating, my knee had 'locked' and I was hopping | | | | back home and with my family. It was so comforting. |
| around screaming out in agony as if I was | | | | Since that occasion I had an MRI Scan on my left |
| demonstrating some primitive tribal voodoo dance. The | | | | knee which revealed a badly torn medial meniscus and |
| kids didn't know what to believe at first, but they soon | | | | that the only solution was to operate and remove (not |
| caught on that it was serious. | | | | repair) the meniscus. The Doctor assured me that the |
| This was the first time I had ever experienced a | | | | operation would stop my knee from locking and return |
| 'locked' knee. I put myself straight to bed and for two | | | | me to a functional state. 'Doesn't removing the |
| days that's basically where I stayed. Once my knee | | | | meniscus increase the chances of arthritis?' I said. The |
| finally did unlock, I was able to walk again albeit very | | | | Doctor replied, 'Well yes but that's the decision you're |
| gingerly. After a few days though, my knee improved | | | | going to have to make.' 'What the?' I thought. Surely, |
| and felt as good as new...or so I thought. | | | | there must be another way. Of course, the doctor |
| Convincing myself that it was only a once off | | | | knew of no other way. |
| occurrence, I commenced going back to doing | | | | Well it was my neighbour who came up with the |
| household duties. I was washing the car and before I | | | | answer to my dilemma. He told me about a therapy |
| had a chance to finish the job my knee suddenly | | | | he had a couple of years ago that fixed his knee |
| locked on me, yet again, and I was back in bed. No | | | | problem. 'What was it? I asked. 'Scenar,' he said. |
| warning, no indication that it was coming. Only that | | | | 'What's Scenar?' I asked. 'It's an acronym, he replied. |
| wrenching sensation of something tearing deep inside | | | | That was about all he could tell me about it. He did give |
| my knee following by, what was to become, that | | | | me the name of the local scenar therapist and I rang |
| familiar excruciating pain. | | | | and left a message with a person who promised that |
| It was another two days before my knee unlocked | | | | she would return my call. She never did. |
| and I was able to walk again. I remembered that I had | | | | Being a bit of a fatalist, I took this as a sign to conduct |
| purchased a magnetic knee strap some time ago and | | | | my own research so I spent the next couple of |
| decided that I would wrap it round my knee. For over | | | | weeks learning all about scenar therapy. I found out |
| a week my knee seemed to have settled back down | | | | that it is a portable computerised electrotherapy device |
| and as I had booked a flight some months before, | | | | that was developed by the same man who invented |
| decided that I would be fit enough to make the flight. | | | | the Tens Machine, only Scenar is a much more |
| It was at the terminal just before going through those | | | | sophisticated technology with biofeedback capabilities. |
| scanner partitions you now see at all the airports that I | | | | It works by delivering a mild dosage of electrical |
| realised that my magnetic knee strap would probably | | | | stimulation to the body via built-in electrodes in direct |
| set off these scanners. I removed the strap and | | | | contact with the skin surface. It can be used for self |
| handed it over to Angela. After making sure I had | | | | treatment for pain relief and also a wide range of |
| everything, I said my goodbyes and boarded the plane. | | | | injuries, degenerative diseases and for inducing rapid |
| It was only when I was comfortably seated that I | | | | self-healing. After being convinced from the |
| realised that I had forgotten to take back the magnetic | | | | overwhelming testimonials of people singing the praises |
| strap from Angela. | | | | of this technology, I decided that rather than see a |
| 'I'll be OK', I thought. My knee was feeling better and it | | | | therapist, I would buy one for myself and the family. |
| was probably time I weened myself off that magnetic | | | | That way we could always have it on hand as a first |
| strap anyway. Whilst walking out of the arrival area of | | | | aid device to treat injuries and other conditions. After |
| the airport and down those long corridors towards the | | | | all, the things I read it could do were amazing. |
| exit to find my interconnecting bus for the next stage | | | | I studied all the different brands on the market, both in |
| of my journey, I went down like a 'bag of spuds', out | | | | Australia and Worldwide. One thing I can tell you is that |
| for the count so to speak. Yes it had happened again | | | | scenar is both a maze and at the same time amazing. |
| and without warning as if my legs had been chopped | | | | It has a very colourful history dating back to the |
| off from under me. Here I was in the middle of an | | | | eighties when the Soviet Space Program was initially |
| international airport, on my own and completely | | | | developing this technology for use by cosmonauts in |
| crippled. I struggled over to a seat and sat for a few | | | | space. There are a lot of scenar wannabe's that lure |
| minutes hoping that by some miracle, I would get up | | | | you with their seemingly good value pricing, but further |
| and walk my way out of this. But when I tried to get | | | | investigations reveal their limitations either in their clinical |
| up and walk, my worst fears had been realised and I | | | | applications or the cheap electronic components they |
| was going nowhere. | | | | employ. Out of all those that did cut the mustard, there |
| I looked around and saw a young woman in one of | | | | was only one which fulfilled the crucial criteria of |
| those currency exchange booths. I managed to hobble | | | | performance, quality and value; it was the 'Acuscen'. |
| over to her to ask where first-aid was. She pointed | | | | I ended up buying an Acuscen and coincidently, not just |
| down a long walkway and said, "About five hundred | | | | any Acuscen but the first one sold in this country. It |
| meters that way", to which I replied, "You've got to be | | | | was all a series of coincidences that led me to Mike |
| kidding me. What about a phone?" She turned her arm | | | | (the Australian Acuscen Distributor) who had only |
| 90 degrees to the left and said, "Oh, about one | | | | recently taken on the distributorship. He hadn't even |
| hundred meters that way". I looked at her wrenching | | | | had it up on his website yet. It was during the first |
| with pain and asked if I could leave my bag with her | | | | treatment with Mike when I realised that my body had |
| while I made a phone call. She replied, "Oh no, you can't | | | | indeed 'forgotten' that I had anything wrong with my |
| leaved that here!", motioning me away as if I was | | | | knee. As it is with many chronic problems, the brain |
| some sort of terrorist and she was to be the hapless | | | | body seems to 'give up' on the problem and doesn't |
| victim of a devious plot to blow up Sydney airport. | | | | recognise it as needing repair. The Acuscen 'woke' up |
| It was in that moment that I had never felt as lonely | | | | my brain to the fact that it was neglecting my knee |
| and as helpless as I did. It was an overwhelming | | | | and it took over 30 minutes of concentrated work just |
| powerless feeling that I never wish to have again. | | | | on my left knee to get the healing energy flowing |
| Eventually I found somebody and they called the | | | | again. My knee had indeed become what they call in |
| ambulance where I was taken away to a nearby | | | | scenar speak an 'energy cyst' or what I would call, a |
| Sydney hospital. I could write an article just on my | | | | 'dead zone'. |
| experiences at that hospital. After over 8 hours of | | | | Mike suggested that I stop wearing the magnetic strap |
| waiting in casualty and I was finally seen by a doctor | | | | and you know I haven't worn it since that first |
| who basically said, 'I can't find anything wrong with you, | | | | Acuscen treatment. That was only three weeks ago |
| here's some anti-inflammatory drugs, some pain killers | | | | and my knee has not locked since. I have used my |
| and some crutches, next!' | | | | Acuscen regularly to keep the healing processes |
| 'Whoa' I said, 'it's 10 o'clock at night, I have missed my | | | | working. My knee no longer aches, there is no pain or |
| interconnecting bus, I have no accommodation, I haven't | | | | discomfort and I am doing all those things that I was |
| had anything to eat or drink since earlier this morning | | | | doing before that day I had locked it for the first time. I |
| and I can't walk!' She replied, 'Don't you know anyone in | | | | can even get down on my knees and up again without |
| Sydney?' I replied, 'I know one person that is | | | | them locking. A miracle, perhaps? No its just scientific |
| reasonably close but she lives in a boathouse on the | | | | technology that had rescued me from the clutches of |
| harbour about a hundred steps down from the street. I | | | | the operating surgeon and I am so thankful to |
| don't think that's going to work, do you?' | | | | Acuscen for giving me a second chance. |
| Finally understanding my plight she called the hospital | | | | |