A small hand-held biofeedback device called Self-Controlled Energetic Neuro-Adaptive Regulator (SCENAR) can help the body heal itself, according to an article in The Northern Light, Jan. 27, 2010.

The article states that the SCENAR device uses “tiny electrical currents to measure the amount of muscle trauma and other injuries and illness by the time it takes for signals to bounce back, much like a bat uses sonar to detect distances. Depending on the length and kind of signal transmitted, the device receives a corresponding sound which the brain subconsciously interprets as an audio reward, thereby encouraging the body to speed the healing process.”

The device was developed in the 1970s as a non-intrusive treatment for Russian astronauts and was used by the USSR Medical Council in 1986 to treat athletic injuries, migraines and hearing problems.

One patient interviewed in the article said that the SCENAR machine had dramatically improved severe ringing she had in her ears caused by temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ). At the same time, the treatment also improved her back pain, she said.

The article notes that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved SCENAR as a biofeedback device for muscle relaxation training; however, the treatment must be administered by a licensed health practitioner.

Treatments using SCENAR last from 30 minutes to an hour.