Our SupportThe application of SCENAR technology in sports medicine
This report by S. Moiseev was published in the Digest “SCENAR-therapy and
SCENAR-examination” 3rd edition, Taganrog, Russia, 1997.
SCENAR devices have shown themselves to be effective in the treatment of a wide variety of pathological conditions of the human body. They have also been well proven as highly effective under ambulance conditions.
The continual search for new directions in the application of SCENAR has led to its use in sports medicine. Modern sport features constantly increasing psychological and physical pressures. Topical examples include the treatment of sports trauma, enhancing physical stability, treatment of general diseases and complete and fast rehabilitation of athletes, as well as the extension of an active sports life.
Portability, low weight and simplicity of application allow the Skenar device to be used not only in hospitals, but at “on-the-spot” training sessions, in transport situations and at the hotel. It is well known that the shorter the time interval between trauma, injury or the beginning of a disease and SCENAR therapy, the greater the effectiveness of treatment, resulting in easier passage of the disease and a quicker recovery process. Thus the presence of a SCENAR specialist at competitions, training sessions or other locations of a sports team can significantly increase the effectiveness of medical help.
One group of SCENAR specialists has accumulated considerable experience in medical provision, in particular, for competitions at different super-marathon distances.
Because of the high dynamic pressure and long duration of these competitions, athletes have to repeatedly resort to massage therapists, use different ointments and extend their relaxation time in relation to increased pressure. All this inevitably leads to a reduction of performance. High numbers of participants usually create problems such as a shortage of massage therapists and a lack of available help for everybody.
First Steps – SCENAR meets athlete
In Odessa, Ukraine in April 1996, a regular race over 100km took place with 56 athletes from Ukraine, Russia, Moldova, Belarus, Germany and Canada participating. Their ages ranged from 17 to 75 years. The circuit was built parallel to the sea coast, forming an 8km ring. The SCENAR specialists started to work with participants the day before the competition started. Since most athletes had never heard of a SCENAR, a lecture was given about the capabilities and applications of the device, and an opportunity was offered to try it out. This invoked some interest and many questions. Two athletes, who because of previous traumas were not going to participate in the competition, but had only come to support their team-mates, decided to try the new therapy. One man had a fractured tibia and the other a severe contusion of soft tissues. Their main complaint was intense and constant pain in their legs. After 10-15 minutes of treatment they noticed a significant improvement in their condition and the pain disappeared. They then wanted to participate in the competition along with the other, and one of the athletes actually did so. The obvious results of this first treatment procedure that had been witnessed by everybody, confirmed what had been said on the initial lecture and partly dispelled their doubts.
One more lecture was given on the next day, right before the competition started. The offer was repeated and this time was accepted with greater enthusiasm.
Comparison with traditional massage therapy
During the course of the competition SCENAR treatment was provided on the tables used by the massage therapists, working side by side with them. The main complaints after two hours of running up until the end of the competition were spasms and “blocking” of the leg muscles, “exhaustion” of the ankles, lumbar and sacral parts of the back. Athletes were able to interrupt their run to get this versatile help, but the stop-watch did not stop! SCENAR specialists were working mostly “on the complaint” and each successive appeal for help was considered as a new complaint. To relax back muscles and remove exhaustion the “three pathways” (spine, and left and right vagal route) were treated – with stress on the lumbar region. Attention to tendons was shown to be effective. Work on the lower extremities was finished off by focusing on two acupuncture points of the foot. The average procedure time was 5–15 minutes, sometimes as little as 2–3 minutes, which was significantly less than the time necessary for massage.
Athletes quickly noticed both a restoration of the working capacity of their muscles and relief from tiredness, allowing them to increase their running tempo. With each new circuit more and more athletes asked for the help of the SCENAR specialists and fewer and fewer stayed with the massage. The effectiveness and speed of providing help spoke for itself and the fame of this wonderful device grew like a snowball. Good competition results were also achieved.
On the day after the event, SCENAR therapy was given to a group of athletes to relieve tiredness. After the treatment everybody got up together and went sightseeing – something that had never happened before!
Super-Marathon success
The Ukrainian Federation of Light Athletes, impressed with the results of the competition and the effectiveness of the new treatment, soon invited the SCENAR specialists to provide medical help for the Ukranian super-marathon national team at the competition in Switzerland. SCENAR specialist Oleg Lutov was sent to join the team. He started to work during the journey, giving treatment to team members and their companions for renal colic, angina pectoris, upset stomach, toothache and headache. The treatment was given directly in the bus and, in addition to direct medical benefits, had a significant economic effect due to the avoidance of expensive emergency help in Switzerland.
A lot of work was done during that competition, especially taking into account that during free time help was given to everybody who asked for it. Certain difficulties were created by the language barrier, but this was overcome. The Ukranian national team took first place.
European athletes exposed to SCENAR
After further accumulation of experience, a group of SCENAR specialists decided to support our athletes in the 13th super-marathon. On the 5th October 1996 in Odessa at the Spartak Stadium, the 1000 mile run was started. On the 14th the participants were joined by “6 day” runners and on the 19th the European Cup “round the clock” run started. The competition was attended by the best athletes, record holders and prize-winners of different super-marathon distances from Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, England and Germany.
The work was alleviated by the fact that the event took place entirely in the Stadium. Athletes could watch the work of the SCENAR specialists and make a decision as to when to have a treatment. Generally each participant received 3-5 procedures per day. They showed good results and commendable responses were received from all those who undertook treatment.
The 1000 mile run exhibited some interesting and intriguing elements. For the first two days George Ermolaev was leading the field – an experienced athlete holding the second fastest world result over this distance, as well as world records over 1300 miles and 2700 miles. In the early stages George set the pace for the competition, attempting to beat the existing world record. He refused to use SCENAR support but later regretted it when he had to leave the race prematurely (and then could not avoid the SCENAR procedure).
The pace of the competition was also supported by an English athlete, Richard Brown, eight time champion of Great Britain, also after a new world record. On the third day of the competition he outstripped Ermolaev and continued to increase the gap between the. He only started to use SCENAR procedures after the fourth day, deterred perhaps on the one hand because of the language barrier and English modesty, but prompted on the other hand by the obvious progress of other athletes who used the treatment.
There was a lot of work for the SCENAR specialists. Already in the third hour of the event a Russian athlete from Istra, V Glaskov, suffered a deep wound between the 4th and 5th fingers of his left hand following a fall. SCENAR procedure on both sides of the hand and wrist quickly stopped the bleding and removed pain, without any bandage. But on the night of the same day Glaskov troubled by an old heel complaint, began to limp and to think about leaving the race. SCENAR therapy 4-5 times a day was suggested, but in fact the first 8 minute procedure completely killed the pain and inspired confidence in success.
Massage therapy abandoned in favour of SCENAR – A hailstorm of records
On the third day of the competition all the athletes left their massage therapists to be supported only by SCENAR specialists. All of them gave positive responses, noticing significant “lightness” of run and less tiredness in comparison with their previous experiences. Benefits recorded were increased tempo of run, reduction of rest time and significant improvement in the intermediate results.
As a result of the combined efforts of both the athletes and the SCENAR specialists, records began to fall “as though from the Horn of Plenty”. English athlete Richard Brown (47 years old) established a world record over a distance of 1100km, then over 700 miles (8 days 9 hrs 23 min 48 sec). His next world record was over 1200km (9 days 1hr 20 min 24sec). But then he had to leave the competition because of stomach ache and upset stomach that started at night when SCENAR specialists were not around. An emergency doctor fed Richard with pills which evoked severe vomiting and as a result of this 5 hours were lost. His stomach ache remained until he was able to receive SCENAR treatment.
At the same distance of 1200km the world record was also broken by I Vasutin (45 years old) and V Glaskov, who continued to limp a little because of his heel but persisted with his SCENAR procedures).
Rejuvenator Blanket reduces rest time
Completely unexpected for everybody, was the arrival of an announcement that at the same time in Spain, Alberto Aria had improved on the 100 mile world record by 2.5 hours. The run schedules had to be urgently reviewed to allow an attempt on this new record. But the strength and capacities of the athletes were already close to their limits. SCENAR specialists suggested using the Rejuvenator Blanket during rest times. General body wrapping was done for one hour whilst sleeping. This allowed the general rest time to be reduced by 1.5-2 hours. The athletes’ perception was of complete relaxation, relief from tiredness and psycho-emotional tension and a flow of power as though they had rested for 5-6 hours or taken a sauna. Everybody was ready for new records.
First V Glaskov and V Vasutin established new world records over 1500km - 11 days 15 hr 26 min 10 sec and 11 days 17 hr 30 min 5 sec respectively. Then Glaskov improved the 1000 miles world record by 4.5 hours (12 days 13 hr 32 min 41 sec), inspite of his injured heel. In fact, after the finish he remarked that his sick left foot felt better than the healthy one did before the start of the race!
The Ukranian record, improving on the previous world record, was established by Vladimir Vasutin (12 days 14 hr 55 min 21 sec). Outstanding results were shown also by Peter Silkin (13 days 5 hr 6 min), the record for Lithuania and the sixth fastest result in the world! In total, during that competition, 21 world records were established – 5 absolute and 16 in different age groups. The help of the SCENAR specialists surely played a significant role. It was the first competition to show such impressive results and the first one where the help of SCENAR specialists was used so widely and over such a long period. During the competition SCENAR help was also rendered to football players and supporters simultaneously using the Stadium.
In conclusion
The many days of work experience clearly shows that SCENAR technology can be successfully used in sports medicine as emergency help and as a means to significantly increase potential reserves of the human body. Certainly, it would be better for each sports team to have on its staff a SCENAR specialist, who would monitor and support his team continuously.
Knowing the capacities of SCENAR, you can look with different eyes on the famous tragic episodes in sports life and come to the conclusion that the SCENAR device and technology have a great future in sport, and can help to stimulate a hail of world records in different sports disciplines.
