CPT® Code 0278T

Transcutaneous electrical modulation pain reprocessing (eg, scrambler therapy), each treatment session (includes placement of electrodes)

Transcutaneous electrical modulation pain reprocessing (TEMPR), commonly known as scrambler therapy, is a therapeutic approach designed to alleviate intense and chronic pain conditions. This method is particularly beneficial for patients suffering from various types of pain, including oncologic or cancer-related pain, pain resulting from failed back surgery, low back pain, sciatica, post-herpetic pain, trigeminal neuralgia, post-surgical nerve lesion neuropathy, pudendal neuropathy, brachial plexus neuropathy, and other neuropathic pain syndromes. The underlying mechanism of TEMPR involves the interference with the transmission of pain signals. By utilizing surface electrodes placed on the skin at the pain sites, the therapy transmits non-pain impulses through the same nerve fibers that carry the pain signals. This process effectively mixes or "scrambles" the pain signals, thereby modifying or overriding the pain sensations that reach the brain. During a typical treatment session, which may include one to five applications lasting approximately 30 minutes each, the patient's pain response is assessed before and after each application. Patients often undergo multiple treatment sessions over several days or weeks to achieve optimal pain relief. The CPT® code 0278T is reported for each treatment session, encompassing one or more 30-minute applications.