Space-age solution as athlete aims for Olympics

Theodora Spathis is hoping to compete in the Heptathlon at the London Olympics, but an Achilles tendon injury last May threatened to dash her chances.

Now living in Sheffield, the Australian-born athlete hopes to represent her country if she can qualify for a place in the team.

After trying various kinds of treatment for her injury, she is undergoing Scenar therapy, developed during the Soviet era to treat cosmonauts who were not allowed to use pharmaceutical drugs while on space missions.

A battery-powered, hand-held device, the Scenar is brushed over an area of inflammation or pain, releasing gentle electrical impulses similar to those produced by the nervous system.

These are sent to the brain, stimulating the release of powerful natural healing compounds which can bring an immediate and long-lasting reduction in pain.

Spathis, who works as a personal trainer in Sheffield, said she was introduced to drug-free treatment in her native Melbourne and was looking for someone in the UK to help her recovery.

She discovered Scenar therapy through Russian-born Alla Cranham, a specialist in natural therapies, who runs In Vivo Health and Beauty in Nottingham.

The 28-year-old is now hoping to build up enough points by the end of June to qualify for a place in the Olympic squad and will be taking part in trials and competitions, including one back in Australia.

She said: “I was looking for a treatment called Mesotherapy but Alla recommended I try Scenar as well.

“I had never come across it before meeting Alla and believe it’s got some great potential to pick up hidden things going on with the body.

“She suggested we try it during one of my treatments and it has had some great results with picking up other things going on with the spine.

“Scenar therapy and Mesotherapy have played a massive part in my recovery, without a doubt. I would not have recovered in time without it. It has made all the difference.

“I had an Achilles tendon injury in May last year, tried a few remedies, acupuncture, physio, herbal but nothing worked.”

Mesotherapy is a technique of shallow micro-injections that introduce natural highly-diluted components just under the skin, using it as a slow release reservoir, she said.

The components can also be introduced with a needle-free method known as Electroporation, using special electrical impulses to enhance skin’s absorption.