Toronto, ON -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/01/2015 -- Cindy is a 46-year-old grandmother and cancer survivor. But she wasn't prepared for what she experienced after she finished her chemotherapy treatments. She describes the pain in her feet as a "10". At other times, a complete loss of sensation meant that if Cindy cut herself, she wouldn't know it until she saw the blood.

Doctors prescribed a morphine drip due to the severity of the pain. As with any strong pain killer, the morphine affected more than the pain. "I can't remember the month of May" says Cindy.

Cindy suffered from neuropathy, which is damage to or disease that affects nerves, particularly in the hands and feet, causing a variety of symptoms including pain, numbness, burning and aching. Often a result of chemotherapy and diabetes, the only available treatments for neuropathy were pain medications and, in severe diabetic cases, where the nerves were damaged beyond treatment, limb amputation.

Shockingly, a limb is amputated in Canada once every three minutes due to diabetes-related neuropathy.

Cindy is one of the first neuropathy patients in Canada to receive treatment using FREMS, or Frequency Rhythmic Electrical Modulation System, a new modality that stimulates the affected nerves, effectively giving them a "jump-start" back to life. Thousands of cancer survivors struggle with neuropathy following chemotherapy treatments; many have seen results with FREMs.

"FREMS does for the nerves what the body is no longer able to do due to diabetes and chemotherapy", says Dr. Paul Ziemer, who helped bring FREMS to Canada. "It triggers repair activity at the cellular level, which in turn improves nerve function and blood flow. Over a course of treatments, the nerves and blood vessels have greatly improved function, and the symptoms, including severe pain, are no longer present."

Clinical results of FREMS treatments are remarkable. "The tingling in my hands went away after the first treatment", says Cindy, who received 10 FREMS treatments, each one lasting about half an hour, over 26 days. A treatment will commonly involve the placement of up to 8 electrodes at various points around affected areas. "Before we began, I was a little nervous about the treatments, but they are really quite easy and comfortable. Sometimes I took a nap during the treatment."

Now virtually symptom free, Cindy uses only an occasional painkiller, after needing "six or seven a day" at the height of her neuropathy. Chemotherapy patients generally need only a single course of FREMS treatments to eliminate their symptoms. Diabetics require ongoing treatments, delivered every 8 to 18 months, due to the chronic nature of their condition.

Manufactured by Lorenz Biotech in Italy, FREMS devices and treatments enjoy wide acceptance across Europe, including being part of the national healthcare system in The Netherlands. Since Dr. Ziemer and his team introduced FREMS to North America in 2013, the equipment and treatment programs are now in place in 22 clinics across Canada.

And Cindy tells anyone who will listen about her recovery, including as a guest on radio programs and on the web. "I can garden again. I can have my grandkids over and run after them," she says. "To be a fun grandparent again, that is quite a gift."

About FREMS Medical Inc.
Founded by Managing Directors Dr. Paul Ziemer, B.Sc., DC and Margaret-Hanlon Bell B.Sc.N, to deliver superior solutions in the management of neuropathies and non-healing wounds, FREMS Medical Inc. provides healthcare products, services and solutions to patients via a growing network of clinics. FREMS Medical and its network of clinics and practitioners are committed to a vision where no leg and foot wound will go unhealed, so every individual suffering from neuropathy will have the chance to walk and touch with comfort and feeling.

For more information visit http://www.fremsmedical.com/