A Stroud-based med-tech company is transforming the lives of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians who have lost limbs in the war by providing groundbreaking, drug-free pain relief.
Biowave, headquartered in the Stroud valleys, has pioneered a non-invasive therapy for phantom limb pain — a debilitating condition affecting up to 64% of amputees worldwide. In partnership with frontline medics at Ivano Frankivst Hospital in western Ukraine, Biowave has already treated over 150 war amputees, many of whom are now walking again, wearing prosthetics, and regaining independence.
Steve Dechan, director of BioWave with a Ukraine military veteran, Dr Nadiya Segin, Neurologist and Dr Arun Bhaskar, interventional pain consultant, UK Pic:Ivano Frankivst Hospital
“This technology doesn’t just treat pain — it has a mental and emotional impact. When the patient is in pain, the whole family suffers,” said Steve Dechan, Director of Biowave.
Biowave’s therapy delivers high-frequency electrical impulses via skin pads, blocking pain signals at the source. A single 30-minute session can provide up to 16 hours of relief, giving patients freedom to move, train, and rest without discomfort. With training, patients can self-administer the treatment at home — a vital lifeline for those in war zones.
One Ukrainian patient, Andriy Danio, described the effect: “Over the course of two weeks the maximum pain intensity has decreased by several points on the scale.”
Another double amputee reported an 80% reduction in pain, enabling him to walk again. A soldier who completed 12 sessions said: “My pain disappeared; moreover, I returned to work, now I don’t need any more pain equipment and returned it to the doctors.”
Traditionally, phantom limb pain is managed with opioids and antidepressants, which often cause drowsiness, dependence, and impaired rehabilitation. Biowave provides a safe, neuroscience-based alternative.
Dr Nadiya Segin, consultant neurologist at Ivano Frankivst Hospital, called the treatment “profoundly transformative”: “The ability to independently manage pain returns a sense of power over one’s own body and life. To see a patient feel their ‘phantom’ hand again without pain, or walk on a leg that is no longer there, is a powerful reminder of why we practice medicine.”
UK-based pain expert Dr Arun Bhaskar has been in Ukraine helping roll out the programme and training local medics. With over 100,000 amputees expected due to the war, he sees Biowave as a critical early-intervention model.
“Rather than picking up the pieces years down the line, we are giving patients a chance to begin rehabilitation immediately.”
Biowave’s work in Ukraine is already informing civilian care worldwide. Professor Dominic Hegarty, Consultant in Pain Management and Neuromodulation, said: “What we’re learning here may change the way we manage trauma-related amputations in everyday life — from road accidents to diabetes and industrial injuries.”
The technology is now also being trialled with US veterans and has potential applications in patients with cancer, diabetes, and vascular conditions.
