Low-Level lasers, cold laser
therapy
or light-emitting
diodes have been used now for decades to enhance healing
and function at the cellular level. The beauty is that
very low cost lasers pointers in electronic stores can
work as effectively as units worth thousands. With a
targeted and specific wavelength lasers will work better
than most medications to reduce pain,
ease tension in muscles,
increase mobility in joints, and even heal wounds.
A 5mW 635nm laser
(above) available at many electronic stores has more
than sufficient power to stimulate and initiate healing
at the cellular level.
In the words of dermatologic
researcher Dr. Andrzej Slominski, “life on
earth
since inception has depended on a constant source of
energy
from the burning gases of our sun.”
There is an ancient relationship
between the visible and near visible spectrum of
electromagnetic radiation
and the biomolecules of life.
Laser therapies are
medical
treatments that use focused light. Unlike most light
sources, it is tuned to very specific wavelengths. It is
a non-toxic
and non-invasive therapy that uses this light energy to
repair and regenerate cells
in the body.
It has been proven to reduce and even eliminate the need
for medication, improve the outcomes for conditions
treated, and increase the recover rates of affected
tissues.
Low intensity laser therapy has
anti-inflammatory,
immune modulating and tissue regenerative properties.
When placed in contact with the
skin the laser enhances the body’s
natural
healing process. Laser Therapy is widely used in the
medical and cosmetic fields. It is non-destructive to
the injured tissue and promotes many positive
functions such as collagen formation, cellular metabolism,
angiogenesis, lymphatic flow, and energy production.
All light therapy is not the
same; in
fact,
there are several different light therapy devices that
produce
totally different effects
on the body — utilizing many different actions. All of
these different actions are created by different
properties of light, power, and frequency.
Low Light Laser Therapy (LLLT)
LASERS (Light Amplification by
Stimulated Emission of Radiation) are intended to emit
energy in the infrared spectrum to provide topical and
deep heating for the purpose of elevating tissue
temperature. The mechanism of action for infrared lasers
and light units is thermal and mechanical, and healing
comes about as a byproduct of the stimulation not as a
direct mechanism of the therapy.
Low light laser therapy (LLLT) is
effective in relieving short-term pain for rheumatoid
arthritis,
osteoarthritis, acute and chronic neck
pain, tendinopathy, and possibly chronic joint disorders.
The evidence for LLLT being useful in the treatment
of low back
pain, dentistry and wound healing is equivocal.
Lasers are very complex in their
actions because they are designed to stimulate the
physiology of the body through a mechanism called
biomodulation or photobiomodulation.
These principles of light or
energy
medicine
originated in the quantum physics
of Einstein
himself. He first introduced the concept of the LASER.
He also stated that every living cell emits radiation
called the “photon
emission of living cells”, or what we commonly refer to
as the aura.
Due to the low power density and
the properties of the wavelength used, the true low
level therapy lasers are only capable of delivering a
physiological dose of therapy. One of the most important
aspects of a physiological dose of therapy is that it is
safe. It is safe no mater what the condition or
pathology is, no
matter
what medications the patient is on, no matter what the
patient may be allergic to, no matter what, a true LLLT
unit will do no harm.
Effects and Benefits
Writing in the journal of
Photomedicine and Laser
Surgery Joseph
Tafur MD and Paul J. Mills, Ph.D. stated that the
mechanism may be related to stimulation of mitochondrion
to increase the production of ATP (adenosine
triphosphate)
resulting in an increase in reactive oxygen species,
which influences redox signalling, affecting
intracellular homeostasis or the proliferation of cells.
“Low-intensity light
research
has revealed that specific wavelengths of light in the
visible and near visible spectrum (at the correct dose,
intensity, and pulse frequency)
can induce a variety of cellular effects in some
nonphotosynthetic cells,” they stated.
One
study
suggested that laser therapy is also effective in
treating superficial wounds. In their study published in
2004, Hopkins JT and his team said that LLLT treatment
facilitates wound contraction, thereby promoting faster
healing.
Dr. Cezary Peszynski-Drews,
director of the Laser Diagnostics and Therapy Center of
the Technical University of Lodz, Poland, says LLLT
therapy has done wonders for
MSpatients.
“Our results from the use of laser therapy on multiple sclerosis
cases shows that laser biostimulation is a successful
and effective method by which to treat
patients,” he stated.
Dr. Peszynski-Drews, also noted,
“While it does not prevent multiple sclerosis, it makes
patients significantly stronger, even in the most
advanced stages of the
disease.
After treatment patients are able to move around on
their own, walk short distances, and make their own
breakfast. They are not totally dependent on someone
else to help them and this in itself is a personal
success.”
Laser Therapy Research in
Neurological Disorders
Alzheimer’s Disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Brain
Effects Brain Injury Central Nervous System
Disorders Cerebral Effects Cerebral Palsy
Multiple Sclerosis Nerve Nerve Regeneration in
Children Nerve Regeneration – Protection Neuropathy Neurotoxicity
Protection Parkinson’s Disease Peripheral Nerve
Regeneration Stroke
Pulsed Electromagnetic Field
Therapy Research in Neurological Disorders
-
Increased endorphin production (reduced need for pain
meds) - Elevates ATP production – increased energy
for cells - Improved immune response - Stimulates
DNA
production – healing - Promotes collagen synthesis
- Improves lymphatic drainage – reduces swelling -
Promotes angiogenesis – improves circulation -
Reduces inflammation – faster recovery time
Better Than Medication
The non-thermal photons
of light that are emitted from lasers pass through the
skins layers (the dermis, epidermis, and the
subcutaneous tissue or tissue fat
under the skin) and can influence cellular recovery at a
phenomenal rate.
In fact, most studies show that
LLLT can stimulate healing faster and more effectively
than many medications either ingested or used topically.
The
reasons
are primarily due to the inability of medications to
affect the brain’s Neuroplasticity
in the treatment of chronic conditions. One of the most
profound physiological effects of low level therapeutic
lasers is the effect of Neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity
represents the brain’s ability to reorganize itself by
forming new neural connections throughout life.
Neuroplasticity provides a way for nerve cells (neurons)
in the brain to respond and compensate for injury and
disease and adjust neuronal activity in response to a
new situation or to changes in the environment.
Neuroplasticity represents a new
rapidly evolving approach to healing. Given any trauma,
realizing all traumas involve the central nervous system
recognizing the trauma (consciously or subconsciously),
quick response with active neuronal stimulation, could
theoretically maintain, repair, retain most CNS
functions (learning, memory, speech, emotional distress,
movement,
balance
etc.).In simpler terms, theoretically the proper
immediate use of LLLT therapy post trauma, especially
brain trauma, could eliminate much of the neurological
disabilities common in head trauma today.
Many studies have validated the
incredible success of LLLT in wound healing, joint
disorders, thyroid, bone repair and many other
conditons.
Silva Junior A, Pinheiro A,
Oliveira M et al. in the Journal of clinical laser
medicine & surgery (2002) evaluated morphometrically the
amount of newly formed bone after laser irradiation of
surgical wounds created in the femur of rats.
Computerised morphometry showed a significant difference
between the areas of mineralised bone in laser and
non-laser treated groups indicating that LLLT increased
bone repair at early bone healing.
Pereira A, de Paula Eduardo C,
Matson E et al in Lasers Surg Med. (2002) studied cell
growth and procollagen synthesis of cultured fibroblasts
by laser irradiation. They showed the treatment
remarkably increased cell growth.
In Laser Med Surg Abstract issue
2002, Sanseverino N T M, Sanseverino C A M, Ribeiro M S
et al. demonstrated that in people with
temporomandibular disorders, and an evaluation of
subjective pain assessment and measurement of the
movements of the jaw, there was a significant
improvement in the laser group only.
The Mechanism of Action For
635nm Light
Biological light receptors in
living tissue, termed chromophores, have peak activation
at wavelengths between 600nm and 720nm. The most
commonly used wavelengths to activate
these chromophores are from 630nm to 635nm. This is
because even though different chromophores have peak
activation somewhere between 600nm and 720nm, each
chromophore can still be activated within a wider
wavelength spectrum. 635nm falls within the wavelength
spectrum of all biological chromophores in man and
animals.
This means there is no need to utilize multiple colors
of lasers to activate the different chromophores in the
body.
Once the light energy passes
through the layers of skin and reaches the target area,
it is absorbed and interacts with the light
sensitive
elements in the cell. This process can be compared to
photosynthesis in plants
– sunlight
is absorbed by plants, which is then converted to usable
energy so that the plant can grow.
When cells absorb light energy,
it initiates a series of events in the cell that is
theorized to eventually result in normalizing damaged or
injured tissue, a reduction in pain, inflammation, edema
and an overall reduction in healing time by
increasing
intracellular metabolism.
There are three specific and
unique methods the 635nm wavelength lasers:
1.
Within the cell, the signal is transduced and amplified
by a photon acceptor (chromophore). When a chromophore
first absorbs light, electronically excited states are
stimulated, primary molecular processes are initiated
which lead
to measurable biological effects. These photobiological
effects are mediated through a secondary biochemical
reaction, photosignal transduction cascade, or
intracellular signaling which amplifies the biological
response.
2.
The ionizing effects of LLLT allow photon acceptors to
accept an electron. This turns on the
oxidation-reduction cycle of the stimulated chromophores
such as Cytochrome oxidase, hemoglobin, melanin, and
serotonin. Changing the re-dox state of the chromophore
changes the biological activity of that chromophore
e.g., hemoglobin changes its oxygen carrying capacity.
This has the potential to triple the oxygen carrying
capacity of blood instantly.
3.
When photon energy breaks a chemical
bond, changes occur in the allosteric proteins in cell
membranes (cell, mitochondrial, nuclear) and monovalent
and divalent fluxes activate cell metabolism and
intracellular enzymes directly. Direct activation of
cell membranes alters ion fluxes, particularly calcium,
across that membrane. Changes in intracellular calcium
alter the concentrations of cyclic nucleotides, causing
an increase in DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis, which
stimulate mitosis and cellular proliferation.
Low Level Therapeutic Lasers
(LLLT) can be recognized by the following
characteristics:
In the product description the
wavelength of the light will be in the visible red
range, 630nm (for HeNe tube lasers) and 635nm (for
semiconductor laser diodes).
In the product
description the total power output will be less than 5mW
per laser.
The housing that contains the lasers
can be held at a comfortable distance from the wound or
tissue being treated.
The therapy can be
administered through natural fiber
cloths so that the patient seldom has to disrobe.
Eye
protection is not necessary for the patient or the
doctor;
although directing any LLLT unit at the eyes
can be dangerous.
The proper treatment will be
based on the frequency utilized and the Jules of energy
are never mentioned.
Photobiomodulation and
biological amplification is promoted, the word
“penetration” will never be found.
Low power and
no heat will be promoted, High power of any kind should
not be seen.
635nm energy is visible so you
always know if the unit is on and where it is pointed.
The laser can have a pulse frequency setting and
they will be documented as accurate and with a broad
range.
