Cover_Jan 05 (Page 2) - The Parklander Magazine

Patients See The Light
With Non-Invasive Procedure
By Frank Darrow, D.C.
Low level laser therapy is a painless, sterile, non-invasive,
drug-free treatment used for a variety of pain syndromes,
injuries, wounds, fractures,
neurological conditions
and pathologies.
Laser therapy can be
used any time a patient
requests or needs a drugless
procedure for the control
of pain, conventional
therapies have been ineffective
or when the acceleration
of healing from
injuries is desired.
Low level laser therapy
can treat a variety of
conditions.
The theory for the creation
of laser light was
proposed by Albert
Einstein in 1917, but it was
not developed until 1960.
It was in the late 1960s
that professor Endre
Mester of Budapest,
Hungary first reported his
experience using laser
light to treat non-healing
wounds and ulcers in diabetic
patients. Mester’s 70 percent success rate in treating
these wounds led to the development of the science of what he
called “laser biostimulation.”
Around the world, laser therapy is rapidly becoming a
medical therapy that can heal wounds and fractures up to 60
percent faster and also reduce the cost of treatment for many
conditions. In the U.K., low level laser therapy has become the
treatment of choice for soft tissue “whiplash” injuries and for
the treatment of painful post-herpetic neuralgia (shingles
pain).
How Does Laser Light Heal
Healing with the use of light is not new. Light therapy
was reported by Hippocrates to be effective for many conditions.
With the development of the laser and its special properties,
using light as a treatment has gained more popularity.
This is because we can now use specific wavelengths of light
and give accurately measured doses of energy directly to the
appropriate treatment site, which was not possible with other
light sources.
Low-level lasers supply energy to the body in the form of
non-thermal photons of light. Light is transmitted throgh the
skins layers (the dermis, epidermis, and the subcutaneous or
tissue fat under the skin) at all wavelengths in the visible
range. However, light waves in the near infared ranges penetrate
the deepest of all light waves in the visible spectrum.
When low level laser light waves penetrate deeply into the
skin, they optimize the immune responses of our blood. This
has both antinflammatory and immunostimulate effects. It is
a scientific fact that light transmitted to the blood in this way
has positive effects throughout the whole body, supplying
vital oxygen and energy to every cell.
Almost everyone knows that vitamin D is called “the sunshine
vitamin.” We all know the difference between a suntan
and a sunburn. Unlike surgical lasers, low level laser therapy
does not produce heat or damage tissue. The light from the
laser, however, is absorbed by special cellular components
and modulates biochemical activity within the body to produce
its beneficial effects.
What to Expect During a Laser Therapy Session
For most people, laser therapy is quite passive. There are
no pulsating shocks felt, as in form of electronic stimulation,
nor heat use as with ultrasounds. The most noticable sensation
is the touch of the probe head of the laser as it comes in
contact with the skin.
Following (and even during) a laser therapy session,
approximately 75-80 percent of patients being treated can
notice an immediate improvement in their condition. This will
depend primarily on the type of condition and the length of
time the condition has been present. ● P
30
Patients Get On Their Feet
Most people don’t give walking a second thought. But for
the 12 million people in the U.S. who are affected with
Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD), it can be a painful ordeal.
Similar to cardiovascular disease, PVD is caused by the
buildup of fat and cholesterol, known as plaque, which
disrupts normal blood flow to arteries in the vascular system.
Symptoms of the disease often include severe pain, numbness,
tingling or weakness in the leg. Leg pain, known as claudication,
can be so extreme that PVD sufferers may have difficulty
walking even short distances. If left untreated, PVD ultimately
can lead to amputation and a higher risk of heart attack
and stroke.
the PARKLANDER
A new treatment alternative is available at Memorial
Cardiac & Vascular Institute. Interventional cardiologists are
using a new, FDA-approved device for the safe removal of
harmful plaque from blocked arteries in the legs.
Leading-Edge Technology
The SilverHawk Plaque Excision System uses a tiny
rotating blade the size of a grain of rice to shave away large
quantities of plaque from inside the artery. As it is excised, the
plaque collects in the tip of the device and is then removed to
restore blood flow.
Before the arrival of plaque excision, treatments for PVD
included angioplasty, stenting and open bypass surgery, an
invasive procedure that requires a large incision and involves
a hospital stay. Both angioplasty and stenting clear a channel
in the artery by pushing plaque up against the artery walls.
However, patients often return within six months to have the
procedure repeated because restenosis (or reblockage) has
occurred.
The SilverHawk device cleans out the artery by removing
the plaque altogether. ● P