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Hello has anybody heard anything about using low level laser therapy. To regenerate nerves in the spinal cord after its being injured?
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LLLT(LOW LEVEL LASER THERAPY) FOR SPINAL CORD REGENERATION
Explore topics in this discussion:
Exercise Cancer Surgery Back pain Burns Skin conditions Osteoporosis Chiropractic Acupuncture Arthritis Spinal cord injuries Fractures Physical therapy Quadriplegia Pain Memory Casting Paralysis
74 replies
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- Newest first
- By grisglass
- Posted March 4, 2009 at 8:33 am
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Ended up in this chair due to a training accident as a Racehorse Trainer. I am very familiar with the Low Level Lasers. We use them all the time for tissue regeneration in Racehorses. Believe me they work. Not only on soft tissue but they are very effective on Carpal Fractures. One of our star 3 year olds sustained a lateral Carpal Fracture. He was suppose to be 90 days stall bound with immobilization therapy, then 1 year turned out with a 50/50 prognosis of ever racing again. I started him on the Laser immediately after diagnosis. He received 3 treatments a day. Lasting 9 minutes each treatment, in 3 minute intervals, he wore Neodymium magnets 8 hours a day. To make a long story short he won his first start back in less than 6 months and is now 6 and still racing. While I have used it on myself for spasms leg I never dreamed trying it on my spine at the injury site. Don't ask me why ? Never crossed my mind. DUH..... But I will certainly rob it from the barn and start.
- By tiger93
- Posted March 4, 2009 at 2:17 pm
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Thanks grisgrass. So you used it for spasms? Did it work for you? I am ordering a unit from Thor a company that sells LLL. I am going to try it on my injury site and see what happens. Heck it works on lab rats. I am wondering how the nerves that regenerate will by pass the scar tissue. Lets see what happens
- By MARTY_T_67
- Posted March 5, 2009 at 7:36 am
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after reading this i started some research and found a list of studies and outcomes. heres the site. scroll down a little and it shows studies done on different things.
http://www.cigna.com/customer_care/healthcare_professional/coverage_positio ns/medical/mm_0115_coveragepositioncriteria_lowlevel_laser_therapy.pdf
- By janders199
- Posted March 6, 2009 at 8:26 am
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Thanks to Marty T -
GREAT INFO!
I'm going to look into it with my chiropractor/accupuncturist and let you know what I learn!
Jim
- By kaykaydemmy
- Posted March 6, 2009 at 9:48 pm
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I noticed that your picture shows you in what appears to be a standing frame, I was just wondering if it has made any improvements for you my husband has been using one twice a week for about a month and we have been noticing alot more movement. He had an infected hangnail on his big toe and as i was applying pressure to releive the infection it appeared that his toe and foot knew it was hurting even though he did not. Thanks
- By janders199
- Posted March 7, 2009 at 8:32 am
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Yes, I am using a standing frame in the picture while getting a physical therapy treatment. I also have leg braces (KFO's) that I use at home.
I know exactly what you are talking about regarding a part of your paralized body hurting . . . and you don't even know it. I've had two surgeries since my spinal cord infarction . . . . and some doctors thought, since I was paralized that I didn't need normal sedation for the procedure. WRONG!
Having said that, I continue to improve gradually. I am right now in the process of ordering Pacer Gait Trainer. I'm going to first try to use it with my leg braces . . . . and hope to get to the point where I don't need the leg braces.
Pray for me . . . and I will pray for you!
Jim
- By Globalwoundcare
- Posted March 13, 2009 at 3:26 pm
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I have treated diabetics with peripheal neuropathy with LLL and I liked the results alot. Medicare used to pay for it. I do not think they do any more. We are having to use E-stim now. It works, but not as well.
The type I was using was made by Annodyne. Actually I used a generic, but I think that company is closed. Annodyne has a website, or use to.
You know they are different wave lengths that do different things? Physical therapist probably know more about it than I do.
WBT
- By Globalwoundcare
- Posted March 13, 2009 at 3:28 pm
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You know there is some interesting new things being done with stem cells and nerve tissue. I only know what I have run across on the internet. These are exciting times. We can grow new arteries using stem cells from the same patient we are growing the arteries in.
- By ladybyrd043
- Posted March 17, 2009 at 9:33 am
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This sounds extremely interesting. How much does one cost and where do you get one?
Debby
- By grisglass
- Posted March 17, 2009 at 11:05 am
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LadyByrd:
Firstly, Thank You for your service. God Bless You, Desert Warrior.
Originally I bought this laser from a vet about 5 years ago. At that time I paid 400.00 used, like new condition. I will be happy to do a little research and get back to you on the rest of the info.
- By angelbrd67
- Posted March 23, 2009 at 1:15 am
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On September 13th I had a car accident that injured my neck. I have what they call a protruding disk with Moderate central canal stenosis. They used the LLL on the injury site after they found the bad disk this was about 3 weeks after the accident. I had very bad problems with my arms going dead and feeling like I had horrible fires going on under my skin from my neck down my arms. This thearapy took that away. I don't know why but it helped me avoid surgery right away. The day my son suffered his spinal cord Injury I was supose to go see a Neuro Doc to see if surgery was going to be needed or if I could just continue LLL and decompression as needed. Now I have no choice as surgery doesn't fit into our schedual even if it is needed...lol But I can tell you it is a great thearapy~!
- By ladybyrd043
- Posted March 25, 2009 at 9:55 pm
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I am looking forward to whatever you find out.
Since you looked at my page...you know about my son. His injury is C-4 to c-6 complete. And, we're coninuously trying to find things that will help him.
- By Learning1
- Posted May 14, 2009 at 3:39 am
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There are at least two recorded success stories using a Q1000 resonating laser (a high tech, very low level laser, which uses scaler wave technology rather than power to get penetration) on spinal cord injuries. These are related by Dr. Larry Lytle on his Healing Light Seminar videos. Both were incidents which he was surprised to hear about. One was an injury which had occurred several years before. In one case the young man recovered enough to go to college. In the other, the lady was able to move on her own with a walker. He also relates the story of a bear cub with hind leg paralysis that fully recovered after regular use of the laser on him, and was ultimately released to the wild the next spring because he no longer had any noticeable imparment. While it appears there was a complete paralysis in all three cases, it sounds as if none of the three cases involved complete spinal cord separations.
The Q1000 can apparenlty be programmed with a setting that helps with nerve regeneration. In many ways the resonating lasers like the Q1000 work differently than other lasers, so the stimulation possible by them seems to be more subtle, which may account for some of the success stories, which go beyond the normal muscle injury recoveries. Because of the multiple challeges and costs of FDA approval, etc, they can make no claims, other than the limited areas they have FDA approval for, but the success stories from those who have tried them sound encouraging.
The low level resonating lasers (12 - 5 mw laser diodes plus some infared diodes) with the scaler wave technology, etc, (like the Q1000) are computer controlled, and because of the advanced technology etc, are more expensive than the basic lasers that are out there that can be used for normal muscle problems, but the technology seems to make a difference. And they are a lot less than the standard commercial lasers used by some of the therapists. I've used mine for a number of different things, from headaches to burns, with success. And my sister used one with her autistic son and it helped him make significant improvement. The bad news is that the list price on a Q1000 is $3,800, and I don't know if there is any place that sells for any less, and from what I've heard, I'm not sure if I would trust the only other one that claims to use scaler wave technology (and is close in price anyway).
- By Learning1
- Posted May 16, 2009 at 3:15 am
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I just ran across a book titled "Alternative Medicine and Spinal Cord Injury" by Laurance Johnston, published in 2005. Johnson Chapter 3 deals with Laser and Laserpuncture therapy. A decade before the writing of the book, Johnston had been director of the Paralyzed Veterans of America's Spinal Cord Research Foundation. A therapist called him and told him of a quadriplegia patient she had been treating with laser therapy who had regained considerable function. Johnston is convinced that laser therapy has considerable potential for treating spinal cord injuries.
One of the studies had 31 patients with severe spinal cord injuries, and nearly half of these patients showed some functional motor improvement. The book also mentioned a web site that deals with lsaerpuncture as a treatment for spinal cord injuries:
www.laserponcture.com/ - the site has a number of case histories listed, with most showing some improvement.
One site that has a brief excerpt of a discussion giving some examples of use of a laser on significant spinal cord injuries is: http://www.gardenwithin.net/fusionmedia.html
- By Learning1
- Posted May 17, 2009 at 12:45 am
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"Paralysis Cured Without Surgery".
See: http://www.editinternational.com/read.php?id=47ddbb42c6178 (appears article was copyrighted in 2008, showing it is recent information)
This is the title of an article I just ran across, and it shows that lasers can take recovery substantially further than anything previously done, and should be an encouragement for anybody with a spinal separation (the type of problem which previously did not have a treatment).
The situation was one where the spine of a rat was cut (a complete separation). With laser use, the rat had a complete healing of its spine.
- By Learning1
- Posted May 17, 2009 at 3:04 am
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Correction - to my last comment "Paralysis Cured Without Surgery"
I just re-read the article. Most of the comments said "we cut the spinal cords", so I thought it was a complete separation.
The part I missed was the comment "After their spinal cord was partially cut their feet splayed akwardly in different directions".
So it was not a complete separation, just a complete paralysis.
The good news from the article is that it says that they should begin human testing of the treatment methods within a year, and since the article came out in 2008, they should begin testing any time.
It says they were using a "near infared" laser. Dr. Lytle indicates that the Dr. involved here has been using 780 nm, 5 mw lasers (something included in the Q1000).
- By tiger93
- Posted May 17, 2009 at 4:31 pm
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Learning1. Thanks for your great input. I appreciate it. I was reading the latest article, Do you know when it was published. I am wondering if they are still doing research on this. I sure hope so. That is a very promising article. THANKS!!
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