FDA Approves The Effectiveness Of The Use Of The Patented 830Laser Treatment On Carpal Tunnel Syndrome!
Research Shows Laser Therapy Effective in Reducing Pain, Muscle Spasm and Tenderness Associated with Fibromyalgia
Gur et. Al
In 2003 a doubled blind, randomized, 14-week controlled study was conducted on 90 patients needing arthritis pain relief. Each group was randomly placed into one of three treatment groups. The purpose of the study was to determine the effectiveness of the gallium, aluminum, arsenide diode laser (830Laser) in treating arthritis pain in the knee.
The three arthritis pain treatment groups were treated as follows: Group A received 10 830laser treatments of 5 minutes each over a two-week period of time. Group B received the same number of treatments for arthritis pain relief over the same period only the treatments were only 3 minutes in length. Group C was the control and received treatment from a placebo laser for the same time period.
There were 30 patients in each group each experiencing similar needs for arthritis pain relief. All patients received a total of 10 laser treatments (over 2 weeks) and 14 weeks of exercise. Follow up measures 4-8-12 weeks after last laser treatment.
Two certified athletic trainers are among a handful of people in the United States comprising an initial group of professionals certified to use a new low-level laser. The device, they say, offers amazing relief for people with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, and it also represents a wealth of research opportunity.
Doug Johnson, ATC, co-owner of Sports and Industrial Rehab in Taylor , Mich. , and Ray Maleyto, ATC, a Sports and Industrial Rehab employee, both are certified to use MicroLight Corporation of America 's ML 830R low-level laser, which gained U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval in February for treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome.
The ML 830R remains the only laser with FDA approval for CTS, and fewer than 30 of the machines exist currently, although the Texas-based manufacturer is working to fill a growing demand for the tool.
"Canada has had this technology since 1994, but the United States is just now getting it," Johnson said. "It is scary how well this laser works. It's the first thing in therapy that can actually help heal the tissue."
Johnson began following the development of the ML 830 R laser after its clinical trials years ago. General Motors and one of Baylor University's medical centers both tested the device. "GM in 10 years spent $2 billion on Carpal Tunnel Syndrome alone, between lost production, re-education of employees, medical costs and employee replacements," Johnson said. "They conducted trials of the laser and found it to be 70 to 80 percent effective - nearly 80 percent of the people in the study went back to work full-duty, while the other 20 percent had some improvement but did not have full resolution."
"They considered full resolution to be total elimination of pain and limitations, and 80 percent of the people achieve that," he said. "That's a big deal. They weren't testing a small group - they tested every employee who was diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome." "We had a client who suffered Carpal Tunnel for 14 years, as a result of cutting hair and working at Target," Johnson said. "She was seriously debilitated. After two treatments, she had full range of motion and was sleeping through the night again."
"Another patient in our building went from 30 pounds of grip strength to 60 pounds of grip strength in three treatments. We also treated a guy who had flexor tendinitis, and he went from 30 pounds of grip strength to 130 pounds in three treatments."
Because they wanted to test the laser's capabilities, Johnson and Maleyko both underwent laser therapy themselves. They were eager to experience the laser from a patient's point of view.
"It's a lot like ultrasound - you don't feel it," Johnson said. "Occasionally you can feel a tingle. There's no heat. It's very comfortable. I had tendinitis in my elbow horribly bad, from keyboarding because of a big proposal I'd been working on. The laser eliminated the pain. Ray had tendinitis from playing guitar and baseball, and it worked with him, too."
Although the laser is approved by the FDA only for treatment of CTS, patients can opt to take part in clinical investigations and undergo low-level laser therapy on other parts of their body. Johnson said he has used the laser on nearly every part of himself and found positive results each time.
Maleyko pointed out what he feels is one of the laser's most significant achievements: It works on diabetic patients as quickly as non-diabetic patients. "There's so much potential here," he said. "Our short-term and long-term goals are to do solid research on other applications, including lateral epicondylitis as well as the effects of low-level laser therapy on diabetic wound healing."
"This laser is not a cure-all," Maleyko added, "but it is certainly doing amazing things."
Johnson said the therapy does more than simply relieve pain. "Like any modality, if you continue the insulting activity, your going to continue to have the problem," he said. "But the laser causes healing rather then pain blockage. This does have a lasting effect. The problem is, if you continue to do the activity that led to your problem and you don't modify it through ergonomics, you'll develop it again."
FDA Approves The Effectiveness Of The Use Of The Patented 830Laser Treatment On Carpal Tunnel Syndrome! - GM Study, Anderson et. al. (1995)
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a serious ailment that affects the quality of life for millions of people each year. Medical science has searched diligently for affordable, non-surgical carpal tunnel treatment modalities. But until the 830Laser was approved as a safe and effective carpal tunnel treatment, few options were available.
General Motors (GM) conducted a 7-month, double-blind study to determine the effectiveness of low level laser therapy in treating Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, (CTS) as well as a seven-year study on its use in managing other types of chronic pain. The FDA recently approved the therapy, which may be effective in reducing the tissue inflammation that causes the symptoms of CTS. Involved in the study were several medical practitioners from General Motors as well as Baylor University.
General Motors CTS Study General Motors, in 1995 had spent a total of $2 billion on the treatment of Worker's Compensation claims related to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. They conducted a study of 119 patients randomly assigned to two groups, one receiving physical therapy coupled with low level laser light therapy (LLLT) using the 830Laser, the other half received physical therapy along with a placebo laser treatment.
Results
* Return to work following treatment was 75% higher for the active laser treated group (72% vs. 41%)
* Pinch and grip strength was significantly higher in the active laser treated group.
* Range of motion improved significantly greater for the active laser treated group. Overall conclusion is that using the 830laser for carpal tunnel treatment combined with physical therapy improves functional measures of wrist-hand work performance and results in greater probability of return to work than physical therapy alone.
Research Shows Laser Therapy Effective in Reducing Pain, Muscle Spasm and Tenderness Associated with Fibromyalgia Gur et. al. (2002) - Gur et. al. (2002)
A randomised, single-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of low-energy laser therapy in 40 female patients with fibromyalgia.
Patients with fibromyalgia syndrome were randomly allocated to active laser or placebo laser treatment daily for two weeks except weekends. Both the laser and placebo laser groups were evaluated for the improvement in pain, number of tender points, skinfold tenderness, stiffness, sleep disturbance, fatigue, and muscular spasm.
There were no significant differences in either group prior to therapy in any pain category measured. However, there was significant improvement observed in the active laser treated group with respect to pain, muscle spasm, morning stiffness and tender point numbers associated with fibromyalgia syndrome. No patients reported any side effects.
This suggests that laser therapy is effective on pain, muscle spasm, morning stiffness, and total tender point number in fibromyalgia symptoms. The study further suggests laser therapy is a safe and effective means of treating fibromyalgia treatment.
The study suggests laser therapy is effective on:
- Pain.
- Morning stiffness
- Total tender point number.
Laser Therapy is a safe and effective means of fibromyalgia treatment.
Research Shows Pain from Migraine Headaches Effectively Treated With Laser Therapy
Migraine headaches are one of man's common afflictions. Despite voluminous articles that have been written about migraines, little is known about its causes.
32 patients (10 males and 22 females) with a mean age of 44.1 years (range from 21 to 67 years), with ongoing migraines and migrainous-type headaches were evaluated.
Many patients had histories and signs of muscle-tendon and ligament injuries in the head and neck areas from automobile accidents, sport injuries and other trauma which often cause migraine headaches.
The soft tissue injuries were aggravated by their poor posture or by prolonged desk work. Most patients had pressure and/or pulsating pain around the head and in the frontal and temporal areas.
Following informed consent, migraine treatment consisted of a low power diode laser (gallium-aluminum-arsenide, wavelength 830 nm) was directed at the soft tissue lesion sites using 30 to 100 mW for 1 - 2 minutes per site.
Low power laser directed at these key anatomical areas along the NL, SP, and STY markedly diminished or totally abolished pain and tenderness in all patients. There was reduction of edema at tender sites and relaxation of muscles within 1-5 minutes. No adverse effects were observed.
It is believed that the laser stimulated removal of noxious chemicals via lymphatics. Thus low power laser treatment at appropriate anatomic areas can effectively and safely provide migrane relief.
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