The Use of Class IV Lasers in the Treatment of Spinal Cord Lesion Pain

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TheUseofClassIVLasersintheTreatmentofSpinalCordLesionPain

ClassIVLasers,definedaslasersemittingoverfivehundredmilliwattsofopticalpower,havebeen availablesincetheearly2000’sforuseintreatingacuteandchronicpainconditions,arthritis,andaiding intherecoveryfromcomplexsports-relatedinjuries.Overthepast20years,technologyhasbecome progressivelymoresophisticatedandthelaserswithinthesystemsmorepowerful.

ThetermHighPowerLaserTherapy(HPLT)iscommonlyusedtodaywithintheindustrytodescribe thesemoderntherapeuticlaserdevices.Whilethetechnologyhasbeenavailableforovertwentyyears, theknowledgeandawarenessofthesetypesoflasershavebeenlimitedandmostlyignoredbythe mainstreammedicalcommunitypartlybecauseithasbeenviewedasanalternativehealingmodalityand partlybecauseofthesometimesseeminglyincrediblestoriesofhealingpromotedbysomeintheindustry. However,crediblecliniciansarestartingtotalkmoreaboutthebenefitsofHPLT,andwiththeadventof socialmedia,thishasincreasedawarenessofthetechnology’sbenefits.Letuslookathowtherapeutic laserswork.

TheNearInfraredlaserlightpassesthroughthetissuesinitiatingaprocessknownasPhotobiomodulation. Thelightiseffectivelyabsorbedatthecellularlevelandstimulatesachemicalchainreactionproducing AdenosineTriphosphateorATP,thecell’senergysource,freeingupnitricoxideandfuelingnumerous metabolicprocessesincludingrebuilding,repairing,andregeneratingtissue.Thisdeepoccurringbasic biologicalreactionmeansitcanbeahelpfuladjunctiveorevenstand-alonetherapyformanychronicpain andinflammatoryissues.Foracloserreviewofthebiologicalreactions,wenowlookattheregeneration oftissueandnerveswithlasertherapy.

Lasertherapy,particularlyusingClassIVlasers,hasshownpromisingresultsinregeneratingbothtissue andnerves.Thephotobiomodulationprocessnotonlypromotescellularrepairandregenerationbutalso hasasignificantimpactonnerveregeneration.Themechanismsinvolveseveralpathways:

1.StimulationofNeurogenesis:Lasertherapyhasbeenshowntostimulatethegrowthofnew neurons.Thisisparticularlybeneficialinconditionsinvolvingnervedamage,suchasspinalcord injuries.

2.ReductionofInflammation:Chronicinflammationcanimpedenerveregeneration.Theantiinflammatoryeffectsoflasertherapyhelpcreateaconduciveenvironmentfornerverepair.

3.EnhancedAxonalGrowth:Studieshaveindicatedthatlasertherapycanenhanceaxonalgrowth, whichiscrucialfornerveregeneration.TheincreasedproductionofATPprovidesthenecessary energyfortherepairandgrowthofnervefibers.

4.MyelinRepair:Myelinsheath,whichinsulatesnervefibers,canbedamagedinspinallesions. Lasertherapyaidsintherepairandregenerationofthismyelinsheath,improvingnervefunction. Theseeffectscollectivelycontributetotheregenerationofnervesandtissues,makinglasertherapya valuabletoolinthetreatmentofspinalcordlesions.4

Aspinallesionisanabnormalchangecausedbyadiseaseorinjurythataffectsthetissuesofthespinal cord.Generalsymptomsincludepain,abnormalsensations,lossofmotorskillsorcoordination,oreven thelossofcertainbodilyfunctions.Causesincludetrauma,infection,autoimmunediseases,inflammatory diseases,congenitalmalformations,andbenignorcanceroustumors.1

Spinallesionsarecommonlyspottedonimagingtests.Basedonthesuspectedcause,thedoctormay performaneurologicalexam,variousbloodorurinetests,additionalimagingtests,aspinaltap,ora tumorbiopsy.Thetreatmentvariesdependingonthediagnosedcauses.1

Becauseaspinallesioncancovermanykindsofdiagnoses,therearevaryingformsoftreatmentand differentprognosesanindividualcanhave.Alesioniscategorizeddependentuponitssizeandlocation. Forexample,lesionsofthespinearereferredtoascentrallesionsbecauseoftheirimpactonthecentral nervoussystem.2

Patientswiththesekindsofconditionsrequirethemosttailoredtreatmentaseverybodycanreact differentlytospinallesions.Althoughtherearetrendsofcellularbehaviorwithinthesediagnoses,itis paramountthatpatientslearnalltheycanabouttheirconditionandhowtheirbodyisfunctioning alongsideit.2

Thetreatmentofaspinallesionvariesbytheunderlyingcause.1Amongtheexamples:

•Infectionsmaybetreatedwithantibiotics,antifungals,orantiviraldrugs.

•Inflammatoryconditionsmaybetreatedwithanti-inflammatorydrugs,steroids,or immunosuppressantdrugs.

•Inflammatoryconditionsmayalsobetreatedwithimmunosuppressantsanddisease-modifying therapies.

•Cancermaybetreatedwithsurgicalresection(removal),radiation,chemotherapy,andtargeted therapies.Benigntumorsmayrequireresection.

•Congenitalconditionsmaybenefitfromspinalsurgeryortheuseofcorrectivebraces.

•Physicaltherapymaybeabletohelprestorefunctionaftertreatmentandinitialrecovery.

NotehoweverthatLaserTherapyisnotmentionedinanyofthesesituationseventhoughithasproven extraordinarilywellinreducingpainandinflammation.ScienceshowsusthattheWavelengthofLight, Powerdensity,andTreatmenttimeareallcrucialfactorstothehealingeffectsofatherapeuticlight device.3ModernHPLTproductstakethisscienceintostrongconsideration.Withthesenewerdevices,the opportunityexiststointegratelasertherapyintocustomizedspinallesiontreatmentsforeachpatientand helpacceleratethehealingprocessandreducetheassociatedpainconditions.Thisdoesnotmeanitisthe singlecureforspinallesions,butitdoesofferenormouspotentialforfurtheringthesuccessoftreatments.

EpochLasersisthefounderofHigh-PoweredTherapeuticLaserswiththefirst-generationlasers manufacturedin2003.Ourpatentedlasertechnologywasdesignedbyateamofproductengineersand therapistswithover50yearsofcombinedtherapeuticlaserexperience.ManufacturedintheUS,we focusedoncreatinganeffectivehealingmodalityusingtheproperlaserwavelength,powerlevels,and microelectronicstomaximizetreatmentsuccess.Ifyouareapatientseekingtreatment,pleasevisitour websiteatwww.epochlasers.com,callustollfreeat(888)732-6495oremailusatinfo@epochlasers.com andletusprovideyouwithinformationtobringtoyourDoctor.

1 ANOVERVIEWOFSPINALLESIONS

AnneAsher,CPTUpdatedonApril19,2024Medically reviewedbyOluseun Olufade,MD

SpinalLesions:Symptoms,Causes,Diagnosis,andTreatment(verywellhealth.com) AccessedJune14,2024

2 WHATISASPINALLESION?SYMPTOMSANDTREATMENT

SpinalCordTeamDecember03,2020,WhatIsaSpinalLesion?SymptomsandTreatment (spinalcord.com)AccessedJune14,2024

3 EFFECTSOFINFRAREDLASEREXPOSUREINACELLULARMODELOF WOUND HEALING

Mark D.SkopinandScottC.Molitor,DepartmentofBioengineering,UniversityofToledo,ToledoOH

4 USEOFAICONTENT

During the preparation of this work, the author used ChatGPTto gather more information for the subject mattercontentofthisarticle.AfterusingChatGPTtheauthorreviewedandeditedthecontentasneededand takesfullresponsibilityforthecontentofthepublication,

© June 2024, Epoch® Lasers

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