TheUseofClassIVLasersintheTreatmentofSpinalCordLesionPain
JimOhneck,FellowASLMS
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