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THOR on YouTubeJames Carroll a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, and is considered the world’s leading proponent of using Red Light Therapy, also known as Photobiomodulation (PBM). He joins Blanquita Cullum to discuss the amazing breakthroughs.
“The THOR training course that I attended last week was an unforgettable experience in every aspect. I’ve learned a lot of new and useful things for my daily practice. James was wonderful and managed to maintain our attention throughout the training. I recommend it to all those fascinated by laser applications in PBM. This training is worth it.”
Bogdan Crisan DMD, Phd, Msc
Oral Surgeon
Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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James Carroll, CEO of THOR Photomedicine, a speaker at the 2019 CSSP Spring Leadership Workshop, received the T.H. Maiman Award for outstanding research during the Academy for Laser Dentistry’s (ALD) award ceremony at their annual conference (April 8-10), during which Red Light Therapy’s role in revolutionizing medical care was showcased. Kathleen Maiman, widow of Laser inventor Theodore Maiman, presented the award.
Carroll, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, is considered the world’s leading proponent of using Red Light Therapy, also known as Photobiomodulation (PBM). He has written or co-authored twenty-four academic papers and co-authored four books on the subject.
Carroll is working with 36 medical institutions, including Harvard Medical School, St. Jude Children’s Hospital, Veterans’ Hospitals, and the UK National Health Service (NHS), on using PBM for treating a range of conditions such as traumatic brain injury, the side effects of cancer treatments, managing acute and chronic pain, and reducing opioid use.
“My lifelong goal is having PBM accepted as a first-line medical treatment. I look forward to continuing this quest with all of you as we make PBM a global standard of care.” stated Carroll upon accepting the award.
PBM devices are cleared by the Food & Drug Administration. PBM’s success as a breakthrough medical technology is documented in 700 Clinical Trials and over 100 million patient treatments.
News source: Council of Scientific Society Presidents
“Thoroughly enjoyed the laser course. Very motivating and informative. Thank you so much.”
Jenna Churchill
Animal Chiropractor
Worcestershire, UK
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“The training course was very professional and well structured. Very interesting, so much peer-reviewed evidence presented. I very much enjoyed listening to James, thank you.”
Lisa Luke
Equine Therapy
Bellbowrie QLD, Australia
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“Thanks for the attendee introductions, which helped to ease us in … definitely made it more personable. It was great to hear the variety of modalities and professions.
I appreciated the depth and ease of material presented, the injected humor, and the perfectly timed breaks to allow absorption. The chat was very helpful for learning more as the experienced providers added info and asked questions. I like knowing THOR contacts are available for further questions.
Great learning experience! The class was excellent in every way! I’d highly recommend it to anyone interested in LLLT/PBMT.”
Tammy Schlorke
Medical Qigong Practitioner
Marquette MI, USA
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“The training course was very visual which makes it easy to learn.”
Dr. R. Andres Garcia
Dentist
San Diego CA, USA
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Fort Myers, Fla. & Bethesda, Md., March 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders (CCBD), an American Oncology Network (AON) partner, is pleased to announce it is now offering THOR® Photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy for the prevention and treatment of mouth sores in cancer therapy patients. Patients can now receive light therapy at both office locations in Maryland, Bethesda at 6410 Rockledge Drive, Suite 660 and in Germantown at 19735 Germantown Road, Suite 255.
The positive effects of PBM therapy on oral mucositis have been reported in 42 randomized controlled trials and nine systematic reviews, reducing the incidence of severe mucositis. Guidelines issued by the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) in 2019 recommend the use of PBM for the prevention and treatment of oral mucositis caused by radiation.
“Cancer patients deal with many side effects when they go through treatment,” said Dr. Mark G. Goldstein of The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders. “Head and neck cancer patients receiving a high dose of chemoradiation treatment are almost 100 percent guaranteed to get a high level of oral mucositis. These painful mouth sores can make everyday tasks like eating, swallowing or brushing teeth difficult. Being able to offer our patients light therapy can bring therapeutic benefit. Without sores, patients can maintain their treatment schedules and may be able to avoid feeding tubes as well as narcotics. Maintaining treatment schedules can improve cancer control and overall outcome, along with reducing any long-term side effects.”
Each light treatment takes about 60 seconds and is painless. The light unit is shaped like a flat popsicle which is placed inside the mouth. With this single light unit, the entire mouth can be treated including the tongue as well as the areas near and behind the tonsils. Research done in the United States, United Kingdom, Brazil, India and Europe, shows no side effects.
Medical Director and CEO of The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders Dr. Ralph Boccia added, “New developments continue to improve a patient’s quality of life. Currently only a handful of medical universities offer this light therapy. We’re excited to be one of the first community medical oncology practices in the country to be able to offer and treat mucositis, a major side effect suffered by many cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment.”
AON CEO Brad Prechtl, MBA said, “Bringing the most advanced and innovative technologies to patients is an essential part of CCBD’s mission as a community oncology practice to provide exceptional cancer care to patients close to home.”
AON is an alliance of physicians and seasoned healthcare leaders that provides a unique array of enhanced services to its affiliated community-based oncology practices. It consistently strives to find innovative ways to connect with patients. AON’s community oncology model allows physicians to focus on what matters most — their patients.
About The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders: (CCBDMD.com)
Specialists in the diagnosis and treatment of blood disorders and cancer, The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders has been serving patients in the communities and surrounding areas of Bethesda and Germantown, Maryland for more than 25 years. Their individualized approach to patient care includes chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy and when appropriate, cutting edge therapies on clinical trials. The practice regularly performs more than 300 clinical trials on new and developing diagnostic devices and techniques for cancer and diseases. Patients receive home delivery of oral cancer medications, in-house lab and pathology and on-site infusion therapy. The practice also offers comprehensive support with nutrition guidance and financial counseling.
About American Oncology Network, LLC: (AONcology.com)
American Oncology Network, LLC (AON) is an alliance of physicians and seasoned healthcare leaders partnering to ensure the long-term success of community oncology. Launched in 2018, the rapidly expanding AON network represents 92 physicians and 62 nurse practitioners and physician assistants practicing across 16 states. The executive management team of AON encompasses more than three decades of oncology practice management experience, enabling physicians to focus on what matters most – providing the highest quality care for patients.
The organization provides unique and comprehensive protocols for managing administrative procedures and enhancing ancillary services for its affiliates. AON is able to aggregate volume and attain economies of scale, as it guides its member physicians and practices through the transition to value-based reimbursement models that improve the patient experience and help to reduce the per-capita cost of cancer care.
AON also provides a unique model of physician led, community-based oncology management. With services such as a centralized specialty pharmacy, diagnostics, pathology, fully integrated electronic medical records, a care management team and a variety of financial assistance programs, an alliance with AON ensures that patients’ experiences will be at the very pinnacle of cancer care today.
News source: globenewswire.com
“I truly enjoyed how the THOR training course was presented in terms of the visuals, type of information, ect. James made an 8-hour course quite entertaining. Overall, an amazing experience!”
Leah Betts
Kinesiologist
Oshawa ON, Canada
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James Carroll, Founder and CEO of Thor Photomedicine interviewed by Linda Bailey, owner of Total You Health.
James discusses facts and myths about the therapy. From why red light is the best for healing of all the colors in the light spectrum, to when he thinks PBM will become more mainstream, he sheds light on where this therapy is today compared to other alternative therapies. Listen to the exciting advances being made and big news about insurance coverage!
A 1 hour video interview.
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Chemotherapy is difficult for any child, but when it causes mucositis, a painful side effect that causes ulcers to form in the mouth, it gets even harder. These children often require more pain medications and longer hospital stays.
Ben Wilson, 11, of Dilliner, Pa., was one of those patients. He was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma. The chemotherapy regimen he was on was known to cause mucositis, but it was his best course of treatment. When he developed mucositis, his mother, Alison Wilson, talked to Dr. Hannah Hazard-Jenkins, director of the WVU Cancer Institute, about the trouble Ben was having with sores in his mouth and how difficult it was to maintain a lengthy mouthwash regimen to try to treat them.
“We tried some preventive treatments, including cold therapy, where you have them eat a lot of ice and do a series of seven mouthwashes, ” Alison Wilson said. “The cold therapy didn’t help much. Plus, it’s hard to use seven mouthwashes in a day, especially if you’re a kid, and they don’t taste very good.”
Hazard-Jenkins reached out to Dr. Geraldine Jacobson, WVU Cancer Institute Radiation Oncology chair, who contacted the pediatric oncologists at WVU Medicine Children’s to discuss whether the WVU Cancer Institute’s new THOR device would help Ben.
The THOR photobiomodulation device uses low-level lasers in the near-infrared range that stimulate and promote wound healing and regeneration.
“Low-level laser therapy is indicated by a multinational supportive care association for treatment of oral mucositis in adults, ” Jacobson said. “We have been using this treatment in the Department of Radiation Oncology since June to reduce oral mucositis in our head and neck cancer patients. The THOR device can be used outside the mouth along the cheek, jaw and neck to prevent mucositis lesions or inside the mouth to treat active wounds. There were positive reports of using this treatment for pediatric patients, so we decided to offer it to Ben.”
Dr. Patrick Tomboc, chief of WVU Medicine Children’s Hematology and Oncology, said he was amazed at how quickly the treatments helped Ben and prevented new sores from forming.
“This device greatly improves the quality of life for these patients, ” Tomboc said. “Ben has required much less pain medication than most patients who develop mucositis. We’ve been able to reduce the length of his hospital stays and really help with his pain management without any side effects.”
The device is also indicated for use in wound healing, which helped Ben when the surgical wound on his foot was slow to heal.
“Ben had really been struggling with his wound healing all summer, and it’s always a concern when you start chemotherapy with an open wound because it can slow healing even more, leaving it open to possible infection, ” Alison Wilson said. “After a nurse in Radiation Oncology suggested we try it on his foot as well, we discussed it with his doctors. There were so few possible side effects that we decided to go ahead and see if it would help. We had more healing in one month than we had all summer.”
“We’re really grateful that they were willing to look into using this device on kids to see what other institutions were using it and the pros and cons of the treatment. We’re also really excited that it has opened the door for other pediatric patients here, ” she added.
Source: news.yahoo.com
Read more: https://www.thorlaser.com/oralmucositis/
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“Course was excellent, a good explanation on how the machine works and I love that there is access to treatment plans and research.”
Rebecca Beagley
Veterinary Nurse
Gawler East SA, Australia
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“The training course had a good presentation style, was engaging and easy to attend to. There were lots of practIcal applications. I was happy with the experience.”
Dr Enid Taylor ND, BSc
Naturopath & Clinic Director
Hertz, UK
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Miriam is a personal trainer and has suffered with elbow pain for about a year and a half which was preventing her from doing her work properly. She heard about NovoTHOR at Universal Healing & Wellness from a friend who has really great results so Miriam had to try it. After 4 sessions with NovoTHOR she is now convinced this works because the pain has gone away.
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Alice has had back problems for 50 years with the pain increasing as she got older. Alice goes to Universal Healing & Wellness and is feeling so much better and gives NovoTHOR the credit for this.
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Disclaimer: These comments by healthcare professionals and their patients are solely their own. They are uncompensated personal stories about how they have used, or been impacted by, light therapy. These uses have not been reviewed or cleared by FDA.
“I liked the dynamic information, it was an interesting and interactive training course. This is a great introduction to Photobiomodulation. Thanks so much.”
Dr. Jonatan Snir, Ph.D, MCCPM
Medical Physicist, Tom Baker Cancer Center
Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Calgary
Calgary AB, Canada
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“Great course, very comprehensive introduction to Photobiomodulation. Good support.”
John Upton
Dentist
Glendale AZ, USA
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“I am doing very well thanks to you and your THOR products. It was just a handful of days after daily use of the ‘lollipop’ probe that the oral mucositis and the associated pain began to rapidly subside.
After today’s treatment I have six radiation sessions left. Unlike before your help, I have no difficulty eating, swallowing or drinking. This Thursday I am bringing my equipment into the Medical College of Wisconsin’s radiation oncology department to demonstrate my two attachments. As you may expect, they have virtually no knowledge of photobiomodulation and I am going to suggest to them that they get on board with this therapy and reduce unnecessary suffering. I will give them the THOR Laser website and your contact information.
Thank you for all of your help and follow up. This wonderful technology needs to become a standard of care in all medical institutions.”
Sincerely, Ken Halvorson
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Clare Morrow is an IFBB professional athlete in bodybuilding in bikini division who also suffers with arthritic knees.
Finding NovoTHOR at Xscape Pain has been amazing for Clare’s recovery from her sports activities as she is very hard on her body, so uses the pod 4 to 5 times a week. Before going to XscapePain it would take her days to recover from her workouts but now recovers in half that time.
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Disclaimer: These comments by healthcare professionals and their patients are solely their own. They are uncompensated personal stories about how they have used, or been impacted by, light therapy. These uses have not been reviewed or cleared by FDA.
“Very thorough training course. My questions at the beginning of the course were answered throughout the course, the humor was a great touch. Thank you, it peaked my interest in ways I didn’t expect. Looking forward to more discussions.”
Shawnee Kyle
Registered Nurse
Twin Falls ID, USA
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U.S. CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING. Ending Opioid Use – Washington DC
James Carroll presented evidence to Congress on the effectiveness of PBM for treating pain and where it can be used in place of opioids. Prof. Praveen Arany explained how and why it works, and Annette Quinn RN gave her first hand experience in treating over 854 patients with Oral Mucositis.
Learn more at CongressPBM.com
Watch James Carroll’s Congress speech on ending opioid use with Photobiomodulation
Read James Carroll’s Speech to Congress on citizenoversight.blogspot.com
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A hundred million adults in the United States are affected by chronic pain and $600 billion a year is spent on in health care, direct health care costs and lost productivity because of pain.
49,000 people from opioids in 2017, 19,000 of which were from prescribed opioids for pain relief.
We believe that Photobiomodulation therapy can help reduce the prescribing of opioid medication for pain relief and we wish to draw attention to the Congress and health care policymakers, NIH and CMS, about this potentially valuable tool.
Learn more at CongressPBM.com
Watch the Congressional Briefing Highlight Video
Read James Carroll’s Speech to Congress on citizenoversight.blogspot.com
This 15 minute video starts with an overview of Photobiomodulation and low level light therapy. Later in the presentation James introduces the Lumithera treatment for Dry Age related Macular Degeneration (AMD).
The paper “High-intensity versus low-level laser therapy in the treatment of patients with knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial” Kheshie et al 2014 pitches the 3B BTL laser against the HIRO class IV “High intensity” laser. The results appear to show that the HIRO class IV “High intensity laser” was more effective than the “Low Level Laser”. HOWEVER, the HIRO class IV “High intensity” laser was delivered over a large area (not adequately defined but approx 100cm2 by my estimation) so the intensity was actually very low (about 13mW/cm2 which is less than most LED systems), and the 3B BTL “Low Level Laser” was actually very high (4 x 200mW small, high intensity beams) and were held stationary on the patella for over half an hour, YES, HALF AN HOUR IN ONE SPOT! This is insane.
This paper leads people to think that the class IV Hiro laser was more effective because it was higher intensity when in fact the beam distribution meant the average intensity distribution was low (13mW/cm2). The 3B laser was not so effective because it was held stationary such that it would cause an overdose. If the 3B laser treatment had been delivered in using same scanning technique as the class IV then they would likely have achieved the same result. (I am not a fan of scanning because you can never be sure how much energy you have delivered to an area, better to use a low intensity device and hold it still in my view).
This paper misdirects the reader towards favouring class IV lasers rather than 3b or LED by misinforming the reader.
The title of last months PMLS editorial was Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) and World Association for Laser Therapy (WALT) Dosage Recommendations. Written by the Scientific Secretary Prof. Jan Bjordal. He describes how far we have come and the importance of the WALT dosage recommendations. No abstract is available for editorials so I have prepared one for you below. Continue reading
A paper titled ”The Effectiveness of Therapeutic Class IV (10 W) Laser Treatment for Epicondylitis” [ref] showed that 10 Watt Class IV laser (mixed 8W 970nm, 2W 810) was successful in reducing pain and improving function in an RCT with 15 patients, and that there was good statistical significance at 6 months following a course of 6 treatments.
The claim by class IV laser manufacturers is that class IV lasers are better (faster, deeper and more effective) than Class 3b and LED systems. Conversely the 3B laser and LED manufacturers argue that less power density is more effective because delivering energy too quickly can overdose tissues and class IV lasers might burn the skin.
Throughout this paper there are marketing messages claiming the advantages of shorter treatment times than low power LLLT systems and of course the title shouts “10 Watt Class IV laser” just in case the reader is in any doubt that more power is what you need.
Regular readers of this column know my obsession with irradiation parameters, particularly dose rate effects (W/cm2) and will not be surprised to learn that I deconstruced the irradiation parameters used in this trial . Surprise, surprise they were the same low irradiance levels typically used by 3B lasers and LED systems, if not less and the treatment time was longer too.
Yes, it was a 10 Watt laser and yes, 3,000 joules was delivered, however it had a large beam area and treatment was delivered over (45cm2) in a “painting fashion”. The fluence (dose) was 6.6 Joules/cm2 and the power density was a tiny 22mW/cm2, consequently treatment time was a hefty 5 mins.
The average irradiance was not disclosed in the paper and the reader is directed to think that more power is quicker.
P.S. research trials with 3B lasers are typically 30 seconds to 3 mins and our recommended treatment is 1 min with a large LED cluster to the lateral epicondyle and 30 seconds for any related trigger points.
The Treatment Protocol Library is available only to THOR Customers and/or people who have attended a THOR training course in the last 3 years. All treatments are based on our four step method which includes treatment of the injury, trigger points, lymphatics and nerve roots.
Take a look to see how it works and let us know what you think.
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