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THOR on YouTubeIrradiation parameters and dose are critical aspects of LLLT and if you are a doctor or therapist you probably trust the research you read. Prepare to be disappointed.
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THOR LLLT research, training and conference news July 2013
30 papers for you this month starting with a systematic review and a clinical trial on the rate of orthodontic movement, for the first time (so far as I can tell), someone has done a study on telomere length: young fibroblasts treated with LLLT had decreased shortening rate and LLLT delayed the aging of cells; there is an RCT on whiplash associated disorder, a trial of LED’s on fatigue and quadriceps power during treadmill training, a combined LLLT and vibration study on cellulite, a paper I collaborated on for LED treatment of head and neck oedema (post cancer surgery of the larynx), 670nm LED down-regulation of nitrosative stress and protection against apoptosis within the CNS in a model of MS, and a study showing that LEDs also induces analgesia in mice.
Posted in Research
on THOR LLLT research, training and conference news July 2013
The largest cause of disability
This BMJ report caught my eye because of the amount research interest there is in LLLT for brain pathologies (see bottom of this article for list)
BMJ report: Mental illness is the single largest cause of disability in the UK
It contributes up to 22.8% of the total cost burden compared with 15.9% for cancer and 16.2% for cardiovascular disease
One third of the adult population suffers a mental disorder every year. Brain disorders cost the world more that any other disease and yet distribution of medical research funding in the UK is as follows
13% Cancer
7% Coronary heart disease
1% Stroke
0.5% Dementia
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Posted in Research
on The largest cause of disability
Ron Hirschberg DVM veterinarian, interview about photobiomodulation therapy
Ron Hirschberg DVM veterinarian interviewed about Photobiomodulation therapy. Ron is articulate and a straight down the middle guy.
It would be nice if human hospitals could give the PBM attention Ron gives his animal patients.
With Photobiomodulation Therapy you can heal and relieve pain:
- Muscle, tendon & ligament injuries
- Pain management from trauma & post surgical wounds
- Inflammation & swelling
- Wound healing including degloving injuries
- Degenerative disc disease & more
For more information, visit Photobiomodulation Therapy for Veterinarians.
Posted in Animal Videos, Interviews, Veterinary, Video of the Week
on Ron Hirschberg DVM veterinarian, interview about photobiomodulation therapy
THOR Literature watch for June 2013 Low Level Laser Therapy / Cold Laser / Photobiomodulation PBM
Does LLLT make you thinner? a Harvard research group investigates, LEDs for muscle function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and laser vs needles for myofascial trigger points. There is my own introductory paper on LLLT for dentists, another review of laser and LED treatments for neurological and psychological applications, a TMJ study, and a trial of class IV laser for epicondylitis (see my rant “LLLT companies may be no better than Big Pharma“).
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Posted in Research
on THOR Literature watch for June 2013 Low Level Laser Therapy / Cold Laser / Photobiomodulation PBM
LLLT companies may be no better than Big Pharma
It is a popular sport in the LLLT industry to sneer at Big Pharma for their side effects and marketing practices, but the LLLT industry is far from criticism itself. Whilst LLLT side effects are hard to find, marketing overstatement and misdirection are common place.
In this months literature watch is a paper titled “The Effectiveness of Therapeutic Class IV (10 W) Laser Treatment for Epicondylitis”. This small study 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 very large beam area and treatment was delivered over a very large area (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. Perhaps LLLT companies are no better than the pharma industry when it comes to disseminating specious information.
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.
Attend a THORLaser One Day Training Course to see the research and get all the information in making an informed decision: https://www.thorlaser.com/courses/
Posted in Rants
3 Comments
THOR Literature watch for May 2013 Low Level Laser Therapy / Cold Laser / Photobiomodulation PBM
25 new LLLT papers for you this month including clinical trials on Bells palsy, orthodontic pain, herpes zoster ophthalmicus and orthognathic surgery. There are reviews on dentine hypersensitivity, muscle contractile function, postexercise recovery and infarct volume after stroke. Some interesting laboratory studies on bone marrow in mice, early vs delayed LLLT application on nerve regeneration, bone remodeling during induced tooth movement in rats and LED vs ultrasound for tendinitis.
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Posted in Research
2 Comments