--from everybody.

I know what the people who use lasers and anodyne therapy claim, and the supposed mechanisms by which these treatments may work, but, like anything else, an individual person's "mileage may vary".

I think Mrs. D has a handle on this--the ischmeic neuropathies seem to be primarily small fiber (except for some anti-nuclear antibody conditions which seem in addition to affect larger fibers, such as polyartertis nodosa) and linked to capillary (small-blood vessel) problems, or to larger peripheral artery issues. (Of course, the link between nerve insufficiency and peripheral artery disease is quite easy to see and has been known for a long time--if one's main arteries are compromised, ain't no surrounding tissue very happy--and if one has documentable peripheral artery disease it's likely the capillary level is not functioning well, either.)

I think the vessel dilation effects of these therapies works more readily on the smaller vessels--it's simply easier to activate nitric oxide in smaller spaces. The endothelium, or inner lining, of blood vessels uses nitric oxide to signal the surrounding smooth muscle to relax, thus resulting in vasodilation and increasing blood flow. This "gas singaller" is also helpful in inhibiting leukocyte and platelet clumping. The idea is that the application of specific wavelength energy helps to produce nitric oxide from the amino acid L-arginine by utilizing the enzyme nitric oxide synthase (it may take a certain energy level to activate the enzyme)--but since nitric oxide is a highly reactive molecule and will only exist for short periods of time before reacting with oxygen (it is chemically classified as a free radical becasue of the unpaired electrons in the molecule), the goal is to replace the substance often enough to keep up its vasodilating effects. (Yes, I know, total chemistry nerd.)

I imagine there may be other salutary effects from the application of specific frequencies that other nerds may be able to document.

BTW, too much nitric oxide hanging around is not generally a good thing--large amounts are an inflammatory marker. But there has been evidence of reduced amounts in people with blood vessel constriction.