[JBuckl]

http://newswire.net/newsroom/pr/0009...oodbyetbi.html

Any thoughts about this?

Has anyone tried something like this?

[JBuckl]

Here's the place in CO where the study was done.





http://www.tbi.care

[Jomar]

I'm a fan of LLLT (low level laser therapy, also called soft or cold laser).
So this is nice to see more related uses & info.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22807422
& similar articles on the right side of the page

[Mark in Idaho]

Glad to see they are moving toward clinical use. We discussed this in 2013 or so. The prior report suggested the NIR activated weak mitochrondria. They were using LED in the targeted frequency range. The equipment is cheap and easy to manufacture. Hopefully, they do not get greedy.

[JBuckl]

Thanks for the responses and the link.

Jo, have you had LLLT done on your head?

[Jomar]

My LLLT was for chronic RSI/TOS/myofascial pain, by a very good chiro.
He also used it for my plantar fasciitis, elbow, shoulder, neck, low back...

My concussion was 45 yrs ago, luckily it resolved, but I do think some of my neck issues in middle age were a partial factor of that long ago injury.
That's why I often suggest getting upper cervical & treatment for neck muscles for members here.

[Laupala]

There's a whole chapter of Dr. Norman Doidge's "The Brain's Way of Healing" book devoted to this, specifically focusing on a clinic led by Dr. Fred Kahn in Toronto. It's certainly interesting and the book recounts some miraculous results (although of course it would), I've actually considered going to that clinic as I'm only 4 hours away.

http://torontopainrelief.com/laser_therapy.htm

[Mark in Idaho]

Yes, Dr Kahn uses LLLT. But, he does not use it for head injuries, at least not legally yet. He has owned an LLLT equipment manufacturing company for years. http://bioflexlaser.com/clinicians/products/

The research suggests that unless you use the proper wavelength, there is no benefit for neuro issues. The skeletal issues LLLT is used for respond to a much broader range of wavelengths.

The therapy only penetrates 3 cm so about half that may be brain matter. It takes 10 to 20 60 minute treatments to see the benefits.

The question still being researched is low intensity continuous radiation vs higher power pulsed radiation.

I am a hopeful believer in this technology but wonder how it can help with brain injuries that are deeper than 3 cms. I can theoretically imagine a radial array of LEDS that focus enough energy to deeper areas of the brain to provide a benefit.

[Laupala]

The chapter in that book talks specifically about his clinic treating people with brain injuries, so I'm pretty sure that he has used it for treating brain injuries, not sure about the legality of it. I've had some email correspondence with him (or someone else at his clinic more likely), and he said that they have seen "consistently good to excellent" results treating post-concussion patients (of course they'd say that, but it at least suggests they see a lot of PCS patients). The book discusses how they use both trans-cranial LLLT, as well as shining the laser on the back of the neck, which they think provides benefit to more than just the neck by somehow "boosting" cerebral-spinal fluid (at least that's their working hypothesis). I'd have to re-read to get the specifics, but it was something along those lines.

Given that I live 4 hours away, he suggested I come in for a week-10 days of daily treatment with the lasers they have there, and then they'd send me back with a unit I'd rent that I use daily. I haven't decided yet if I want to pursue this, but might be able to stay in Toronto for a week between semesters. This daily use unit sounds similar to what a couple of TBI patients in a case study of LLLT used.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3065857/

Apparently it improved their cognitive symptoms, but if they discontinued use they would regress. Not sure if this is what's seen in all cases.

[Mark in Idaho]

There have been a number of break-through therapies in recent years that only work with continued use.

There are a lot of ways a clinician can get away with off-label uses as long as the clinician does not advertise the use. The risk with this is an avoidance of reporting adverse events.

He would likely rent you the system based on using it 'for your neck.' I wonder how he would document the export of the device.

He does maintain a list of USA clinics at http://bioflexlaser.com/clinics/clin...ations.php#USA