LOW LEVEL LASER THERAPY

 

Treatment is delivered with a state-of-the-art Class 3B LASER.

This is not a heat treatment, it works by stimulating cellular regeneration.

During a session, multiple points on the body are stimulated for 5- 10 seconds each.

Treatment is painless, relaxing, and completely safe for long term use.

For common problems, only a few session  are required to attain lasting relief.

 

At Back In Harmony LaseRelief is used as a component of treatment in many pain cases.

It is often combined with Physiokey,  joint techniques  (mobilisation, activation, manipulation), Crystal therapy or Colorpuncture as needed.

It is not used where there is acute infection, auto-immune disease, degenerative disease or extreme frailty.

It gives fast, effective, lasting relief, and  is exclusive to Back In Harmony Physiotherapy Bunbury.

 

HOW IT WORKS

LaseRelief employs top-of -the-line technology to get results, but it takes more than great technology to achieve great results; it takes a deep understanding of how pain develops and behaves.

Pain is a signal from the cells of an injured body part, asking for repair. The signal is turned on by histamines and other chemical secreted by the injured cells, and turned off when those cells are repaired.

The resources for cellular repair are delivered by the bone marrow of the bones closest to the injury.

According to the LaseRelief  (Bone-energy) hypothesis  human bone is a dynamic living substance. The Red Bone Marrow manufactures Multipotent Stem Cells -  from which the body creates all the cells involved in regeneration and repair. Therefore, the bone marrow is the “engine room” of the bodies repair system.

Where there has been prolonged or acute stress, injury or illness, the bone marrow works intensely; and if the stressful circumstance is severe or too prolonged eventually the marrow fatigues and it’s ability to produce cells diminishes. If the local bone marrow is unable to produce adequate quantities of cells to complete the repair job, the pain signal does not turn off. Hence, pain persists.

We are not talking about severe illness here, just the common circumstances under which pain and fatigue are experienced: low back pain, some types of headaches, sore knees or shoulders etc.

 

Under these circumstances the bone slightly hypertrophies. i.e. It develops a prominent or swollen feel that is obvious to most clinicians and anyone suffering from an injury. This can readily be observed in aging people, where it is a precursor to arthritic joint degeneration.

When this happens, the bone is tender to palpation (inflammed), and the tendons that attach to it become tight and inelastic (contracture) This can be felt as rubbery muscle that does not relax or soften easily in response to massage. Sometimes there is also swelling overlying the bone (bursitis).

Where there is bone hypertrophy and tendon contracture, the joint interfaces are under more pressure and joint impingement and degeneration is often present. Futhermore, the longer the problem persists the more areas of bone become involved. So the marrow fatigue starts to spread to other areas, and multiple issues seem to develop.

Of course, these circumstances manifest as a consistent, annoying pain problem.

Whether it be low back pain, fibromyalgia, headaches, or tennis elbow the underlying cause is the same. The common denominator for persistent pain is  fatigue of the bodies repair system.  The good news is that this situation is largely reversible.

The strength of the LaseRelief system is that we do not simply treat the painful part, we treat the underlying cause.

 Treatment with the LaseRelief targets the bone areas that are at the heart of the problem. These are often widely distributed, and will occur in lines similar to the acupuncture meridians. Treatment is given, not just to the area of pain, but to all the related bone stress points.

The infra-red LASER delivers energy (photons) to the cell mitochondria (batteries). This causes a marked improvement in bone marrow metabolism,  with enhanced production of healing cells (fibroblasts, chondroblasts, osteoblasts etc), and thus enhanced repair.  

The technique will reduce the bone hypertrophy, and relax the contacted soft tissue, causing a reduction of pain and deformity even in severe and advanced cases. The result is looser muscles, a feeling of relaxation, and, of course, reduced pain.

 

The joints regain suppleness and are easy to manipulate (if required).

Because of this wholistic approach, long-standing and difficult pain problems (such as sciatica, tennis elbow, frozen shoulder, and stiff fingers) will often respond quickly .

Depending on the severity of the injury, often only a few treatments are required.

Treatment  is painless and relaxing, and the results are long lasting.

After more that 40 years of use no serious side effects of using Laser light as a medical treatment modality have been  observed - It is completely safe for long-term use.

LaseRelief is only available at Back In HarmonyPhysiotherapy

Experience the difference!

 

 

 

 

LASER GENERAL INFO

Laser is an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation.(When we talk of “radiation” here, it is the same thing as a light bulb, or your TV screen - it does not mean radioactive). 

Laser is light that is monochromatic and coherent. In layman’s terms, this means that the light is very pure and very precisely organized. These properties enable the laser light to penetrate deep into the the tissue.

Laser therapy is also called Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) and Cold Laser Therapy, and is delivered with a Class 3B Laser. (Class 4 Lasers are for burning and cutting [surgery] and  are not used in this form  of therapy).

LLLT is used to increase the speed, quality and tensile strength of tissue repair, resolve inflammation, stimulate acupuncture meridians, and give pain relief.

The technical term often used to describe this form of therapy is 'photobiomodulation'.

Since the discovery of biostimulating laser therapy in the 1960's several thousand scientific trials and studies have been performed, in order to isolate the most important parameters for a successful therapy. It is well established as an effective therapy. (The New Laser Therapy Handbook By Tuner & Hode lists over 2100 scientific references).

Treatment is comfortable and relaxing, only a slight warmth is felt. With correct dosage there are no harmful side effects. It is completely safe for long-term use.

LLLT works, not by heating the tissue, but by biostimulation to improve cellular performance and therefore repair.

According to NASA studies the effect is achieved by stimulating the basic energy processes in the mitochondria (energy compartments) of each cell. The light energy is converted to chemical energy within the cell, in the form of ATP.  (Adenosine tri phosphate). The result is improved cellular performance and healing.

 

REPORTED BENEFITS

• Pain relief.

• Accelerated cell growth. Laser accelerates cellular reproduction and growth.

• Faster wound healing. Laser stimulates fibroblast development in damaged tissue. The reduction in recovery time is an important consideration.

• Increases metabolic activity. Higher outputs of specific enzymes, greater oxygen and food particle loads on blood cells, more effective immune responses are induced by laser light.

• Reduces fibrous tissue formation. Laser reduces the formation of scar tissue following tissue damage from cuts, scratches, burns, or following surgery.

• Anti-inflammatory action. Laser reduces swelling caused by bruising or inflammation of joints to give improved joint mobility.

• Increases vascular activity. Laser stimulates lymph and blood circulation, to allow the affected tissue to have the best possible circulation.

• Stimulates nerve function. Slow recovery of nerve function in damaged tissue can result in "dead" limbs or numb areas. Laser will speed the process of nerve cell reconnection to bring the numb areas back to life. Laser also increases the amplitude of action potentials to optimise muscle action.

 

 

CASE HISTORIES

These Case Histories are presented to give a general idea of:

what conditions respond well to LaseRelief,

what results can be obtained,

how long a course of treatment might be.

Bear in mind that not all cases are the same, some are quicker to treat, some slower, and I might recommend a different approach for some conditions.

I have emphasised the chronic cases here as they are usually the more difficult to get results with. Acute problems generally require fewer treatments.

 

Chronic Low Back Pain (Facet Joint Impingement)

David is a 33 y.o.fifo worker who presents with a 5-6 year history of low back pain and stiffness that was originally caused from a fall whilst playing hockey. He has sharp pain on the right iliac crest when he bends sideways to the right, or backwards. Bending forward, or to the left, is stiff but not painful. He also reports intermittent pain down both hamstrings that seems to alternate side.

From a clinical perspective, the right iliac crest is more prominent than the left, and some mild pelvic rotation is evident. There is palpable scar tissue from the old injury at some of the muscle attachments and this is probably a large part of the problem – the muscles have become shortened and rigid and this is compressing the lumbar facet joints. He has had both chiropractic and physiotherapy, but no lasting relief. He comes to me because his work involves wearing a heavy tool belt and his back is getting ever more painful.

David is relatively young, healthy and active (he still plays sport),so this should be a  fairly straight forward case .However, the nature of his work means that his back will be under constant strain whilst we are treating it, so this will slow progress a little. I treat the pelvis, femur (hip), lumbar and thoracic points. I also use a joint activator to help restore the movement.

I see David between swings at work about six times. After this he is pain free, movements are full range and comfortable,  and he is  barely aware of the injury.

Typically this type of case may require a “top up treatment” in several months to a years time.

 

Chronic Tennis Elbows (Lateral Epicondylitis)  

Ron is a 58 year old who complains of several years of pain in both elbows that is gradually getting worse. He has problems with basic tasks that require a firm grip such as lifting a kettle or a pan. He also has a feeling of constant pain and stiffness of his neck and across his shoulders.

As he has worked for the last 20 years on a computer, the cause of the problem is obvious – there is dense rigid muscle tone around his neck and on the outside of both elbows.

This is a typical presentation for LaseRelief. I treat his neck, shoulder blades, shoulders, elbows and wrists on five occasions. By the fifth treatment he reports no further neck and shoulder tension, a return of grip strength, and only a very mild feeling in the elbows when gripping. He has been able to commence rowing as a social sport with no problems. He also reports that he no longer has to keep “cracking” his neck – something he was doing every hour whilst at work, prior to treatment.

In this type of case some form of regular exercise is highly recommended to maintain results. No other intervention is needed.

Chronic Neck Pain

Jackie is a 65 y.o. lady who has had a lot of pain and tension in her neck for many years, she also has intermittent pain down the left arm, and a painful spasm in the front of her right hip. She confesses to being a “tense” person who can’t relax, and is prone to depression.

On assessment she displays a typical pattern of bone stress: a lumpy feeling to the posterior angles of the rib cage and some of the cervical vertebra, The overlying muscles (trapezius, rhomboids etc) have a dense, rubbery, unyielding feeling. This type of presentation would usually be labelled as “arthritis” or “getting old”, but she is young enough to not have to put up with it on a permanent basis.

I treat Jackie with LaseRelief. Treatments encompass the neck, ribs, scapulas, arms, pelvis and legs and feet.

After five sessions she is virtually symptom free, and we decide that she will get  back to me if symptoms recur. She is encouraged to adopt some form of regular exercise, as this will be crucial to keeping her neck free.

 

Chronic Thoracic “Stabbing” Pain

Ted is a 79 year old gentleman who complains of a four-year history of pain behind his right shoulder blade, that gives him a sharp stab when he turns in bed. He feels generally stiff and sore when he turns to look over his right shoulder.

On examination I detect that Ted has an old whiplash injury to the neck – from a car crash, where he slammed his head on the dash board, 35 years ago! The muscle running between the mid thorax and the upper neck (longissimus thoracisis) has become much tighter on the right – it can be felt as a rigid band. This is compressing the spinal joints.

Ted is too old to consider vertebral manipulation, so Laserelief and the joint activator are used.

He is much improved after one treatment, and overall it takes four sessions to reduce symptoms to a negligible level that he is happy with.

 

Foot Drop, Post-surgical Scar Tissue.

Frank is a retired school teacher who has had a right total hip replacement with 3 revisions spaced over the last 13 years. After the third operation, six years ago, he came out of surgery with a sensation of burning and electric shocks in his foot, and a feeling of great stiffness in the toes and ankle. He was told this was minor nerve damage- “foot drop”- and that he would recover in a year.

He came to see me, having made no progress in six years, and having been told that he probably will not recover at this stage. He is feeling increaingly frustrated by his limited capacity to participate in life.

Firstly, I musty point out that ,in this case, “foot drop” is a misnomer, as there is no loss of muscle function, only pain and altered sensation that is making it difficult to stand and walk for more than a few minutes.

On examination there is very dense scar tissue in the right buttock where he has had four incisions, and there is notable muscle contracture of the foot.

This looks like a case of the sciatic nerve being partially strangled by scar tissue, and is ideal for LaseRelief as Laser is very good with both scar tissue and nerve recovery.

Frank has five treatments to the pelvis, foot and leg, after which he was able to stand on his feet “all day” when working in the shed, and the foot feels virtually normal, he tells me he will see how it goes and get back to me if problems recur.

 

Giddiness & Back Pain

(ILS - Idiopathic Lymphandenopathy Syndrome)

Ted is nearly 87  years old, he comes to see me complaining of months of giddiness and great stiffness of the low back and legs. He has seen several medical practitioners, including an ENT specialist, but no diagnosis has been arrived at, nor treatment given.

It is tempting to dismiss such a case as “old age”, but there are distinct clinical signs to be found: Ted has an enlargement of his right parotid (salivary)gland, which apparently sometimes swells to the “size of a golf ball”, and then goes down again. When it swells he feels “very crook”.

This is a sign of immuno-lymphatic problems. In other words, the lymph glands are swelling up because he has some residual infection in his body (No unusual at his age).

When they swell at the base of the skull, there is a slight displacement of the sub-occipital joint (between the skull and C1) This joint has a very important role in proprioception - it tells you where your head is in space!

So and swelling disturbs his sense of orientation,  and giddiness is the result.

As Ted has had extensive medical tests, the infection (or auto-immune process) is probably untraceable, BUT it can be treated.

I treat Ted initially with Colorpuncture (about three times),including the salivary gland, skull and neck points, spinal points and some points at the ankles. He feels worse after treatment but better within 24 hours (Typical response when treating giddiness).

As Ted gets stronger, and symptoms subside we are able to switch to very low dose Laser.

I see Ted once a week for six treatments. The back pain improves quickly, the giddiness more gradually, but after six treatments the swollen gland is barely detectable and he feels well on an ongoing basis. Given his age and frailty, he probably will never be entirely symptom free, but his quality of life is much improved.

This condition is technically called Idiopathic Lymphandenopathy Syndrome. (It can be benign, or part of a serious illness such as Cancer)There is no medical treatment available, but a little resourcefulness and a little light can make all the difference.

 

Sciatica

Sue is a 48y.o. woman who limps into my clinic, complaining of a three-year history of constant right-sided sciatica, extending from her buttock to the outside of her ankle. The pain is moderately severe and prevents her from sleeping well or exercising.

She has consulted a Doctor, Chiropractor, Physiotherapist and a masseur, but has been unable to gain relief.

On examination there are obvious signs of skeletal stress. When I question her about what circumstances may have drained her, she tells of a stressful divorce, three years previously. She has since moved on emotionally, and is living with a new partner with whom she is happy. However she has never fully recovered physically and remains constantly tired and in pain. This is a very typical story…

She is treated with LaseRelief protocols, to regenerate bone marrow metabolism in the pelvis (multiple points), femur,  fibula, and several vertebrae ( neck, thoracic and lumber spine). I also use the joint activator on her right sacro-iliac joint - which has become jammed into a flexed position and appears to be the source of the problem.

Sue presents as pain-free, sleeping well, and less tired after eight sessions (over six weeks).  I see her a few more times for maintainance, at weekly and then monthly intervals.

She has remained pain-free.