United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

I read an article from a doctor who uses LILT therapy (laser light) to cauterize nerves damaged from a spinal injury with great success. I'm going to see if this would be any benefit for us and wondered if any of you have ever heard of it or experienced it.

Henry

Check about half way down this page for more info on laser therapies.

http://www.healingtherapies.info/Table% ... ntents.htm

this site is a good reference in general for alternative therapies for the disabled. The sites author was the director of Paralyzed Veterans of America’s Spinal Cord Research and Education Foundation.

Good luck,
Chris

Thanks Chris,

I'm seeing a doctor at the clinic today and we're going to do an assessment. She hasn't been able to find anyone who has done it, but we are going to try it anyway.

I'll keep you posted.

Henry

I forgot, I'd saved a bunch of links to sites I'd read in the past about this. You'd probably find a lot more current info searching on your own, but I'll include them anyway.

---------------

http://www.walt2006.com


http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/showthread ... ial+plexus -- check out the mention of studies w/laser light therapy on Brachial Plexus Injuries (2nd entry on forum)


http://www.acupuncturetoday.com/archive ... indge.html


http://www.laserponcture.net/ -- this site has videos ( http://www.laserponcture.net/anglais/videos.html ) of people with spinal cord injuries and their recovery at the laser therapy facility


http://www.lasertraining.org


http://www.thorlaser.com

Henry,
This is a snippit from the second link I posted above.... looks like very promising science. I know that quite a few individuals from the CareCure forum for Spinal Cord Injuries fly to France for regular week long treatments. I would've tried it if I'd found a clinic where I lived.

-------------

"Shimon Rochkind is a world renowned Israeli neurosurgeon who has pioneered techniques for nerve regeneration and transplantation. In this writer's estimation, Dr. Rochkind is laser therapy's most likely candidate for a Nobel Prize. He has used laser therapy since the 1970s, successfully treating many cases of nerve injury and paralysis.

Dr. Rochkind presented the results of a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study of patients with peripheral and brachial plexus injuries that had occurred from six months to several years prior to treatment. His conclusions were that even in a patient population such as this, in which injury has been present for some time, laser therapy improved neural functioning progressively and led to greater functional recovery.

Dr. Rochkind reported that laser therapy has an immediate protective effect on injured nerves and increases their functional activity. In his experience over time, it helps to maintain neurological activity, prevent scar formation and inhibit degeneration in motor neurons following injury while significantly promoting axonal growth and myelinization.

Other highlights of the conference included the following:
Margaret Naeser, PhD, LAc, gave a comprehensive presentation of her research with laser acupuncture for the treatment of paralysis in stroke, carpal tunnel syndrome and other applications. "

Hi Chris,

I've started the treatments and there is no change yet but it is still early. The doctor at the Toronto clinic is hopeful as he has treated this successfully, and the clinic I attend is working with him, so we'll see. The literature looks promising.

Thanks for all the help and I'll keep you in the loop.


Henry

Cold Laser used for treating Chronic Pain...

http://www.kold.com/Global/story.asp?S=5057390&nav=14RT (link has a video spot as well)

not sure if this could do anything for pain with nerve root avulsions but it has FDA clearance and is being covered by health insurance companies for a long list of other ailments. Looks like it can do just about everything except fix the leaky toilet!

Benefits of the ML830® to its users

Relieves acute and chronic pains
Increases the speed, quality and tensile strength of tissue repair
Increases blood supply
Stimulates the immune system
Stimulates nerve function
Develops collagen and muscle tissue
Helps generate new and healthy cells and tissue
Promotes faster wound healing and clot formation
Reduces inflammation

Physiological Effects of the ML830®:

Increased tissue and bone repair
Increased collagen production
Increases vasodilatation
Increases cell metabolism
Promotes axonal sprouting
Increases microcirculation
Increases pain threshold
Enhances nerve generation
Reduces edema magnitude
Increases lymphatic response
Increases enzyme response
Decrease inflammation

(off the sales site - http://www.swcoldlaser.com/purchase.html )

Henry,
Any luck with your laser treatments? How many did you end up doing? Curious to know your experiences. Thanks.

Chris

Does this help with function or just pain?
Henry, let us know how it's going?
Hope it is helping.
Sue

hi all,

So far I've reduced my meth to a 3rd of what I was taking. The pain has definately decreased. the spasms are shorter and the general pain is much lower. I'm doing the LILT once per week.

I'm hoping to be off the meth by Christmas. I haven't written it up yet as I want to be absolutely certain this is LILT related and not a general pain swing/fluctuation, as I've had those too. However, I suspect it is the LIlT. No function as the arm is amputated and the muscles are very atrophied.

I'll keep you in the loop.

Henry