Summary of laser therapy
Information and summary of scientific investigation for laser therapy and laser treatment of lymphoedema.
Lymphoedema and laser therapy.
What is laser lymphoedema therapy?
Laser therapy for lymphoedema is a way
of stimulating lymphatic activity using a special kind of light generated
by a laser diode incorporated into a hand held or freestanding laser therapy
unit.
Laser light may be visible or invisible. Its beam travels in one direction only and is capable of passing through the skin and into body tissues. At the right power intensity and frequency laser light can initiate many beneficial responses within the body. It may also make improvement to blood and lymphatic circulation.
The laser used in the treatment of lymphoedema is of low power intensity. It can assist with the treatment of lymphoedema by reducing pain and swelling. This type of therapy is used professionally and by patients at home.
The benefits of laser therapy.
Laser use by mainstream
professions
A cost vs benefit analysis or laser therapy
initially appears to be beneficial and good value as it in many
cases may reduce the frequency of other treatments. Low Level
Therapeutic laser use is becoming widespread and a more accepted treatment
therapy for lymphoedema.
Lesser clinic visits are possible in
cases where laser therapy helps contain a condition. Given this possible
outcome, laser therapy then potentially over time can outweigh
the initial capital cost of laser purchase.
Clinical trials.
Results of clinical trial.
Response to a randomised,
laser therapy, double blind, placebo controlled cross over clinical trial
approved by the Flinders Medical Centre Ethics Committee and performed by, S.N
Anderson, N. B Pillar, B Gannon, C.J Carati and A.P Angel, identified that 52%
of the participants achieved a clinically significant decrease in extra Cellular
Fluid of the treated area by the transmission of laser light into a lymphoedema
affected limb.
This was an excellent outcome considering the trials were of short duration (6 weeks of active therapy for the control group and 3 weeks of active therapy for the placebo group).
Evaluation of participant’s 3 months after therapy completion showed very promising results with the participants that had received the 6 weeks of active therapy still maintaining good reductions. Practical application of laser use in regular clinical practice confirms the correctness of these trials.
FAQ information about laser therapy for lymphoedema.
Where is laser used?
Laser is used on parts of the body
requiring assistance for pain and swelling. The therapy can stimulate the
microcirculation and lines of lymphatic drainage where fluids from an affected
area may drain to. Laser therapy is also used on affected limbs and in places
where fibrosis is present – laser light helps break down hard fibrotic
tissue.
How do I know my laser is fully operational?
We consider
a good laser unit will incorporate a regular
in-built 24 hour checking function to prevent the laser being used if it
requires attention. This function alerts you should service be required. For
this reason we recommend using lasers with a regular in-built checking
facility.
Who uses laser therapy? - Indications for use.
People
with symptoms of pain and swelling are known to use laser.
It must be remembered, laser therapy is not a magic cure for any condition and laser therapy for lymphoedema does not work for everyone. For the most effective therapy we find a combination of diet, skin care, lymphatic drainage massage and compression when combined with laser provides a better result than laser used alone.
It is always best to seek proper medical advice for any medical condition. We do not encourage or advocate self-diagnosis of any condition.
How much does a laser therapy unit cost?Laser therapy units range in price from six hundred dollars for personal use units and up to many thousands for in house professional units
Laser use - how is laser
applied?
Laser has two ways in which it may be used.
- Laser is applied on the body in a
direct manner where the laser head is placed on the skin (following a
grid pattern), one place at a time, then activated for the time
recommenced in the manufacturers manual until the whole area to be
treated is covered. Or,
- the laser is held a little away from the skin and activated then moved over the area to be treated or in other words 'scanned' over the area being treated for the time recommended in the manufacturers manual.
In either application mode, laser light is required to pass into the body tissues to stimulate a secondary reaction for any potential beneficial action to occur.
How often is laser therapy administered?
Laser initially
may require daily use for just a few minutes per session and over time reduce to
just one or two sessions per week. As every person has differing requirements it
is impossible to provide a simple answer to a complex question. If you would
like to discuss your own particular situation for a more complete idea of time
and method of application, please feel free to contact Juliet George on (02)
9723 5402 during business hours AEST.
Over time laser session treatment times reduce and the frequency of treatment may become as little as once a fortnight or once a month as improvements are made.
Laser therapy has been shown to assist with swelling reduction with lymphoedema. It is not a permanent cure and requires continued application to maintain any benefit obtained from laser use. It must always be remembered, laser therapy is not a magic cure for any condition and there is no guarantee of effectiveness from laser use.
Laser Safety procedure.
Any laser can be potentially
misused. This applies even to laser pointers used in lecture presentations, they
are a potential hazard if shined directly into, or reflated from a shiny surface
into people’s eyes. Care must always be taken when using a laser and they must
be kept away from children to prevent misuse or accident
by misadventure.
Laser is always best operated as advocated in the manufacturer safety instructions. With most lasers, the laser is kept in contact with the skin or held very close to the skin when operating. This method of use ensures laser light is kept confined in a safe manner when activated. Laser safety precautions are normally shown in the manufacturers manual supplied with the laser.
Reputable distributors will indicate and emphasise safe use with any laser product, take care and be very cautious if they do not.
Human and animal laser use.
Laser therapy is only now becoming more commonplace for human use. Lasers have been available and used not only for humans, they have been used with equine, canine, purebred and other animals for over 20 years. They have proven a very effective and safe tool.
Veterinary doctors and trainers have used laser to achieve efficient healing results when time, value for money, cost and the health of their charges is at stake.
Many low level laser units until recently (Oct 2007) had a dual use in human and animal applications. It would seem only a change in the regulatory criteria and method of quality assurance has changed. The lasers have remained fundamentally the same.
It is expected many laser units in the future will again have dual application once compliance and registration requirements are met. In the meantime it is anticipated people will keep using any laser previously purchased for so long as it proves effective.
Where to next?
Shipping.
Not all lasers
can be shipped worldwide as rules for supply differ in many places. For this
reason you should contact your supplier for a personalised
quote.
If you are considering purchasing a laser for yourself to use at home or for professional use in a clinic, take into consideration the level of personalised service you are offered and feel you would require for the purpose that you need it to perform.
Who should not consider
laser.
Persons who are looking for a 'quick fix' or
'sure fire cure' should never consider laser therapy. It is not a 'magical'
or 'cure all' therapy, nor does laser therapy provide a
guaranteed result. From experience we know results will differ from
condition to condition and person to person and it must be clearly stated,
for some people laser provides little or no improvement whatsoever.
Experienced assistance and backup. Information about laser use that emphasises good practical safety procedures combined with well tried protocols can save a lot of time, trial, error and finding out exactly what to do in an effective manner. Good personalised help is hard to find in today’s world, treasure it when it is offered and available.
For more information and assitiance you may contact the website sponsor at julietgeorge@lymph.com.au to discusss your needs. Laser is not suitable for everyone and it is best to make proper inquiry before making or drawing any conclusions.
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