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Phototherapy Pain Management |
PAIN-X-2000 is THE NEW GENERATION OF THERAPY for humans and animals. Light therapy has already gained recognition in the Horse World for repairing Equine Injuries. PAIN-X-2000 is proud to bring this technology to the Human World with FDA Cleared for Human Infrared Therapy. No laser or laser company can claim this!
Hipprocrates' healing philosophy has begun to re-influence the medical fields. Hipporcrates is quoted as follows "First do no harm" and "Honor the healing power of nature" .
Light therapy has been shown in over 40 years of independent research worldwide to deliver powerful therapeutic benefits to living tissues and organisms. Both visible and infrared light have been shown to effect at least 24 different positive changes at a cellular level. Visible light penetrates tissue to a depth of about 8-10 mm. It is very beneficial in treating problems close to the surface such as wounds, cuts, scars, trigger and acupuncture points and is particularly effective in treating infections. Infrared light (904nm) penetrates to a depth of about 30-40 mm which makes it more effective for bones, joints, deep muscle, etc.
Depth of penetration is defined as the depth at which 60% of the light is absorbed by the tissue, while 40% of the light will continue to be absorbed in a manner that is less fully understood. Treating points with Light can have a dramatic effect on remote and internal areas of the body through the stimulation of nerves, acupuncture and trigger points that perform a function not unlike transmission cables.
This technology is now becoming accepted and widely used in human medicine as well. Light therapy stimulates the natural healing power in the cells of the body. This tool uses the energy of light, called photon energy, to stimulate the activity of certain cell components. By using photo energy, you have a simple, effective, non-pharmacological medical alternative. Conservative management of acute and chronic injuries and post-operative wounds have come to include the use of photo energy because it is quickly effective, cost effective, and easy to administer.
Light is energy that moves in a wave pattern. Light is also characterized by its wavelength in the electromagnetic spectrum. PAIN-X-2000 utilizes infrared light energy which is found just outside the visible red wavelength in the spectrum. PAIN-X-2000 also uses red, orange, yellow, green, and blue which lie in the visible spectrum. These therapeutic colors of photo energy lie between the infrared and ultraviolet wavelengths. This combination of infrared and visible light wavelengths are believed therapeutic. There are components in the tissue and blood that absorbs these wavelengths and activate normal cell activity that may have been disrupted by injury or sickness. The reason for this increased cell activity is the photon. The photon is the energy portion of the light wave. For this reason we often refer to this therapy as PHOTON THERAPY.
The different types of tissue and cell types in the body all have their own particular light absorption values and characteristics. These tissues and cells will only absorb light at specific wavelengths. This is one of the reasons that PAIN-X-2000 uses the Patented Polychromatic Process. Although both visible and infrared wavelengths penetrate the tissue to different depths and affect the tissues differently, their therapeutic effects are similar.
Red wavelengths are absorbed by the skin, muscles, tissues, and bone as well as working at the physical cellular level. The green diodes are believed to be absorbed by the Bio-Electromagnetic Energy Field which surrounds the body. Green is helps balance this field and relieve stress. Green is also considered a master color and is useful as an anti-inflammatory as well as in painful joints and allergies. Orange lights are a rejuvenating color. It is warm, stimulating and energizing. It boosts energy in the lungs and stomach. It is believed to also help muscle cramps and allergies. The yellow lights are believed to be a great stimulant for the sensory and motor nervous system as well as toning muscles. It is also great for arthritis and the lymphatic system. The Blue lights are believed to be a contractor and restrictor. It is great for any application where ice would be used. It is also great for calming and relaxing the horse.
PAIN-X-2000 uses LEDs because the laser actually delivers substantially less energy per unit of time because of the duty cycle of the LED. The LED's duty cycle is 2.5 million times longer than a laser of comparable wavelength. Lasers are also expensive to produce. Lasers also only use red or infrared light or where PAIN-X-2000 uses multiple colors of lights for a more versatile product.
Because lasers were used in early research, we see names such as low level laser, infrared laser, HeNe Laser, cold laser, low level light laser, and low power laser when we read about photon therapy. The term laser therapy is not altogether appropriate for the photon therapy used today. Remember what is important is the type of energy produced which creates the biological effect. Bear in mind it is the interaction of light photons and molecules within the cell that creates cellular activity.
Most lasers produce a brilliant, visible red light. They can be large, and expensive. The more popular tools available today do not require this type of light emitting equipment, but use semiconductor diodes. These light-emitting diodes are less expensive and tiny, by comparison. They are also extremely safe.
PAIN-X-2000 uses non-coherent light which is produced by the LEDs. Many proponents of lasers say that light must by coherent. While this may be a controversial question to some, remember living tissue has its own coherency factor. This coherency factor is much higher than that of the light therapy. We believe this cancels the coherency factor of the incoming light. This light then becomes scattered. If the coherency is lost when it passes through the first layer of tissue, then the destination tissue such as the nerves, muscles, blood, and or connective tissues absorb light which are non-coherent. Basically the tissue at this point does not know if the light was emitted from a coherent or incoherent source. To quote David Olszewski from the Book Light Years Ahead "LEDs are increasingly replacing cold lasers, as they demonstrate comparable effectiveness without the laser's side effects. There is concern with the use of even soft lasers in terms of potential for harm and negative side effects. They can be harmful if overused or it they come into contact with the eyes." He also stated "LEDs give a larger light dispersion beam and allow a greater margin of error in locating and activating the acupuncture point " (page 281)
Light therapy has also been given the name " phototherapy". A study done by the Mayo Clinic in 1989 suggests that the results of light therapy are a direct effect of light itself, generated at specific wavelengths, and are not necessarily a function of the characteristics of coherency and polarization associated with lasers. In a study entitled Low-Energy Laser Therapy: Controversies and New Research Findings, Jeffrey R. Basford, M.D. of the Mayo Clinic's Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, suggests that the coherent aspect of laser may not be the source of its therapeutic effect. He states "firstly, the stimulating effects (from therapeutic light) are reported following irradiation with non-laser sources and secondly, tissue scattering, as well as fiber optic delivery systems used in many experiments rapidly degrade coherency . . . Thus any effects produced by low-energy lasers may be due to the effects of light in general and not to the unique properties of lasers. This view is not difficult to accept when it is remembered that wave-length dependent photobiochemical reactions occur throughout nature and are involved in such things as vision, photosynthesis, tanning and Vitamin D metabolism. In this view, laser therapy is really a form of light therapy, and lasers are important in that they are convenient sources of intense light at wavelengths that stimulate specific physiological functions (Lasers in Surgery and Medicine 9:1-5, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, 1989).
LED's and LASERS are no more than convenient devices for producing electromagnetic radiation at specific wavelengths, and in addition to the one already cited, several other studies establish that it is the light itself at specific wavelengths that is therapeutic in nature and not the machine which produced it. For example, Kendric C. Smith at the Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, concludes in an important article entitled The Photobiological Effect of Low Level Laser Radiation Therapy (Laser Therapy, Vol. 3, No. 1, Jan - Mar 1991) that "1) Lasers are just convenient machines that produce radiation. 2) It is the radiation that produces the Photobiological and/or photophysical effects and therapeutic gains, not the machines. 3) Radiation must be absorbed to produce a chemical or physical change, which results in a biological response."
Lasers are of two principal types, "hot" and "cold", and they are distinguished by the amount of peak power they deliver. "Hot" lasers deliver power up to thousands of watts. They are used in surgery because they can make an incision that is very clean with little or no bleeding and because the laser cauterizes the incision as it cuts. They are also used in surgery that requires the removal of unhealthy tissue without damaging the healthy tissue that surrounds it. . "Cold" lasers produce a lower average power of 100 milliwatts or less. This is the type of laser that is used for therapeutic purposes and it is typically, although not always, pulsed. The light is actually on for only a fraction of a second because it is pulsed (turned on and off) at so many pulses per second. Pulsation results in an average power output that is very low compared to the maximum or peak output. Hence, most therapeutic lasers produce a high peak but low average power output. Therapeutic laser light is generally either visible (red, in most cases) or invisible (infrared). However, most therapeutic lasers operate at 904 nm which is an infrared light.
The equation between the machine and the biological response is a common error often made by those who wish to promote the commercial interests of low-energy laser technology. Light radiation must be absorbed to produce a biological response. All biological systems have a unique absorption spectrum which determines what wavelengths of light will be absorbed to produce a given therapeutic effect. The visible and infrared portions of the spectrum have been shown to have highly absorbent and unique therapeutic effects in living tissues.
LEDs have undergone a major growth spurt in recent years. The first LED units available for purchase in the equine industry used 8mW peak power per diode, today PAIN-X-2000 uses 150mW peak power per diode LEDs. When determining which unit to buy, consider the total power output. This will greatly influence the treatment times. A therapeutic device must be powerful enough to deliver adequate energy to the tissues, PAIN-X-2000 provides this power at an affordable cost.
PAIN-X-2000's multi-diode heads make treatment of wounds easy and efficient. By holding the PAIN-X-2000 as close as possible, you know the photon energy is in contact with the area needed to be treated. Because the power density decreases with increasing distance between the diode and treatment area when using PAIN-X-2000, always maintain contact with the skin surface when possible.
The most common sports medicine uses for PAIN-X-2000 polychromatic therapy are in treating myofascial pain, joint pain, bruising, tendon problems, fractures, muscle problems, edema, and wounds. PAIN-X-2000's polychromatic therapy is most convincing when used to treat wounds that either have failed to heal or are getting worse. We have seen wound infections resolve quickly. We have seen wounds close without a multiplication of proud flesh. It can even have an anti-bacterial effect because it can enhance the patient's immune system thereby fighting infection. Because of the production of collagen which is induced by the PAIN-X-2000, we have seen an increase tensile strength and elasticity in scar tissue. This allows the scar tissue to withstand movement without breaking down over time. We have seen it quickly heal bruised tissue. See photo.
Polychromatic infrared diode energy quickly reduces pain and tissue swelling, but time is still needed for cell repair to be complete and for tissue growth to take place. The strength that comes from growth of the repair allows the injury to withstand the stress of athletics.
At this time, research has shown no side effects from this form of therapy. Occasionally, one may experience an increase in pain or discomfort for a short period of time after treating chronic conditions. This occurs as the body reestablishes new equilibrium points following treatment. It is a phenomenon know as a "healing crisis", this may occur as part of the normal process of recovery in a select few. Now with the increase of energy in the area, the body has to wake up and recognize the problem that it had learned to ignore. Therefore the increase in pain or discomfort is just the body acknowledging an old problem. With just a few treatments, patients start noticing an improvement in this area.
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