COLD LASER THERAPY AT THE NYC CHIROPRACTIC CENTER NEAR SOHO, NEW YORK CITY
Cold Laser Therapy treatment is an amazing, recently approved by the FDA, treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Dr. Shoshany is one of the few Chiropractors in New York that uses Cold Lasers in his practice.
Dr Shoshany has had great success in treating sports injuries
and carpal tunnel
as well as many other chronic pain related conditions. Dr. Shoshany
is a leading chiropractor in the field of Cold Laser Therapy
treatment. He trains his own team and other New York City doctors &
chiropractors from around the country on the latest practices,
principles and overall benefits of Cold Laser Therapy.
Cold Laser Treatment in New York City - Call Now:
(212)
645-8151
A True
Laser is one that is fully compliant to the definitions set forth
by those great men of science such as Bose and Einstein who
predicted LASER Technology in 1924. Along with contemporary
physicists such as Schawlow and Townes who brought the LASER into
the modern age. LASER is an acronym forLight
Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation.
When created in this way, light is then culminated and directed
into an intense beam of coherent light through the use of cathode
and anode reflecting components that produces a single stable
frequency.
Lasers are coherent or marked by logical
consistency.
The Erchonia
LASER meets all the scientifically defined attributes of a laser
and is therefore classified as a true LASER. We assure and maintain
this classification, through our unique and patented process, which
produces an emission of coherent light, generated at a precise and
stable frequency, in a focused direction.
What
is a low-level laser?
Unlike high power lasers that use heat and destroy tissue, low
energy lasers affect the cellular energy of the underlying tissue.
Hot lasers have a thermal effect and have an output of 1MW or
above. Cold (or) Low Level Lasers do not have a thermal effect on
tissue, lasers that stimulate biological function have an output
below 10mw- (ten milliwatts = ten one-thousandths of a watt).
What is - Low Level Laser Therapy?
Low Level Laser Therapy refers to the modality
of applying a "low" energy or "low level" laser to tissue that
stimulates cellular processes and thereby enhancing biochemical
reactions. For example, studies show that LLLT
increases ATP production in the mitochondria of the cell. Since
more energy is now available, the cell may utilize this fuel to
function or operate more efficiently.
How does it work?
Many theories about LLLT exist as to the mechanism of action for
Low Level Lasers and infrared lasers. Simply put, photonic energy
is absorbed by the photo acceptor sites on the cell membrane which
trigger a secondary messenger to initiate a cascade of
intracellular signals that initiate, inhibit or accelerate
biological processes such as wound healing, inflammation, or pain
management. The laser beam directs its laser photons in ways that
activate pain management in the body to relieve pain. Combined with
physical therapy and, LLL therapy with cold lasers helps to speed
up healing.
What conditions can be treated?
Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) has been successfully used to
treat many conditions such as acute and chronic pain reduction,
chronic back pain and shoulder or neck pain. Low Level Light
therapy also helps heal repetitive use disorders like carpal tunnel
syndrome, soft tissue strains and sprains, inflammation
reduction, enhanced tissue wound healing, and cell
regeneration.
Are
there any side effects?
There are over 1500 published studies and not one of them
mentions any negative side effects of semiconductor diode lasers at
the 5mW range like the Erchonia 3LT™ Lasers. Low Level Lasers are
safe, non-toxic and non-invasive; there has not been a recorded
side effect in over 1700 publications. There are some necessary
common sense precautions that need to be considered, such as
avoiding pointing the laser beam directly into the eye and
maintaining it there, which could prove to be damaging to the
eye.
We only use the finest FDA
approved equipment.
This includes Class 3 and Class 4 lasers.
How long are the treatments?
Treatments can vary in time from seconds to minutes depending on
the condition. Research studies show that there may be a dose
dependent response, so it may be more effective to treat at lower
doses at multiple intervals then to treat a single time with a high
dose.
How long does the treatment last?
An individual's treatment plan may vary, depending on the
condition. For instance, an acute soft tissue injury or open wound
may require multiple short treatments initially then the interval
between treatments will lengthen as the condition improves.
The Cold Laser, or Low Level Laser Therapy, and What it
Can be Used for:
Inflammatory conditions such as Carpal Tunnel
Syndrome, Epicondylitis, Plantar Fascitis, and Bursitis with
excellent results.
Pain management for Fibric Myalgia Myofscial pain, cervical
neck pain, thoracic pain, and low back pain.
Connective tissue disorders such as sprains, strains,
tendonitis, and tendon ruptures.
Joint injuries or disorders such as TMJ disorders,
osteoarthritis, dislocations, and ligament injuries.
Muscle injury or disorders such as muscle bruises, contusions,
muscle ruptures, and muscle shortening contractures like frozen
shoulders.
Neurological injury or disorders such as prolapsed disc,
ruptured or herniated discs, crush injuries, neuritis, and
headaches.
The biological effects of how Low Level Laser
Therapy has been shown to significantly accelerate and
enhance the body's natural defense and repair abilities when
injured. By reducing the duration of inflammation as well as
enhancing specific repair and healing process, Low Level
Laser Therapy has been proven to provide pain relief,
reduce damage due to the injury and loss of function. Low Level
Laser Therapy enables the body to have a more rapid repair and
stronger tissues once healed.
Results from Cold Laser Therapy come from its
ability to "bio-stimulate" tissue growth and repair. This results
in accelerated healing and dramatic decrease in pain, and
inflammation. Unlike all other treatment modalities, laser therapy
actually "heals" tissue as well as providing a powerful
non-addictive form of pain management. Spinal Decompression
combined with Cold Laser Treatment and whole body vibration is
proven to be an effective treatment for herniated
discs
The Physiological Effects of Low Level Laser
Therapy
Biostimulation
Improved metabolism
Increase of cell metabolism
Improved blood circulation and vasodilatation
Analgesic effect
Anti-inflammatory and anti-edematous effects
Stimulation of wound healing
What Are the Benefits of Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT)
?
Relieves acute and chronic pain
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
Low-level laser therapy does not require constant, ongoing
treatments, as is often required with traditional chiropractic or
physiotherapeutic remedies.
How Do You Know If Low-Level Laser Therapy is Right for
You?
Do you suffer pain from an old or new sports injury or
accident?
A laser can differ in its wavelength, power source or whether it
is a continuous or pulsed wave form. The first lasers were used to
cut, cauterize or ablate tissue and were classified as "hot'
lasers."Cold", "Low Energy" or "Low Level" lasers are used to
enhance metabolic activity at the cellular level through
non-thermal reactions.
What is wavelength? And do the different wavelengths
matter?
Light is measured in wavelengths and is expressed in units of
nanometers (nm). Different wavelengths have different energy levels
and can have various effects on tissue. For example, the Erchonia
3LT™ Laser is 635 nanometers, which is found within the "red"
spectrum of visible light (400-800 nm) and has anabolic tissue
effects, whereas, radiation that has a wavelength shorter than 320
nm (ultraviolet (UV), gamma rays, x-rays) has ionizing effects on
cells and can be harmful even in small doses.
What is the difference between Lasers and
LED's?
Lasers are monochromatic (single color wavelength), collimated
(non-divergent) and coherent (wavelengths in- phase) in contrast,
LED's are neither coherent nor collimated and generate a broader
band of wavelengths (multiple). In addition, a significant
difference between the two is the power output. The peak power
output of lasers is measured in watts, while that of LED's is
measured in milliwatts. Also, LED's usually have a 50% duty cycle,
meaning that they are "on" 50% of the time and "off" 50% of the
time regardless of what frequency (pulses per second) setting is
used.
There are many light emitting products on the market today,
claiming to be lasers that do not meet scientifically defined
attributes for being a true laser. For example, products that use
Light Emitting Diodes or LED's as they are more commonly known, do
in fact produce light, however the light is not intense, producing
very little energy and is non-coherent, similar to light produced
by common household light bulbs. Non-coherent or non-culminated
light is the result of photons moving in random directions at
random times, generating random frequencies. The most common use of
LED's is in electronic equipment, such as cell phones and VCRs, to
inform the users that the item is ON. LED's are cheap and easy to
reproduce (Pontinen 1992). Obviously, these devices are NOT lasers.
This misconception is in large part a by-product of marketing. Some
sales professional use the word "laser" in order to describe a
process such as in "laser pointers" which refers more to mankind's
collective imagination than scientific comprehension.
Our Ongoing Studies with Cold Lasers
We currently have two separate IRB approved clinical studies
focusing on accelerated wound healing, and low level laser
liposuction. These studies involved MRI and Scanning Electron
Micrographs.
Biological field theory - connections between
tissues and organs in the intact organism are not limited to
humeral effects and nervous control mechanisms alone. Rather, there
exist unique around every cell, tissue and organ and higher
structural levels (organism, organ) exerting a normalizing
influence on lower levels (tissue cells). The resonance effect of
the low power laser is thought to restore the normal energetic
status of the organism, that is, restore its normal physiological
state.
All three theories share the basic premise that laser causes
activation in the cell, which in turn leads to an intensification
of the bionomical processes. It is within this context that the
Arnat-Schulz law becomes important with respect to low power laser
application. This biological law states that weak stimuli excite
physiological activity, moderately strong ones favor it, strong
ones retard it and very strong ones arrest it.
More recently, however, in the last decade or so, many advances
have been made to support these observations and increase our
knowledge of how low level lasers work. For example, T.Karu,
H.Klima, J.Oschman, and others have recently expanded and
contributed to earlier work done on cellular amplification by Nobel
laureate Gilman in 1994. According to Oschman, the current
understanding of the cellular signaling cascade and amplification
is that the receptors on the cell surface are the primary sites of
action of low frequency electromagnetic fields. It is at this
receptor that cellular responses are triggered by hormones, growth
factors, neurotransmitters, pheromones, antigens, or a single
photon. Membrane signals closely associated with the receptors,
such as adenylate cyclases and G proteins, are considered secondary
messengers that couple a single molecular event at the cell surface
to the influx of a huge number of calcium ions. Calcium ions
entering the cell activate a variety of enzyme molecules and can
produce a cascade of intracellular signals that initiate,
accelerate, or inhibit biological processes. These enzymes, in
turn, are catalysts and since catalysts are not consumed by
reactions they can act again and again until calcium levels drop
back to pre-stimulation levels. The frequency of the stimulus is
also crucial. and will be discussed later. For example, separate
studies of lymphocytes stimulated with a mitogen showed that a weak
3Hz pulsed magnetic field sharply reduced calcium influx, while a
60 Hz signal, under identical conditions, increased calcium
influx.
In her study "Changes in absorbance of monolayer of living cells
induced by laser radiation at 633, 670 and 820 nm" reported in
Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics. 2001; 7 (6): 982-988.Karu's
results obtained evidence that cytochrome c oxidase becomes more
oxidized (which means that the oxidative metabolism is increased)
due to irradiation at all wavelengths used. The results of present
experiment support the suggestion (Karu, Lasers Life Sci., 2:53,
1988) that the mechanism of low-power laser therapy at the cellular
level is based on the electronic excitation of chromophores in
cytochrome c oxidase which modulates a redox status of the molecule
and enhances its functional activity. . A cascade of reactions
connected with alteration in cellular homeostasis parameters (pHi,
[Cai], cAMP, Eh, [ATP] and some others) is considered as a
photosignal transduction and amplification chain in a cell
(secondary mechanisms).
H.Klima further discusses the Biophysical aspects of low level
laser therapy from two points of view: from the Electromagnetic and
the Thermodynamical point of view. From the electromagnetic point
of view, living systems are mainly governed by the electromagnetic
interaction whose interacting particles are called photons. Each
interaction between molecules, macromolecules or living cells is
basically electromagnetic and governed by photons. For this reason,
we must expect that electromagnetic influences like laser light of
proper wavelength will have remarkable impact on the regulation of
living processes. An impressive example of this regulating function
of various wavelengths of light is found in the realm of botany,
where photons of 660 nm are able to trigger the growth of plants
which leads among other things to the formation of buds. On the
other hand, irradiation of plants by 730 nm photons may stop the
growth and the flowering. Human phagocyting cells are natively
emitting light which can be detected by single photon counting
methods. Singlet oxygen molecules are the main sources of this
light emitted at 480, 570, 633, 760, 1060 and 1270 nm wavelengths.
On the other hand, human cells (leukocytes, lymphocytes, stem
cells, fibroblasts, etc) can be stimulated by low power laser light
of just these wavelengths.
From the thermodynamical point of view, living
systems - in contrast to dead organisms - are open systems which
need metabolism in order to maintain their highly ordered state of
life. Such states can only exist far from thermodynamical
equilibrium thus dissipating heat in order to maintain their high
order and complexity. Such nonequilibrium systems are called
dissipative structures proposed by the Nobel LaureateI. Prigogine.
One of the main features of dissipative structures is their
ability to react very sensibly on weak influences, e.g. they are
able to amplify even very small stimuli. Therefore, we must expect
that even weak laser light of proper wavelength and proper
irradiation should be able to influence the dynamics of regulation
in living systems. For example, the transition from a cell at rest
to a dividing one will occur during a phase transition already
influenced by the smallest fluctuations. External stimuli can
induce these phase transitions which would otherwise not even take
place.
These phase transitions induced by light can be impressively
illustrated by various chemical and physiological reactions as
special kinds of dissipative systems. One of he most important
biochemical reaction localized in mitochondria is the oxidation of
NADH in the respiratory chain of aerobic cells. A similar reaction
has been found to be a dissipative process showing oscillating and
chaotic behavior capable to absorb and amplify photons of proper
wavelength. A great variety of experimental and clinical results in
the field of low level laser therapy supports these two biophysical
points of view concerning the interaction between life and laser
light. By using cytometric, photometric and radiochemical methods
it is shown that the increase or decrease of cell growth depends on
the applied wavelengths, on the irradiance, on the pulse sequence
modulated to laser beams (constant, periodic, or random pulses), on
the type of cells (leukocytes, lymphocytes, fibroblasts, normal and
cancer cells) and on the density of the cells in tissue
cultures.
Our preliminary data was published in the prestigious peer
reviewed Cosmetic Surgery Journal and the Plastic and
Reconstructive Surgery Journal earlier this year and has
prompted tremendous interest in the Plastic Surgery arena. The
publications dovetailed television coverage on CNN, CNBC, and Good
Morning Arizona.
Manipulation of scar tissue, post-op pain reduction, and
accelerated wound healing are all benefits that the surgeons are
experiencing with our unique laser. Typically, a surgeon may have
to use more than one expensive device to obtain similar
results.
Professionally, this is just one of many studies presently being
conducted on all the different applications and uses of this new
technology. Currently, Cold Lasers are having amazing results
with treating carpal tunnel
syndrome and works well when used after patients are treated
with Spinal
Decompression therapy on the DRX 9000. Other problems that
respond well to Low-Light Laser therapy include heel spurs, plantar
fascitis, frozen shoulder syndrome and knee swelling,
torticolisis.
More information on the Cold
Laser
What Is Low Level Laser Light?
Low-level laser light is compressed light of a
wavelength from the cold, red part of the spectrum of
electromagnetic radiation. It is different from natural light in
that it is one precise color; it is coherent (it travels in a
straight line), monochromatic (a single wavelength) and polarized
(it concentrates its beam in a defined location or spot). These
properties allow laser light to penetrate the surface of the skin
with no heating effect, no damage to the skin and no known side
effects. Rather, laser light directs biostimulative light energy to
the body's cells which the cells then convert into chemical energy
to promote natural healing and pain relief.
The History of Laser Therapy
The word "laser" is an acronym for Light Amplification by the
Stimulated Emission of Radiation. The theory was first described by
Albert Einstein (1879-1955) who paved the way for the development
of the therapeutic laser. The first low-level therapeutic laser was
developed in 1962. By the end of the 1960's, Endre Mester in
Hungary was reporting an improved healing of wounds through
low-level laser radiation. Since then, scientists and doctors
around the world have been using laser light to treat conditions
that can affect all age groups.
High Power vs. Low Power Medical Lasers
There are two types of medical laser: high
power and low power. High power lasers are used to cut through
tissue. Low-level lasers, on the other hand, are used to stimulate
tissue repair through a process of bio-stimulation.
What Is Low Level Laser Therapy?
Low-level laser therapy is the application of
red and near infrared light over injuries or wounds to improve soft
tissue healing and relieve both acute and chronic pain. Low-level
therapy uses cold (subthermal) laser light energy to direct
bio-stimulative light energy to the body's cells without injuring
or damaging them in any way. The therapy is precise and accurate;
and offers safe and effective treatment for a wide variety of
conditions. The energy range of low level laser light lies between
1 and 500 mW (milliwatts), while for surgical lasers the energy
range lies between 3000 and 10000 mW. The Microlight 830 we use is
a 90 mW unit.
How Does Low Level Laser Therapy Work?
Low-level lasers supply energy to the body in the form of
non-thermal photons of light. Light is transmitted through the
skin's layers (the dermis, epidermis and the subcutaneous tissue or
tissue fat under the skin) at all wavelengths in the visible range.
However, light waves in the near infrared ranges penetrate the
deepest of all light waves in the visible spectrum.
When low level laser light waves penetrate deeply into the skin,
they optimize the immune responses of our blood. This has both
anti-inflammatory and immuno-suppressive effects. It is a
scientific fact that light transmitted to the blood in this way has
positive effective throughout the whole body, supplying vital
oxygen and energy to every cell.
Some symptoms include Numbness, tingling or burning sensations
in the thumb and fingers, particularly the index and middle fingers
which are affected by the median nerve. Pain in the hands or wrist.
Loss of dexterity and gripping strength. Difficulty performing
routine tasks with the hands such as holding a cup, vacuuming,
washing up, or even driving; some people have difficulty holding a
newspaper or a telephone. Pain in the arm and shoulder. Swelling of
the hand, which often increases at night. One of the most
fascinating and used healing advances for the treatment of Carpal Tunnel
Syndrome is Low Level Laser. On Feb. 11, 2002, the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration gave Low Level Laser (Cold Laser)
clearance to be used in the non-surgical treatment and management
of carpal tunnel syndrome, or "CTS."
What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
Carpal tunnel
syndrome occurs when tendons or ligaments in the wrist
become enlarged, often from inflammation, after being aggravated.
The narrowed tunnel of bones and ligaments in the wrist pinches the
nerves that reach the fingers and the muscles at the base of the
thumb. The first symptoms usually appear at night. Symptoms range
from a burning, tingling numbness in the fingers, especially the
thumb and the index and middle fingers, to difficulty gripping or
making a fist, to drop-ping things. Some cases of carpal tunnel
syndrome are due to work-related cumulative trauma of the wrist.
Diseases or conditions that predispose to the development of carpal
tunnel syndrome include pregnancy, diabetes, and obesity.
Call Dr. Steven Shoshany and his team of chiropractors, physical
therapists, acupuncturists and massage therapists at (212)
645-8151. Book an appointment today for Cold Laser
Therapy NYC / Low Level Laser Therapy in Manhattan.
