Low power laser and neuropathy, something to get excited about?

There are many different types of neuropathy. Each has its own pathology. Although different types of neuropathy cause different nerve damage, they all share a common nerve defect that is responsible for burning, numbness, and other neuropathy symptoms. I’m going to give you a very short and quick lesson in neurology, which is the study of the brain and nerves. When you think about how nerves work, they are very similar to wires. They carry electrical signals. These electrical impulses are encoded. Readers my age or older will remember Morse code. The nerves transmit their signals in the same way that this code was used to send messages. The coded messages travel from different parts of the body to the brain, where the brain decodes and interprets them. The most basic cause of neuropathy symptoms has to do with the inability of damaged nerves to carry correctly coded electrical signals from the feet to the brain. When normal communication is disrupted, the brain feels bad sensations like pain or burning instead of normal sensations.

In long-standing neuropathy, the brain “feels” these abnormal sensations even after the nerves in the feet have healed. Now we have to remember that in neuropathy, usually the cause of the nerve damage is ongoing. This means that more and more nerves are damaged, more and more incorrectly coded signals reach the brain, and the brain misinterprets these signals. So if you understand that the symptoms of neuropathy are related to a miscommunication between the brain and the feet, you’ll understand how we try to get you back on track. What makes neuropathy so difficult to treat is the fact that nerves are much more easily damaged than healed. Most doctors, myself included, were taught in school that nerves cannot heal. This is why you really need to see a doctor who is experienced in treating neuropathy. Also, due to their training, they believe that neuropathy is always progressive and that there are few, if any, real treatment options.

Fortunately, more recent research shows that our old understanding of neuropathy is out of date and just plain wrong. We can, under the right circumstances, promote nerve healing. Communications between the feet and the brain can be improved by a number of alternative treatment approaches. For the neuropathic patient this means less pain, less numbness, less tingling and better function. Now please understand that what I have just presented to you is an incredibly complex concept, the pathology of neuropathy, in a very simplified way. If you remember anything from this article, I want you to remember that any doctor who tells you that there is nothing that can be done to help your neuropathy is not aware of the latest scientific data.

There are ways to improve nerve function. Research on some of the techniques we use for our neuropathy patients suggests that many of them may even stimulate nerve growth and repair. But the most important thing I want you to remember is that while it is possible to improve neuropathy, it is never easy. Also remember that there is no single treatment that improves neuropathy. The most effective neuropathy treatment programs require several different treatment techniques that work together. Now let me tell you how we help hundreds of neuropathy patients using a neuropathy treatment program that we have developed over the last 20 years. Let me give you an insider’s look at our comprehensive neuropathy treatment program.

The application of low power laser light for the treatment of various human conditions has been around for a long time. Recent research suggests that it may have an application in the treatment of peripheral neuropathy. Studies seem to indicate that various types of low-level or cold lasers can increase cellular metabolism and tissue repair. The laser is frequently used in dermatology to renew aged and injured skin. The rejuvenating effects of laser therapy in these types of conditions have been well documented. Could this same rejuvenating effect of the laser be used to repair nerve damage in the hands and feet? A measurable improvement in nerve function has been reported after a series of laser treatments. Tests known as nerve conduction velocity or NCV can measure the speed at which your nerves transmit their signals. Nerves carry their signals in a very narrow range. Not too fast, not too slow. If the nerve slows down, it is a good indication that it is sick.

Often the first sign of neuropathy is seen as a slowing down of the nerves as measured by these nerve conduction tests. These tests are also used to determine if the nerves are getting worse, staying the same, or improving. If the nerve speed stays about the same, the neuropathy is stable, if the nerve speed increases compared to previous tests, the body is repairing the nerve cells. However, if the test shows that the nerves are slowing down further, this means that the neuropathy is getting worse. So you have to see that these tests can be used as a way to tell if the patient is getting better or not. They also tell us if a treatment is working or not. Scientists using these tests have studied the effects of laser light on nerve cells. What they reported was promising news for patients suffering from neuropathy. Repeated laser application to damaged nerves improved his nerve speed; the body was repairing damaged nerves. And, of course, the patient’s tingling and other signs of neuropathy were alleviated.

There are a number of animal studies showing that lasers not only improve nerve speed, but also promote nerve regeneration. After a series of laser treatments, the researchers looked at the nerves under a microscope. They saw signs that damaged nerves were taking root, just a plant clipping placed in water. If the same thing happens in laser-exposed human nerves, it means that the laser may be an essential tool in the treatment of peripheral neuropathy.

I was first introduced to the healing power of low-level lasers when I was studying at the Russian People’s Friendship Medical School in Russia. Russian scientists have pioneered the use of laser technology to treat human diseases. I have been using various forms of low level laser therapy with my own patients and have found excellent results with shingles, skin disorders, neuropathic pain, and diabetic ulcers. As they say a picture is worth a thousand words, instead of telling you the results a laser can produce, let me show you. Results

Based on other research, it appears that low-level laser therapy may also raise levels of certain neurotransmitters. Laser therapy seems to raise the level of a specific chemical called GABA (known as a neurotransmitter) in the nervous system. One of GABA’s jobs is to block the nerves that carry pain signals to the brain. This would theoretically be very useful in patients with neuropathy.

Therefore, patients with neuropathy can use low-level laser therapy to increase function and possibly even cause nerve cell repair and regeneration. It can also increase levels of the pain suppressant GABA in the nervous system. When combined in a comprehensive neuropathy treatment program, lasers can be extremely beneficial for patients with neuropathy. Good news for patients with neuropathy.

Vern survived almost a century, but at the age of 90 he received bad news, his toes were going to be cut off. Vern is a 90-year-old spy. His doctor recommended a terrible treatment, amputation. He developed diabetic ulcers and, despite aggressive treatment of his peripheral neuropathy, they would not heal. The next step: the toes had to come out. But Vern’s daughter was a patient in our office, and as a last resort, Vern tried a special treatment for neuropathy that I first learned about in Russia. As an alternative to amputation, I combined some Chinese herbs with low level laser therapy. They reduced his pain from a score of 10 to 2 and best of all, they saved Vern’s toes! The surgery was cancelled.