i wonder if this could provide any pain relief or, heaven forbid, do any damage?
It's not something I have come across before in relation to PMR. What does the blurb say?
Anhaga on this forum has used low level laser therapy (I assume that is what you mean?) and is confident it makes a difference to her pred dose but does seem to require ongoing therapy. I'll leave her to tell you about her experiences.
It is quite widely available in Canada (where I believe the devices were developed and are made). There are only about 3 for this purpose in the UK - and the charges are high. It isn't available on the NHS - and most people with PMR tend to be retired and so have limited incomes. LLLT is available for dermatological use - but that isn't the same.
never heard of that be fore tell me more x
I don't know what cold laser is, but the therapy I get is called LILT, Low Intensity Light Therapy. It works for PMR pain by reducing production of cytokines, which has been verified through research. A pad (dotted with numerous LED lights) about the size of a hand is placed on a body part (in my case it's the spine, but this therapy is also used to heal brain injuries and sports type injuries to joints, and the protocol involves a gradually increasing intensity of the light in my case lasting half an hour. I recieve therapy from a physiotherapist, which is partly covered through my health insurance. I used to go twice a week in early days, now it's once a fortnight. I've tried going less often, but each time felt a slight return of pain. Have been thinking with return of warm weather I may try lengthening the interval again and gradually phase it out. Have been receiving this treatment for about sixteen months. Google low intensity light therapy kahn to find out about the development of this treatment.
receive
I think Annaba has provided valuable information information on this. Certainly more than I knew!
Thank you Anhaga. The device I am looking at combines low laser with light therapy. So I now see how the light works on the cytokines. Still have to find out what the laser bit does if anything.
anhaga
thank you. I was thinking in terms of the devices manufactured for home use which range in price from 100 to 400 pounds in cost. Pretty steep unless they are effective!
nothing about auto immune disorders.... I shall contact the makers I think.
Does it mention the depth it works to? More are available for dermatological use - where it is superficial. That sort of therapy is available all over the UK quite easily. It is the sort for muscle therapy that is difficult to find and very expensive.
I imagine it is the laser part that achieves the depth of therapy that would be required for any effect in muscles.
The one I have been looking at is the plug in clinical Terraquant which is supposedly good for muscle therapy and pain relief (in addition to the dermatological and diabetic uses). It has different programmers and depths depending on treatment goal. There is a plug in clinical Terraquant and a much cheaper rechargeable battery home version with less options.
Too much to hope anyone offers a money-back guarantee trial period!
That's thie thing exactly - the reason each session lasts the length of time it does is so that the light has time to penetrate to a fairly significant depth. I'm told I'm particularly responsive because I'm thin, one good thing about inability to regain my lost weight!
Right!!!
how long do your sessions usually last?
My appointments are forty-five minutes, of which half an hour is spent with the lights. I think the length of treatment depends very much on what one is being treated for so if you were getting treatment for a serious medical issue, like the woman shown on a television program about alternative and new methods of treating illness, who was treated for brain damage from an accident, the sessions may be considerably longer.
I started when I was at 8 mg, about to reduce to 7 mg, and went twice a week for a while, then once a week. Last summer I started going about every fortnight, and have with a few hiccups carried on with that to now. I tried going once every three weeks, but at that time it wasn't enough, and a couple of times I felt the PMR a bit more active and went for an extra session in the intervening week. During the eighteen months of treatment I've reduced my dose from 8 mg to 2 mg, and am feeling confident enough to attempt a new (.5) reduction starting about now.
And what is done with the remaining time? Do you rest or have manual therapy?
We talk about how I've been, if I have some other issue, like the shoulder I hurt when pushing snow off my vehicle a few weeks ago, we talk about that. Sometimes she gives me other therapy, various techniques to straighten my back, etc. In fact her standard appointment time is 1/2 hour but for some reason she gives me 45 minutes. I'm not questioning this!