Possible
Treatment Reactions:
When
treating with Low Level Laser, the following
"Treatment Reactions" can occur:
With
"chronic" patients, there may be an increase
in pain levels. This can occur within a few minutes or
up to 8 hours or so after treatment. It can last from 2
to 12 hours. After this reaction, most patients report
that their pain level then reduces substantially to a
vast improvement on those levels that were there prior
to treatment.
This
reaction rarely occurs with subsequent treatments.
Other
patients may experience a mild "fatigue"
sensation some hours after treatment.
Some
patients may experience sensations ranging from a
"warm tingling" to a mild "stinging"
sensation during treatment. Other patients may
experience no sensation at all.
Treatment
Sessions:
In
the first instance, treatment sessions should be daily
or every second day for 3 or 4 sessions, followed by
once or twice weekly until the condition is resolved.
Have
the patient report on any "treatment
reaction", as this information can allow the
practitioner to adjust the dosage accordingly for each
session.
If
the "treatment reaction" is severe, reduce the
following session dosage by 40-50%, and then assess the
need to increase or further reduce accordingly after
each session.
Application
Principles:
Where
possible, apply the Laser tip with firm pressure to the
treatment point. This will minimize the absorption by
the haemoglobin at the treatment site.
Hold
the Laser probe at right angles to the tissue surface.
When
treating musculoskeletal problems, consider Myofascial
Trigger points that may be present, along with insertion
and origin points of affected muscles. Spinal nerve
roots involved should also be treated.
Ligaments
and tendons should be treated at 5mm points along their
entire length.
Wounds:
Wounds
can be treated by slowly "scanning" back and
forth over the entire surface, with the probe held some
3-4mm away from the surface.. A rule of thumb is to
increase the dosage by a factor of 4, to compensate for
lower power density, possible reflection, and the size
of the wound.
Treat
at 10mm points on the healthy tissue around the
circumference of the wound, along with 2-3 points
over the major vascular supply to the wound area.
Adjunctive
Therapies:
If
using cryo techniques, use these prior to the laser
treatment. If using ultrasound, apply this after laser
treatment.
Dosage
Levels:
There
is much discussion on the subject of correct dosage
levels, with huge variations quoted by many sources.
High
dosages of say 12 Joules or more per point, are
"bio-inhibitory", whilst low dosages of
4 Joules (or less) per point, are
"bio-stimulatory".
Skin
colour should be taken into consideration, as melanin is
an efficient absorber of laser energy. Thus a dark
skinned patient may require up to 5 times the dosage as
that required for an "English rose"
complexion.
Laser
Bionics recommends the following dosages for typical light
coloured skin:
To
attenuate pain conditions, use 6-8 Joules per point for
the first three sessions followed by lower dosages of
3-4 Joules per point for subsequent sessions.
This
gives the required pain relief offered by the
"bio-inhibitory" effect of the 6-8 Joules,
followed by the healing "bio-stimulatory"
effect of the 3-4 Joules.
Naturally,
these dosages can be adjusted for individual patients.
Safety:
From
the "medico legal" aspect, always use Safety
Glasses on assisting staff and patients, along with
Laser Warning signs at the entrance to treatment rooms.
Always
turn the laser off and remove the Safety Key when not in
use to prevent un-authorised use.
More
Advice:
If
required, please use the "Contact" email given
on our site, for treatment or equipment advice. We will
answer your query as quickly as possible.
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