Local Doctor Develops New Osteoarthritis Treatment
Local News
by
Nicole Sabbatino
last edited on
Friday, March 13, 2009
It's the most common type of arthritis affecting over 20 million Americans, and treatment for osteoarthritis can range from therapy to medication.
But a local doctor has developed a new low level laser therapy treatment, just approved by the FDA, to treat osteoarthritis of the hand.
It's taken five years and an extensive amount of research but Dr. Larry Lytle from Rapid City has developed a new low level laser designed to heal and control pain for osteoarthritis of the hand.
"It's where the knuckles of the hand swell up and become painful and they're not mobile. Some people can't even grip their pen or pencil and they can't twist the lid off a jar," says Dr. Lytle.
Dr. Lytle says the Q1000 laser is designed to work at the cell level, relieving pain, reducing swelling, and improving range of motion.
"When the cell has lost its energy from some tear or injury that will show up on an MRI as a blob or bleep. The low level laser will put the energy back at the cell level."
During his study Dr. Lytle says they used two groups. Neither group knew who was using the Q1000 laser and which group had the dummy.
"The pain was reduced by about 80 to 85 percent in the group that the real laser versus those that had the dummy laser. It's applied for 30 seconds to each affected knuckle."
Dr. Lytle says patients used the laser for only a few minutes every other day and saw results after just five days.
Plus Dr. Lytle says, "It's totally 100 percent safe. There's nothing you could do wrong. If you used it too long, you'd just waste a little time."
So for those looking for a little relief, it maybe just a point and a click away.
Because the laser is so easy to use, it is the first low level laser system approved by the FDA to sell over the counter without a doctor’s prescription.
For more information on the laser treatment you can visit www.qlaserhealinglight.com.