www.excel.net/~jaguar/relaxerinfo.html
This is a totally amazing light therapy device in that it can easily relax tight muscles and tendons with its tissue-penetrating 940nm (light wavelength) infrared light and 660nm near-infrared light. Using this alternative light therapy, one minute on any tight muscle point is usually enough to do the trick. Other light therapy devices like this exist but they are more expensive (up to $6500), harder to use on back muscles & shoulders, often don’t even specify the lights wavelength, and require batteries to run which quickly need replacement. The president of this company uses his infrared therapy device to relax his fibromyalgia muscle points.
The results he gets are so incredible he wants everyone with fibromyalgia to have the same experience. He was inspired to create it after watching a spot on TV about a pro basketball player getting infrared light treatment on his ailing wrist and as a result being able to continue his career instead of quitting due to increasing wrist pain. This is an indication of beneficial effect for anyone with tendonitis or carpal tunnel syndrome. According to one scientific research report (ISBN: 0-8194-1500-6) blood exposed to infrared light had less blood cell aggregation (clumping together) which would free up more surface area of red blood cells to transfer nutrients and oxygen to tissues. We sell this device in spite of the cry-babies at DioMedics trying to get us in trouble with the FDA since they sell an approved unit and we don’t. We also sell the plans to build it yourself. The construction plans are only for people with electronics building experience. Included is a parts list, schematic, and assembly drawing (where to put the parts on the pc board). This unit is not for problems with a large surface area since the light output area of it is only 1.25″ diameter. For large areas I recommend a high wattage infrared heat lamp. Just do a search on Lycos for an „infrared heat lamp“.
Word of Warning: This is a strong source of infrared light which should not be looked at directly with the naked eye and should be kept out of the reach of children. Eye exposure of more than 1 second could possibly cause temporary damage. (I did this and experienced ‚green‘ vision for about 30 seconds afterwards but had no permanent damage.)
Units available from other companies: PAIN-X-2000 MODEL 900 $169, PAIN-X-2000 MODEL 1600 $349, PAIN-X-2000 MODEL 2500 $845, PAIN-X-2000 MODEL 5700 $1,350, ANODYNE MODEL 4000 $4,100, BIO-SCAN 2 CLUSTER HEAD $1,800, BIO-SCAN NEW 2 CLUSTER HEAD $1800, BioScan Light Patch $189, BioScan Tendon Saver $189, THERALASER $1,995, Respond 2400 $4,099, Alphalaser $3,586, Equilaser 100mW $3,375, THOR DD 150mW Laser $4,100, 40mW DD + 69 Diode 583mW Cluster $6,500
Just so you’ll know how nice my competition is, heres an email to me on Oct 18 2000 from the maker of PAIN-X-2000 (Randall Everett everett@lw.net:
„Your website has been forwarded to the Food and Drug Administration for legal action for advertising a medical device that is not FDA approved. You are advertising a device for medical problems for human use. Also you need to remove any reference on your website or advertising material pertaining to the PAIN-X-2000. Since you are refering to the PAIN-X-2000 as being like your device, which it is not.“
I replied letting them know in no incertain terms that they were scum-sucking pigs that were part of the medical problem (over-regulation and just existing for the almighty dollar) and not the solution.
Light therapy has been shown in over 40 years of independent research worldwide to deliver powerful therapeutic benefits to living tissues and organisms. Both visible red (400nm – 700nm) and invisible infrared light (700nm – 2000nm) have been shown to effect at least 24 different positive changes at a cellular level. Visible red light, at a wavelength of 660 nm (nanometers), penetrates human tissue to a depth of about 8-10 mm. It is very beneficial in treating problems close to the surface such as wounds, cuts, scars, trigger points, and acupuncture points and is particularly effective in treating infections. Infrared light penetrates to a depth of about 30-40 mm which makes it more effective for bones, joints, deep muscles, etc. Although both red and infrared wavelengths penetrate to different depths and affect tissues differently, their therapeutic effects are similar.
Wavelength dependent photobiochemical reactions occur throughout nature and are involved in such things as vision, photosynthesis, tanning and Vitamin D metabolism. In this view, infrared therapy is really a form of light therapy, and infrared light emitting diodes (LED’s) and lasers are important in that they are convenient sources of intense light at wavelengths that stimulate specific physiological functions (Lasers in Surgery and Medicine 9:1-5, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, 1989). At this time, research has shown no side effects from this form of therapy other than an occassional increase in discomfort for a short period of time after treating chronic conditions. This occurs as the body reestablishes new equilibrium points following treatment. It is a phenomenon that may occur as part of the normal process of recovery.
LED’s and Lasers are no more than convenient devices for producing light at specific wavelengths, and in addition to the one already cited, several other studies establish that it is the light itself at specific wavelengths that is therapeutic in nature and not the machine which produced it. All biological systems have a unique absorption spectrum which determines what wavelengths of radiation will be absorbed to produce a given therapeutic effect. The visible red and invisible infrared portions of the spectrum have been shown to have highly absorbent and unique therapeutic effects in living tissues.
Light Emitting Diodes (LED’s) are another form of light therapy that is a relatively recent development of the laser industry. LEDs are similar to lasers inasmuch as they can emit the same light but differ in the way that the light energy is delivered. Lasers are focused beam single-wavelength light emitters that can be intense enough (a ‚hot‘ laser) to burn/cut tissue or ‚cold‘ enough to only have light therapy effects. LEDs do not deliver enough power to damage the tissue, but they do deliver enough energy to stimulate a response from the body to heal itself. With a low peak power output but high duty cycle (50%), the LEDs provide a much gentler delivery of the same healing wavelengths of light as does the laser but without the same risk of accidental eye damage that lasers do.
A significant difference between lasers and LEDs is the power output. The peak power output of LEDs is measured in thousandths of a watt, while that of lasers is measured in watts. However, this difference when considered alone is misleading, since the most critical factor that determines the average amount of energy delivered is the duty cycle of the device. LED devices usually have a 50% duty cycle. That is, the LED pulse is ON for .5 seconds and OFF for .5 seconds, versus the .2 millionths of a second burst from a laser at 1 hertz, which is ON .0000002 seconds and OFF for .9999998 seconds. This is a .00002% duty cycle. In short, the LED diodes emit more than 33% more ‚average‘ energy than a comparable laser diode because of the substantially longer duty cycle, even though the peak output is much less.
Moreover, LED’s allow the light beam to spread out instead of being a pinpoint light beam and they generate a broader band of wavelengths than does the single-wavelength laser. The wide-angle diffusion of the LED confers upon it a greater ease of application, since light emissions are thereby able to penetrate a broader surface area. Moreover, the multiplicity of wavelengths in the LED, contrary to the single-wavelength laser, may enable it to affect a broader range of tissue types and produce a wider range of photochemical reactions in the tissue.
If LED light disperses over a greater surface area, this results in a faster treatment time for a given area than laser. The primary reason that Jaguar chose the LEDs over lasers is that LEDs are safer, more cost effective, provide a gentle but effective delivery of light and a greater energy output per unit of surface area in a given time duration. Our units produce visible near-infrared red light with a center frequency of 660nm (nano-meters).
Light Therapy Can:
1. Increase circulation by increasing the formation of new capillaries, which are additional blood vessels that replace damaged ones. New capillaries speed up the healing process by carrying more oxygen as well as more nutrients needed for healing and they can also carry more waste products away.
2. Stimulate the production of collagen. Collagen is the most common protein found in the body. Collagen is the essential protein used to repair damaged tissue and to replace old tissue. It is the substance that holds cells together and has a high degree of elasticity. By increasing collagen production less scar tissue is formed at the damaged site.
3. Increase RNA and DNA synthesis. This helps damaged cells to be replaced more promptly.
4. Stimulate fibroblastic activity which aids in the repair process. Fibroblasts are present in connective tissue and are capable of forming collagen fibers.
5. Stimulate tissue granulation and connective tissue projections, which are part of the healing process of wounds, ulcers or inflamed tissue.
6. Stimulate the release of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is the major carrier of energy to all cells. Increases in ATP allow cells to accept nutrients faster and get rid of waste products faster by increasing the energy level in the cell. All food turns into ATP before it is utilized by the cells. ATP provides the chemical energy that drives the chemical reaction of the cell.
7. Increase lymphatic system activity. Edema, which is the swelling or natural splinting process of the body, has two basic components. The first is a liquid part which can be evacuated by the blood system and the second is comprised of the proteins which have to be evacuated by the lymphatic system. Research has shown that the lymph vessel diameter and the flow of the lymph system can be doubled with the use of light therapy. The venous diameter and the arterial diameters can also be increased. This means that both parts of edema (liquid and protein) can be evacuated at a much faster rate to relieve swelling.
8. Relieve pain. The photons of light energy enter the body as negative ions. This calls upon the body to send positive ions like calcium among others to go to the area being treated. These ions assist in firing the nerves thereby relieving pain. Light therapy is successfully used in pain therapy, dermatology and rheumatology with excellent therapeutic effects in the treatment of shoulder humerus periarthritis, tendonitis and carpal tunnel syndrome.
9. Stimulate acetylcholine release and other parasympathetic effects.
10. Increase phagocytosis, which is the process of scavenging for and ingesting dead or degenerated cells by phagocyte cells for the purpose of clean up. This is an important part of the infection fighting process. Destruction of the infection and clean up must occur before the healing process can take place.
11. Induce a thermal like effect in the tissue. The light raises the temperature of the tissue treated which can kill or disable temperature sensitive bacteria and viruses.
REFERENCES
Macrophage Responsiveness to Light Therapy, S Young PhD, P Bolton BSc, U Dyson PhD, W Harvey PhD, & C Diamantopoulos BSc; London: Lasers in Surgery and Medicine, 9; pp. 497-505 (1989)
The Photobiological Basis of Low Level Laser Radiation Therapy, Kendric C. Smith; Stanford University School of Medicine; Laser Therapy, Vol. 3, No. 1, Jan – Mar 1991
Low-Energy Laser Therapy: Controversies & Research Findings, Jeffrey R. Basford MD; Mayo Clinic; Lasers in Surgery and Medicine 9, pp. 1-5 (1989)
New Biological Phenomena Associated with Laser Radiation , M.I. Belkin & U. Schwartz; Tel-Aviv University; Health Physics, Vol. 56, No. 5, May 1989; pp. 687-690
Photobiology of Low-Power Laser Effects, Tina Karu PhD; Laser Technology Centre of Russia; Health Physics, Vol. 56, No. 5. May 89, pp. 691-704
A Review of Low Level Laser Therapy, S Kitchen MSCMCSP & C Partridge PhD; Centre for Physiotherapy Research, King’s College London Physiotherapy, Vol. 77, No. 3, March 1991
Systemic Effects of Low-Power Laser Irradiation on the Peripherial & Central Nervous System, Cutaneous Wounds & Burns, S Rochkind MD, M Rousso MD, M Nissan PhD, M Villarreal MD, L Barr-Nea PhD. & DG Rees PhD, Lasers in Surgery and Medicine, 9; pp. 174-182 (1989)
Use of Laser Light to Treat Certain Lesions in Standardbreds, L.S McKibbin DVM, & D Paraschak BSc., MA; Mod Veterinary Practice, March 1984, Sec. 3, p. 13
Low Level Laser Therapy: Current Clinical Practice In Northern Ireland, GD Baxter BSc, AJ Bet, MA,,JM AtienPhD, J Ravey PhD; Blamed Research Centre University Ulster Physiotherapy, Vol. 77, No. 3, March 1991
The Effects of Low Energy Laser on Soft Tissue in Veterinary Medicine, LS McKibbin & R Downie; The Acupuncture Institute, Ontario Canada; J. Wiley & Sons
A Study of the Effects or Lasering of Chronic Bowed Tendons, Wheatley, LS McKibbin DVM, and DM Paraschak Bsc MA; Lasers in Surg & Medicine, Vol. pp. 55-59 (1983) Scc 3
Lasers and Wound Healing, Albert J. Nemeth, MD; Laser and Dermatology Center, Clearwater FL, Dermatologic Clinics, Vol.. 11 #4, 1993
Low Level Laser Therapy: A Practical Introduction, T. Ohshiro & RG Caiderhead, Wiley and Sons Low Reactive-Level Laser Therapy: A Practical Application, T. Ohshiro; Book: Wiley and Sons Laser Biostimulation of Healing Wounds: Specific Effects and Mechanisms of Action, Chukuka S Enwemeka, PhD; Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy – U. of Texas, Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX; The Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, Vol. 9. No.10, 1988
Effect of Helium-Neon and Infrared Laser Irradiation on Wound Healing in Rabbits, B Braverman, PhD; R McCarthy. Pharmd, A Lyankovich, MD; D Forde, BS, M Overfield, BS and M Bapna, PhD; Rush- Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center; University of Illinois, Lasers in Surgery and Medicine 9:50-58 (1989)
Bone Fracture Consolidates Faster With Low-Power Laser, MA Trelles, MD and E Mayayo, MD, Barcelona, Spain; Lasers in Surgery & Med. 7:36-45 (1987)
Wound Management with Whirlpool and Infrared Cold Laser Treatment, P Gogia; B Hurt and T Zim; AMI-Park Plaza Hospital, Houston TX, Physical Therapy, Vol. 68, No. 8, August 1988
Effects of Low-Level Energy Lasers on the Healing of Full-Thickness Skin Defects, J Surinchak. MA; M Alago, BS,, R Bellamy, MD; B Stuck, MS and M Belkin, MD; Lettennan Army Institute of Research. Presido of San Fransico, CA; Lasers in Surgery & Medicine, 2:267-274 (1983)
Biostimulation of Wound Healing by Lasers: Experimental Approaches in Animal Models and in Fibroblast Cultures, RP Abergel, MD; R Lyons, MD; J Castel, MS, R Dwyer. MD and i Uitlo. MD, PhD; Harbor UCLA Medical Center. CA: J Dennatol. Surgery Oncol., 13:2 Feb. 1987
Effects of Low Energy Laser on Wound Healing In a Porcine Model, J Hunter, MD; L Leonard, MD; R Wilsom MD; G Snider, MD and J DLxon, MD; Department of Surgery, University of Utah Medical Center, Salt Lake City UT, Lasers in Surgery & Med. 3:285-290, 84
Effect of Laser Rays on Wound Healing, E Mester, MD; T Spiry, MD; B Szende. MD and J Tola; Semmelweis Medical Univ. Budapes, The American Journal of Surgery. Vol 122, Oct 1971
Low Level Laser Therapy in the United Kingdom, Kevin C Moore, MD; The Royal Oldham Hospital, Oldhant, UK Effects of Skin-Contact Monochromatic Infrared Irradiation on Tendonitis, Capsulitis and Myofascial Pain, T.L Thomassoi DDS, 19th Annual Scientific Meeting, American Academy of Neurological & Orthopaedic Surgeons, Aug. 27-30, 1995 Facial Pain/TMJ Centre, Denver, CO.
From http://www.beyond2000.com/news/Dec_00/story_932.html:
In the laboratory, Whelan and his team have shown that skin and muscle cells matured in cultures grow 150 to 200 percent faster when they’re exposed to the LED’s.
They reported a 40 percent improvement in patients who had musculo-skeletal training injuries treated with the light-emitting diodes.
In the field, a wound-healing device was placed on the attack submarine USS Salt Lake City. Doctors on board described that crewmembers‘ lacerations doubled their healing rate when exposed to the LED light.
So far, what we’ve seen in patients and what we’ve seen in laboratory cell cultures, all point to one conclusion, says Dr. Harry Whelan, professor of pediatric neurology and director of hyperbaric medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin. The near-infrared light emitted by these LED’s seems to be perfect for increasing energy inside cells. This means whether you’re on Earth in a hospital, working in a submarine under the sea or on your way to Mars inside a spaceship, the LED’s boost energy to the cells and accelerate healing.