Anodyne therapy?

Thread Starter

tracecom

Joined Apr 16, 2010
3,944
I may have asked about this before, but now I am receiving anodyne therapy. I have had about six 45-minute sessions, and haven't seen any lessening of pain from peripheral neuropathy. The company that builds the machines publishes a fairly thorough description of the technology here.

There are pads about 3 in. by 6 in., each consisting of 60 IR diodes (890 nm,) and each pad is rated at 900 mW. The leds are pulsed at 292 Hz. The pads are placed in contact with the skin, and each session lasts 45 minutes. The heat sensation is mild.

What says the brain trust - snake oil or science?
 
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Thread Starter

tracecom

Joined Apr 16, 2010
3,944
According to the American Diabetes Association those treatments are no more effective than sham therapy.

http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/31/2/316.full

Your anecdotal information seems to confirm that conclusion.
I was skeptical, but thought it was worth a try. My peripheral neuropathy is not from diabetes, but rather from being overdosed with statins combined with a genetic predisposition. My feet feel better immediately following the treatment, but I suppose that is due to the mild heat (which could explain why there was a high placebo effect among the trial subjects who received the sham treatment.) Thanks for the link.
 

DickCappels

Joined Aug 21, 2008
10,153
It is turns out that this therapy is not helping you, you might want to save the machine for future use on other problems that can he helped with infrared -bug bites, wound healing, muscle soreness near the skin surface, etc. These are U.S. FDA approved applications for light therapy devices.
 

Thread Starter

tracecom

Joined Apr 16, 2010
3,944
It is turns out that this therapy is not helping you, you might want to save the machine for future use on other problems that can he helped with infrared -bug bites, wound healing, muscle soreness near the skin surface, etc. These are U.S. FDA approved applications for light therapy devices.
I didn't buy the machine; I am going to a local hospital for the therapy, which was actually prescribed by an MD (neurologist.) I did, however build one array of IR leds, which I couldn't tell did anything for my neuropathy. Maybe I'll try it on my next bug bites.
 

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Papabravo

Joined Feb 24, 2006
21,158
I was skeptical, but thought it was worth a try. My peripheral neuropathy is not from diabetes, but rather from being overdosed with statins combined with a genetic predisposition. My feet feel better immediately following the treatment, but I suppose that is due to the mild heat (which could explain why there was a high placebo effect among the trial subjects who received the sham treatment.) Thanks for the link.
I did not meant to imply that I thought you had diabetes. My only point was that the ADA thought it was necessary to do a double blind study and disclose the statistical methods used to evaluate the data. I hope you find a solution because it doesn't sound like much fun. BTW I am a non-insulin dependent diabetic and I haven't got to the point of experiencing neuropathy yet.
 

wayneh

Joined Sep 9, 2010
17,496
There are pads about 3 in. by 6 in....and each pad is rated at 900 mW.
So that's about 50mW per square inch.

I swim almost every day and after the pool I hit the whirlpool and steam room. I don't know the precise thermodynamics but I'm willing to bet that I'm feeling a LOT more than 50mW per square inch.

My point is, heat is heat. I'm a big fan of heat therapy. But there are cheaper, more effective ways to apply heat. Sit by the fire, soak in a hot tub. If you need more vitamin D (which I highly endorse), get some sun.

A more elaborate, snake-oil version of heat therapy is here.
 

alfacliff

Joined Dec 13, 2013
2,458
the sun radiates a lot of infra red, why isnt that curing everyone? I am an insulin dependant diabetic, and neuropathy isnt fun. only thing I have found that helps is aspercreme. put on just before bedtime, and you might be able to get some sleep.
 

Thread Starter

tracecom

Joined Apr 16, 2010
3,944
the sun radiates a lot of infra red, why isnt that curing everyone? I am an insulin dependant diabetic, and neuropathy isnt fun. only thing I have found that helps is aspercreme. put on just before bedtime, and you might be able to get some sleep.
I am taking gabapentin three times per day, and that helps some. Sleeping isn't usually an issue, but rather pain when I am in the recliner trying to read or watch TV. The pain is very strange, sometimes an ache, sometimes a burning, and sometimes stabbing. Keeping busy helps me to ignore all but the worst pain. And you're correct; it's no fun. Acupuncture has been suggested, and I am considering trying it.
 

BR-549

Joined Sep 22, 2013
4,928
tracecom,

I sympathize with your condition. After 5 procedures, I still have severe claudication in both legs.
For those that have only heard the word, claudication is the pain and ache of a cramp, without the spasm. And it's the whole leg, not just one muscle.

According to your link..........the IR is absorbed by the blood vessels. To me, that means the the heat will be carried away from where the heat is applied. Snake oil.

And it is just heat. I don't think that will repair nerve damage.

It has been known for years now that electric fields, current and magnetic fields can promote healing and repair. In fact, with bone the repair is stronger. I would not call that snake oil.

The body is mostly made out of water, and water is polarized.

If you are sure that the damaged cells are in your legs, I would try petting your leg with a one way magnetic field, stroked away from the body at a slow rate.

Use at your own risk, many think I am the snake oil king.
 

ian field

Joined Oct 27, 2012
6,536
I was skeptical, but thought it was worth a try. My peripheral neuropathy is not from diabetes, but rather from being overdosed with statins combined with a genetic predisposition. My feet feel better immediately following the treatment, but I suppose that is due to the mild heat (which could explain why there was a high placebo effect among the trial subjects who received the sham treatment.) Thanks for the link.
There's a lot of info out there, but that just means more to trawl through and weed out the fake stuff.

The frequency you mention looks like one I've seen in Rife/Crane tables of frequencies. Although it is within the frequency response of the nervous system, I doubt it does much in particular.

The only therapeutic frequencies I know of are associated with Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) this has some overlap with meditation enhancing devices that concentrate on alpha, beta, theta etc brainwaves.
 
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