Research has shown that Low Level Laser Therapy can help treat children with cerebral palsy. The treatment was seen to decrease myotonia for 23 hours to 1 day. The response of the treatment varied by patient and the severity of myotonia.
Low Level Laser Therapy has been useful in the treatment of many musculoskeletal disorders and has been shown to provide treatment in Cerebral Palsy without any side effects. It is a very efficient supplementary treatment for Cerebral Palsy going through intensive functional training.
The research found that there were many benefits to the treatment.
Common Findings In Medical Testing
The most widely observed by the LLLT treatments was the local temperature rising which led to increase the blood flow due to the dilation of blood vessels. The local temperature rose up to 9 degree Celsius while the body temperature remained within the normal range.
In other tests, doppler USG, was performed to observe the rise in blood flow in the common carotid artery and it increased in average from 23.5% to 74%.
The studies also showed increased signals produced by sympathetic nervous system increased the ton of muscles. Laser therapy suppresses the excitation of this system.
LLLT also decreased the concentration of free calcium ions in the smooth muscles of the blood vessels, which helps them dilate.
LLLT triggered the opening of sodium channels, causing depolarization of the nerve fibers, which leads to the generation of action potential and improved movement.
Low Level Laser Therapy was also seen to improve sleep patterns and increase the temperature in extremities.
Results also suggest that LLLT has a positive influence on bone metabolism, because it temporarily increases bone formation and supresses bone resorption. And also improves secondary hyperparathyroidism caused by vitamin D deficiency.
Using Low Level Laser Therapy As A Supplementary Treatment
LLLT provided a temporary, bue immediate relieve from muscle spasticity and has proved to be very successful for spastic type Cerebral Palsy.
A study performed gross motor function measure on patients that received LLLT along with functional training. The results showed that low level laser therapy improved the results in the irradiated areas in comparison to the sites that were not irradiated and only intensive training was performed.
Mothers of Cerbral Palsy children also noted an improvement and more than 90% said that they were satisfied with this treatment.
Note, that this treatment is temporary and does not help in cases that there is an irreversible joint contracture.
Musculoskeletal disorders that can be treated:
- Suppression of muscle tone in athetotic Cerebral Palsy
- Suppression of femoral head deformation
- Decrease in the therapeutic period in Perthes disease
- Treating congenital hip displacement
- To improve muscle function by decreasing myotonia
- To treat bed sores
- Treating clubfoot
References
Asagai Y (2016) 24 Years’ Experience of Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) for Children with Cerebral Palsy. Int J Phys Med Rehabil 4:320. doi: 10.4172/2329-9096.1000320
The effect of LLLT on bone metabolism in children with severe cerebral palsy (a secondary publication) Yoshimi Asagaicorresponding author
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