| CLINICAL
RESEARCH – WHOLE-BODY REGENERATIVE RADIANT THERAPY
THERAPEUTIC
EFFECTS
1. It increases the extensibility of collagen
tissues
2. It decreases joint stiffness directly
3. It relieves muscle spasms
4. It produces pain relief
5. It increases blood flow
6. It assists in resolution of inflammatory
infiltrates, edema and exudates
7. More recently, it has been used in cancer
therapy
8. Use in China
The
following is summarized from Therapeutic Heat and Cold, 4 th Edition,
ED. Justus F. Lehmann, M.D., Williams and Wilkins, Chapter 9 or concluded
from the data therein.
Generally it is accepted that heat produces the following desirable
therapeutic effects:
1.
It increases the extensibility of collagen tissues
-
Tissues
heated to 45° C and then stretched exhibit a non-elastic residual
elongation of about 0.5 – 0.9% that persists after the stretch
is removed which does not occur in these same tissues when stretched
at normal tissue temperatures. Thus 20 stretching sessions can produce
a 10 – 18% increase in length in tissues heated and stretched.
-
This
effect would be especially valuable in working with ligaments, joint
capsules, tendons, fasciae, and synovium that have become scarred,
thickened or contracted.
-
Such
stretching at 45° C caused much less weakening in stretched
tissues for a given elongation than a similar elongation produces
at normal tissue temperatures.
-
The
experiments cited clearly showed that low-force stretching can produce
significant residual elongation when heat is applied together with
stretching or range-of-motion exercises, which is also safer than
stretching tissues at normal tissue temperatures.
-
This
safer stretching effect is crucial in properly training competitive
athletes so as to minimize their "down" time from injuries.
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2.
It decreases joint stiffness directly
-
There
was a 20% decrease in stiffness at 45° C as compared with 33°
C in rheumatoid finger joints, which correlated perfectly to both
subjective and objective observation of stiffness.
-
Any
stiffened joint and thickened connective tissues should respond
in a similar fashion.
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3.
It relieves muscle spasms
-
Muscle
spasms have long been observed to be reduced through the use of
heat, be they secondary to underlying skeletal, joint, or neuropathological
conditions.
-
This
result is possibly produced by the combined effect of heat on both
primary and secondary afferents from spindle cells and from its
effects on Golgi tendon organs. The effects produced by each of
these mechanisms demonstrated their peak effect within the therapeutic
temperature range obtainable with radiant heat.
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4.
It produces pain relief
-
Pain
may be relieved via the reduction of attendant or secondary muscle
spasms.
-
Pain
is also at times related to ischemia due to tension or spasm which
can be improved by the hyperemia that heat-induced vasodilation
produces, thus breaking the feedback loop, in which the ischemia
leads to further spasm and then more pain.
-
Heat
has been shown to reduce pain sensation by direct action on both
free-nerve endings in tissues and on peripheral nerves. In one dental
study, repeated heat applications led finally to abolishment of
the whole nerve response responsible for pain arising from dental
pulp.
-
Heat
may both lead to increased endorphin production and a shutting down
of the so-called "spinal gate" of Melzack and Wall, each
of which can reduce pain.
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5.
It increases blood flow
-
Heating
of one area of the body produces reflex-modulated vasodilations
in distant-body area, even in the absence of a change in core body
temperature; ie. heat one extremity and the contralateral extremity
also dilates: heat a forearm and both lower extremities dilate;
heat the front of the trunk and the hand dilates.
-
Heating
of muscles produces an increased blood flow level similar to that
seen during exercise.
-
Temperature
elevation produces an increase in blood flow and dilation directly
in capillaries, arterioles and venuies, probably through direct
action on the smooth muscles. The release of bradykinin, released
as a consequence of sweat-gland activity, also produces increased
blood flow and vasodilation.
-
Whole-body
hyperthermia, with a consequent core temperature elevation, further
induces vasodilation via a hypothalamic-induced decrease in sympathetic
tone on the arteriovenous anastomoses. Vasodilation is also produced
by axonal reflexes and by flexes that change vasomotor balance.
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6.
It assists in resolution of inflammatory infiltrates, edema and exudates
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7.
More recently, it has been used in cancer therapy
-
This
is a new and experimental procedure.
-
It
shows great promise in some cases when used properly.
-
American
researchers favor careful monitoring of the tumor temperature; whereas,
the successes reported in Japan make no mention of such precaution.
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8.
Use in China
Infrared
healing is now becoming the leading edge in the care of soft tissue
injuries to promote both relief in chronic and intractable "permanent"
cases, and accelerated healing in newer injuries.
Localized infrared therapy using lamps tuned to the 2 – 25 micron
waveband is used for the treatment and relief of pain by over 40 reputable
Chinese Medical Institutes.
Researchers reported over 90% success in a summary of Chinese studies
that assessed the effect of infrared therapy on:
- Soft
tissue injury
- Lumbar
strain
- Periarthritis
of the shoulder
- Sciatica
- Pain
during menstruation
- Neurodermatitis
- Eczema
with infection
- Post-surgical
infections
- Facial
Paralysis (Bells’ Palsey)
- Diarrhea
- Cholecystitis
- Neurasthenia
- Pelvic
infection
- Pediatric
pneumonia
- Tineas
- Frostbite
with inflammation
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