Method for treating musculoskeletal injury

• US 6,267,780 B1
• Filed: 07/01/1999
• Issued: 07/31/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pthera,Llc
• Original Assignee: Acculaser Inc.
• Inventors: Streeter, Jackson
• Primary Examiner(s): Dvorak, Linda C. M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kearney, R.
• Application Number:
  US09/345,954
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: 128/898, 607/88, 607/89, 607/90, 607/91, 607/92, 606/2, 606/3, 606/9, 606/13
• US Class Current: 607/89
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0644 Handheld applicators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0651 Diodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0652 Arrays of diodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0659 infrared
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0601 Apparatus for use inside the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0616 Skin treatment other than tanning
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/067 using laser light

Abstract

A method for the treatment of musculoskeletal injury using low level laser therapy. In one embodiment, a therapist applies pressure adequate to blanch the skin at a treatment point on skin adjacent a site of musculoskeletal injury, and applies laser energy having a wavelength of about 630 nm to about 904 nm, with laser apparatus having a mean power output of about 100 mW to about 500 mW, for a treatment time sufficient to deliver at a laser energy dosage of about 1 joule/point to about 10 joules/point. Treatment times, total dosage, and number of treatment points are determined by the therapist trained in LLLT.

Claims

1. A method for treating musculoskeletal injury, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a low level laser therapy probe having an end face and comprising a plurality of laser energy sources, each laser energy source for emitting a laser energy beam having a wavelength in the visible to near-infrared range, the probe configured so that the laser energy beams overlap at a distance of about 0.5 to about 2.0 cm from the probe end face, the laser energy sources each having a power output sufficient to produce a combined mean power of over about 100 mW at the point of overlap;

at at least one treatment point on skin adjacent a musculoskeletal injury site, using the probe end face to apply pressure adequate to blanch the skin; and

at the at least one treatment point, activating the low level laser therapy probe.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein providing a low level laser therapy probe comprises

providing the low level laser therapy probe with laser energy sources each having a mean power output sufficient to produce a combined mean power up to about 500 mW at the point of overlap.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein providing a low level laser therapy probe comprises providing the low level laser therapy probe with laser energy sources for emitting laser energy having a wavelength of about 630 nm to about 904 nm.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein activating the low level laser therapy probe at the at least one treatment point comprises the step of activating the low level laser energy probe for a period sufficient to apply a laser energy dosage of about 1 joule/point to about 10 joules per/point.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1 comprising treating a plurality of treatment points.

6. A method in accordance with claim 5 comprising treating a plurality of treatment points separated by about 1 cm.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein providing the low level laser therapy probe comprises providing the low level laser therapy probe configured so that the laser energy beams overlap at a distance of about 1.7 cm from the probe end face.

8. A method of using a low level laser therapy apparatus having a plurality of laser energy sources in a probe having a probe head, each of the laser energy sources configured to emit from the probe head a laser energy beam having a wavelength in the visible to near-infrared range, the probe configured so that the laser energy beams converge at a distance of about 0.5 to about 2.0 cm from the probe head, the method comprising the steps of:

at at least one treatment point on skin adjacent a musculoskeletal injury site, applying pressure with the probe head, the pressure adequate to blanch the skin; and

wherein the plurality of laser energy sources have a combined mean power of about 100 mW to about 500 mW at the point of convergence of the laser energy beams, energizing the laser energy source.

9. A method in accordance with claim 8 wherein energizing the laser energy sources comprises the step of energizing the laser energy sources for a treatment time sufficient to deliver a laser energy dosage of about 1 joule/point to about 10 joules/point.

10. A method in accordance with claim 8 further comprising the step of determining the location of the at least one treatment point within a region of skin adjacent the musculoskeletal injury site.

11. A method in accordance with claim 10 wherein determining the location of the at least one treatment point comprises determining the location of a plurality of treatment points within a region of skin adjacent the musculoskeletal injury site.

12. A method in accordance with claim 10 wherein determining the location of a plurality of treatment points comprises the step of separating the treatment points by about 1 cm.

13. A method for treating musculoskeletal injury using low level laser therapy, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a low level laser therapy probe having a plurality of identical laser energy sources each emitting a laser energy beam in the visible to near-infrared wavelength range, the probe configured so that the laser energy beams converge at a distance of about 0.5 cm to about 2.0 cm from an end face of the probe, each laser energy source having a mean power output sufficient to produce a combined mean power of about 100 mW to about 500 mW at the point of overlap;

contacting with the probe end face at least one treatment point on an area of skin adjacent the musculoskeletal injury;

applying pressure to the at least one treatment point with the probe end face; and

energizing the probe laser energy sources for a treatment time sufficient to deliver a pre-selected dosage of laser energy from about 1 joule/point to about 10 joules/point as determined using the combined mean power of the laser energy sources at the point of overlap.