Learn more about how to apply laser treatment for chronic health conditions with the Apollo Laser through a series of questions posed to Dr. Curtis Turchin, chiropractor and creator of the Apollo Laser System.
Apollo Laser System
Q: Could you explain the wide variation in treatment times/joules per session?
A: "The simple answer is the average treatment time is 1-2 minutes per area. For stenosis, you need to start low (see info in my book on titration, skin color, sensitivities, etc.) to avoid flaring. Yet, the lateral canal is deep and can require A LOT of photons and many treatments to cure it. The deeper the tissue, the longer the treatment time."
Q: Could you explain the variation for treatment and protocol in acute conditions versus chronic conditions? Do acute conditions generally require less treatment time and chronic conditions more treatment time?
A: "Treatment time varies more by depth of tissue, skin color and sensitivity than acute vs. chronic. The issue is trying to get maximum improvement with the least amount of aggravation of the condition."
Q: One of my main questions is can this type of laser therapy be safely applied for patients who have chronic ongoing conditions. For example, I have a patient who has lumbar arthritis and he typically received ultrasound treatment 2-3 times per week and found this to be of benefit long term. He has switched to laser therapy and found it to be of more benefit, but are there any concerns about providing this therapy long term 2-3 times per week for his ongoing symptoms?
A: "Long term treatment is not only OK, it is mandatory with very chronic problems."
Q: His treatment times vary between 2-4 minutes (depending on how many points I am treating) and the treatment area is primarily L1-L5 region, so in my opinion, the treatment area is fairly broad. I use a 20 second treatment time per point. Is this acceptable?
A: "That is fine."
Q: How critical or important is the time of treatment for neck/back conditions. If I use five minutes, rather than three minutes are there negative effects that I should be concerned about?
A: "With the sensitive patient it is a concern. With the AVERAGE healthy, robust patient, 3-5 minutes over a broad area is fine."
Q: How important is it to paint the area (keep the head moving) versus treating the area point by point for perhaps 20 seconds per point?
A: "Painting stimulates the area helps the tissues around the injured area stimulate healing. Without healthy vascular and nerve supply in the surrounding area, healing is delayed."
