P-3-11-08
APPLICATION OF LOW REACTIVE-LEVEL LASER THERAPY (LLLT) IN PATIENTS WITH CEREBRAL PALSY OF THE ADULT TENSION ATHETOSIS TYPE
Yoshimi Asagai, Hidekazu Suzuki, Yutaka Miyata (Shinano Handicapped Children's Hospital)
Yukio Miura (Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Tokyo Medical College)
Toshio Ohshiro (Japan Medical Laser Laboratory)
Abstract; We applied laser irradiation (830nm, 60mW continuous wave) to all myotonic sites around the face and neck region where myotonia was severe in 20 patients with cerebral palsy of the adult tension athetosis type. Improvement of myotonia was seen in 19 patients while improvement of pain in the neck and back was seen in all the 16 patients who had pain in these regions. Suppression of myotonia reduced tonic vocalization making words easily heard; moreover, suppression of myotonia and involuntary movements improved working efficiency enabling the patient to perform fairly complex tasks such as word processing. Even in the most severe cases, assisting the patient became easier and breathing improved. The duration of sustained effect varied from 1 or 2 hours to a week. LLLT provides a new and effective treatment modality in this extremely problematic condition, has no serious side effects, and has the potential to improve these patients' quality of life.
P-3-11-09
Effect of Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) on viscoelasticity of the contracted knee joint in rats.
Mariko Usuba (Tsukuba College of Technology, Tsukuba, Japan), Masami Akai (University of Tokyo, Tokyo), Yosio Shirasaki (Mechanical Engineering Laboratory, MITI, Tsukuba)
Purpose: To compare the effect of LLLT with sham and whirlpool treatment, the connective tissue of contracted knee joint was biomechanically analyzed m view of viscoelastic properties.
Method: Fifty-four Wistar rats were operated to immobilize knee joint, and 1 week after operation they were randomly assigned to 4 groups; (1) Laser 40mW (3.9W/cm2), (2) Laser 60mW (5.8W/cm2), (3) sham treatment, and (4) whirlpool treatment (42℃, 7 min). Tunable Ga-A1-As semi-conductor (810nm) laser was used for each 3 min therapy. After 6 times of procedure during another 2 weeks, the hindleg of both sides were removed and prepared for a sample. Recording the degree of knee extension and the weight of gastrocnemius muscle, the degree of knee contracture was assessed by measuring phase-lag and stiffness in forced vibration method.
Result: Laser 40mW had significant increase in the weight of muscle, but no difference in knee extension, phase-lag, and stiffness. Laser 60mW had a tendency to increase stiffness, but no effect on other parameters. The LLLT seemed to have less effect on viscoelsticity than whirlpool treatment.
Conclusion: The LLLT of these conditions could contribute less to minimizing the degree of joint contracture than conventional whirlpool treatment.
