How Cold Laser Therapy May Safely Help Stop the Effects of Osteoarthritis in the Knee

Besides Reducing Osteoarthritis Knee Pain, Cold Laser Therapy in Dallas Texas May Help Mitigate the Effects of Osteoarthritis in the Knee by Inhibiting Cartilage Destruction, Promoting Cartilage Repair and Enhancing Cartilage Preservation

In healthy knees, cartilage is constantly being broken down, replaced and rebuilt. There is a delicate balance between enzymes that break down the cartilage and cells that help restore it. The aging process, disease, injury and surgeries to the knee joint eventually make it so that cartilage is being broken down faster than it is being rebuilt. In osteoarthritis, the balance between cartilage degradation and reformation is disturbed, and there is a net loss of collagen and proteoglycans in the cartilage (two important raw materials that make up cartilage). It is believed that osteoarthritis of the knee develops due to there being more enzymes destroying the cartilage then chondrocytes (cartilage forming cells) creating it. When this process continues over a period of time cartilage begins to erode. This results in increased knee joint pain, deformity, and limited joint mobility.

Currently, there are many options available to help treat the symptoms of osteoarthritis, but many of those options have long-term side-effects and can be dangerous. Recently, with the advancement of technology and patients demanding safer treatment methods, Cold laser therapy has changed all of that. Cold laser therapy is considered a safe, painless, non-invasive treatment that is usually very effective for conservatively treating osteoarthritis in the knees.

Cold lasers emit specific wavelengths of light that directly excite the primary energy producer of the cell, chromophore cytochrome C oxidase. This enzyme is found in every human cell, and once it’s stimulated it increases the rate at which ATP (adenosine triphosphate) or energy is produced by the cell. This ‘jumpstart’ in cellular metabolism creates more fuel and energy for the cell, and as a result a cascade of beneficial physiological events occurs. Ultimately, what is realized from a cold laser therapy treatment is a decrease in inflammation, pain and healing time for the injured tissue or joint; as well as the ability for tissue to heal and repair itself without the need for invasive care.

Besides decreasing osteoarthritis knee pain, inflammation and improving joint mobility cold laser therapy is believed to safely help stop the effects of osteoarthritis in the knee by inhibiting cartilage destruction, promoting cartilage repair and enhancing cartilage preservation. Cold laser therapy does this by stimulating and inhibiting specific enzymes, proteins, cells and molecules that play a role in osteoarthritis of the knee.

1. Cold lasers inhibit the inflammatory protein interleukin-1. Inhibiting interleukin-1 is important because according to arthritis research interleukin-1, a cytokine, plays a direct role in destroying cartilage and it also suppresses any chance of repairing it. In a knee diagnosed with osteoarthritis, there are high levels of interleukin-1 which is believed to do the following:

• Interleukin-1 stimulates more of the enzymes that destroy cartilage
• Interleukin-1 does not allow type II collagen to be produced-so cartilage cannot be rebuilt or replaced.
• Finally interleukin-1 suppresses cells that make cartilage (chondrocytes) from producing proteoglycans. (Water, Proteoglycans, collagen, and chondrocytes make up the primary framework or matrix for hyaline cartilage, the cartilage that cushions the knee joint.)^1.

2. Cold laser therapy stimulates Growth factor activity.

Research indicates that enzymes such as growth factors are increased with cold laser therapy. Growth factors are important for healthy knees because they stimulate chondrocyte activity which in turn allows cartilage to be repaired and rebuilt. (Cartilage repair in the knee is directly dependent on chondrocyte activity). In addition, Growth factors help counter act cartilage degradation by switching off interleukin-1.¹

3. Cold laser therapy helps stimulate fibroblasts (cells that produce collagen) production. Fibroblasts are needed for collagen development which is necessary to make cartilage.²

4. Cold laser therapy indirectly helps Increase the tensile strength of the tissue. When Osteoarthritis begins to destroy the collagen/proteoglycan matrix due to the imbalance of enzymatic activity it creates an increase in water content in the cartilage making the knee more susceptible to injury. Studies indicate that cold laser therapy increases the strength of the collagen molecules by increasing intra and inter-molecular hydrogen bonding so there is less likelihood of injuries to the cartilage or meniscus.^3,4,5,6

In summary, cold laser therapy is vital to preserving, repairing and stimulating cartilage in a knee diagnosed with osteoarthritis. This is ultimately achieved through exciting or inhibiting either directly or indirectly vital enzymes, proteins, molecules or cells needed to maintain a healthy knee.

If you live in the Dallas, Fort Worth or surrounding areas and would like to find out more about how cold laser therapy can help reduce the effects of osteoarthritis knee pain or to schedule an interview with Dr. Alexandra Schnee, D.C. please call the DFW Spine & Joint Center at 214-596-1051 or visit http://www.helpmykneepain.com

Or if you would like more information about cold laser therapy and Dr. Schnees’ Cold Laser Knee Program click here and a FREE 16 page report will be mailed to you entitled, Amazing Cold Laser Therapy the Missing Link to Knee Pain Relief!

Dr. Alexandra K. Schnee, B.S.,D.C.,-Your Cold Laser Dallas Doctor for the Treatment of Knee Pain for the Dallas and Fort Worth, and Texas Area-“ Dr.Schnee's Cold Laser Knee Program Has Been Helping People with Knee Pain and Joint Pain in the Dallas, Fort Worth and surrounding areas since 2001.”

_{1.Martin, Richard. Laser-Accelerated Inflammation/Pain Reduction and Healing. Practical Pain Management. Page 24. Nov/Dec 2003.}

_{2. Almeida-Lopes L, et al. Comparison of the low level laser therapy effects on cultured human gingival fibroblasts proliferation using different irradiance and same fluence. Lasers in Surgery and Medicine. 2001. 29(2):179-184.}

_{3.Enwemeka CS and Reddy GK. The biological effects of laser therapy and other modalities on connective tissue repair processes. The Journal of Laser Therapy. Vol 12. World Association of Laser Therapy. 2000.}

_{4. Reddy GK, Stehno-Bittel L, and Enwemeka CS. Laser Photo Stimulation Accelerates Wound Healing in Diabetic Rats. Wound Repair and Regeneration. 2001. 9:248-255.}

_{5. Stadler I, et al. 830nm irradiation increases the wound tensile strength in diabetic murine model. Lasers in Surgery and Medicine. 2001. 28 (3):220-226.}

_{6. Parizotto N, et al. Structural analysis of collagen fibrils after He-Ne laser photostimulation. 2^nd congress, World Association for Laser Therapy. Kansas City 1998.}

The information on this website is for educational purposes only. No medical treatment claims are made or implied. Results will vary.

©AKS 2011