Cold Laser Therapy Treatments - With Success!!!

[lukesky]

CPPSers:

Here is some interesting success!!!.

I was diagnosed with prostatitis about 8 years ago. I have all the "usual" symptoms that are always discussed on this forum. I have tried all types of treatments, except Stanford/Wise-Anderson Protocol. I have done the stretches with little or no relief. I have also tried all kinds of supplemements, etc., etc., etc. Due to the extent of my CPPS, over the last 2-3 years I have had erection difficulties and have had to use Cialis. I no longer have nocturnal erections and haven't had any for about 2-3 years. About 2 months ago I was involved in an automobile acccident (rear ended) and subsequently chose to go to a Chiropractor. I wasn't really hurting much but I wanted to make sure that nothing did happen with my neck and back. To date, I am fine with no neck or back problems. However, an interesting thing happened while receiving treatments from the Chiropractor. The Chiro had a device known as Cold Laser Treatment. It is used on the spine and surrounding muscles etc., to help deal with pain, inflammation and other problems related to pain. He told me some of the success stories that he has had using this laser treatment on patient's backs. I inquired more about what it would do and told him about my prostatitis. I asked if he thought it might work for the pain and supposed swelling down in that area. He told me, as far as he knows, it has never been used to treat prostatitis, but give it a try.

So, let me explain what Cold Laser Therapy is.

The "device" looks like a flashlight. It's about 9 inches long and it has batteries in it. This Chiro had two of them. They cost right at $10,000.00 a piece. It emits a "red" light that looks somewhat like a laser pen light. This light penetrates tissues, muscles, etc. to assist in healing the tissue. However, there is no heat to it (hense, the word, Cold Therapy) it is not cold and you feel nothing while holding against your skin. While holding it against your skin it will "beep" for 30 seconds and then you rotate it 1/4 of a turn continue to hold it on the areas for another 30 seconds and then you rotate it again another 1/4 turn for another 30 seconds. So total treatment time against the skin is only 90 seconds. You can either place it directly on the skin or over a shirt or other clothing.

So, I took only 1 of them, to the restroom in the Chiro's office. Pulled down my pants and placed the device directly over my underwear above my public bone and did the 90 second therapy. After that I placed it in the pernieum (sp?) area over my underwear with gym short on for 90 seconds. I did this threatment 3 times a week for 1 week and then 1-2 times the next week and then 1 time the next week.

Here are the results after using cold laser therapy:

1. After 2 treatments my nocturnal erections returned
2. Pain, burning and golf ball feeling reduced to almost zero.
3. Spontaneous erections returned
4. Able to achieve and maintain erections during sex without Cialis.

I haven't had another treatment since before X-MAS. I am not 100% but I am significantly better since using the laser. Nothing else has changed as far as diet change, exercise, etc. So I assume it is from the effects of the laser. I suppose that the laser light provided some form of healing to the area and decreased pain and swelling.

I am going to continue to use it to see if I get further results.

I will update as soon as other progress is made if any.

Luke

[webslave]

Luke, were you also getting chiropractic manipulations to your back at the same time?

[Astrotitan]

Thats what I was going to ask as well webslave. It is probable that the back manipulation has helped.

Tom

[LightningTree]

I'm glad you have found something that is working for you, lukesky! Please keep us posted about your progress.

If you want to see what an insurance company "thinks" about cold lasers, check here:
http://www.aetna.com/cpb/data/CPBA0363.html

They have a wait-and-see attitude about cold lasers. Coming from an insurance company, this aint too bad. Some controlled studies show benefits, while many others do not.

Looks like another potential avenue to explore.

[MastCells]

Let's take this for what it's worth: one anecdotal account of a (temporary?) success out of millions. Sorry to sound so pessimistic, but I'm just trying to put things into perspective.

[lukesky]

Astrotitan, Webslave, Etc:

No manipulations were performed on my Back!!!! Only on the neck. What in the hell do insurance companies know?? They are not doctors nor are they someone with prostatitis. If everyone on earth had to wait for an insurance company to tell them they can proceed with treatment we would all be in big trouble. It's amazing that after 2 treatments that nocturnal erections came back and continue to be present after 2 years of not having any. The laser treatment clearly "woke" things up down in that area.

Lukesky

[lukesky]

To All:

Forgot to mention. I have been having regular chiropractic adjustments on my back for the last 4 years with no relief whatsoever.!!!!

Adjustments have never effected my prostatitis only the laser therapy.

Lukesky

[MB]

I tried cold laser and it gave me a very bad flare-up. I don't know if cold laser has a placebo/nocebo effect or it is really genuine. I don't want to repeat the experience.

[webslave]

Well, if it can cause flare-ups it is doing something. We need studies!!

[CppsDad]

I'll take this on face value. We know that it appears to have helped at least one person out of two, and the other got flare-ups, which is not necessarily bad. I see no reason to doubt this. But, of course, we need a few more people to undergo treatment too before we can even evaluate it. There are many treatments that are effective, but effective for only a small minority of people. I think those supplements that were discussed a year ago might be in that category (forgot what they were called already). Where this treatment lies waits to be seen. But I'd rather someone bring up something that they think helped them, rather than keep it quiet. I'd like to know ANYTHING that helped someone, because at the very least it builds some circumstantial evidence for certain things that work or don't work.

Mike

[MB]

if it can cause flare-ups it is doing something

There is always the inverse of the placebo or nocebo. If you don't feel very comfortable with the practitioner or somehow convinced the treatment may be detrimental.
For what it is worth, the chiro who used it on me said that it helps release the connective tissue but can upset nerves .

[LightningTree]

It is really hard to say. In the insurance report that I cited, you can read the skepticism in the voices of the panel, in that they cannot understand how such low energy output would have such a profound effect on chronic pain. But we all know how insurance companies operate, so as lukesky pointed out, this information is of limited value.

Still, I find myself asking the same queston. How does a laser that emits so little energy, so little that it cannot warm tissue, able to affect tissue?

I'm not saying it doesn't. I'd just like
(1) more studies
(2) more examples on chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome patients
(3) science concerning the physiological effects of the device on tissue

As I am effectively 99% better, only experiencing any pain and weird sensations when I am say, at my in-laws, I have to insist that *SOME* part of my pain was stress responsive. That may not hold for everyone, and it certainly made no difference for me for over a year. But it do believe that we need to pay very close attention to our otherwise invisble, unsensible stress when we consider chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome pain. That is not meant to diminish lukesky's success. Its just something that I think needs to be in any equaton for chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome treatment (probably many forms of chronic pain in general.)

Anyhow, luke, what matters is that you continue with what is working for you, and keep us posted!

[lukesky]

To All:

Yesterday after posting on cold laser treatment I went to the chiropractor and administered the laser on myself. Placed the laser in the pernieum area and later in the day did have a "flare". Nothing serious. Some burning and increased urinary output. However, experienced nocturnal erections that very night. To the other individual that tried the laser treatment I might ask: "How long did you try it"? This is my 8th or 9th treatment and "Something" appears to be having an impact on my condition. One issue might be that this particular laser that I am using penetrates deeper than other models. I don't know it that makes a diference. I, of course, have used it somewhat consistently to allow it to have more than just a placebo effect. I am going back to the Chiro today and will administer another treatment.

Lukesky

[LightningTree]

Lukesky,

If you go back today, see if you can write down and report the make and model of the laser you are using. I want to look into its physical characteristics as a laser.

[londoner]

Can I just throw this into the pot to see what people think...

http://www.biolamps.com/

Their claims to ease pain are backed up by some respected publications (so what?, I hear you cry!)