The Power of Light

With clearance from the Food and Drug Administration for relieving pain, coupled with the beginnings of a significant customer following, Light Force Therapy LLC, Elizabeth, Colo., offers convenient devices that can help alleviate the soreness and aches that can become a real pain in the back.

Back pain is one of the most common ailments suffered by people today. It comes in as the second most frequent pain location, with headaches taking the number one spot. For one reason or another, more than 65 million Americans experience low back pain every year. Four out of five adults will be subjected to at least one stint of back pain at some point in their life.

Back pain can occur for no apparent reason and at any point on the spine. The most common site for pain is the lower back because it bears the most weight and stress.

Light Force Therapy manufactures handheld units that use Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) that can help alleviate, and in some cases eliminate, the nuisance of back pain, as well as many other types of pain, common to virtually everyone at one time or another. The devices are cleared by the FDA to reduce pain and improve circulation. While the equipment can help tired and sore back muscles, the therapeutic capabilities go far beyond that. Light Force Therapy units also are designed to bring great relief to those suffering from arthritis. Users who have had painful arthritis for years report reduced pain and increased flexibility and range of motion after as little as four treatments.

Additionally, units have been used for conditions such as tennis elbow, nerve pain, hip and joint pain, tension headaches, sprained ankles, stiffness and spasms, tendentious and bursitis. Units also can help relieve persistent chronic pain. Back in 1998, the light therapy concept was initially a successful treatment for injured and abandoned horses, but in 1998 Light Force Therapy's LED technology was approved by the FDA to work for humans as well.

"We didn't go after the human market; it came to us," said Kim Peterson, founder of Light-Force-Therapy. "All of our promotional material was geared toward the equestrian market. But, after attending events to promote our company, we found that horse owners were using the products on themselves. We really felt an obligation to offer this technology to the human market after seeing the extremely positive results. People literally came to us with tears in their eyes to tell us their stories," she said.

Light Force Therapy uses a unique frequency of safe, low-level red and infrared light to elevate muscle tissue temperature and increase circulation. The result is the reduction of pain and tension in muscles and joints. With three different units of different sizes and settings, pain sufferers have a variety of styles and specifics that can accommodate their pain relief needs.

Studies show that back pain can be the result of many causes and can range from a dull and annoying ache to virtual anguish. A great deal of reported back pain cases are caused by stresses on the muscles and ligaments that support the spine.

The most common cause of back pain is muscle spasm. An awkward movement of the back can cause a spasm that can cause the back to lock and result in severe pain. Essentially, a cough or a sneeze could cause a muscle spasm. The ailment tends to be short-lived; however, longer lasting injuries, such as those sustained in a car accident, can bring about ailments such as injured disks, facet joints or the sacroiliac joints. Whether working or playing, the back is susceptible to the bumps, bruises, aches and pains that millions of people endure. And regardless of where it comes from, whether it is acute or chronic, in pain is a place no one wants to be.

Treatments for either chronic or acute back pain are fairly limited. Doctors recommend regular exercise, stretching, massage, maintaining good posture and using solid and supportive seating. On the extreme end of the spectrum, patients must endure treatments that utilize anti-inflammatory drugs, steroid injections or even anti-depressants. Massages ease tension and reduce stress, but cost anywhere from $60 to $120 per hour, depending on the type of massage and features included. At one massage per month, that amounts to an average of $1,080 per year on pain management using massages. Prescription drugs also are costly, they are not always effective and can trigger uncomfortable side effects on the body. What is more is the convenience factor?people have to get in the car, wait in line and spend a significant amount of money for their massage or prescription refill.

The Light Force Therapy units can be used virtually anywhere, in the comfort of the home, a car, on vacation, while watching television or even sharing a visit with a friend. Features such as rechargeable batteries, strap kits and car adapters, allow pain sufferers to literally take their pain relief into their own hands by using a device that is safe, natural and effective in relieving pain and discomfort.

Light Force Therapy upholds the strict regulations set by the government agency as well as several safety and quality assurance requirements.

In an alliance with the health care community (including doctors, chiropractors and physical therapists) the company offers a 20 percent discount to practitioners who want to use the devices in their practice or resell them to consumers. Chiropractors report that using the light in addition to chiropractic methods can aid in pain reduction for back pain sufferers.

Dr. Ben Freeman, a physical therapist from Castle Rock, Colo., said, "I see a wide range of clients in my practice. I see youth baseball players and youth athletes as young as six or seven years old, all the way up through professional athletes, and Light Force Therapy works fantastic with acute conditions in pain."

Those in pain can choose from three distinct units to help reduce pain and live happier, more productive lives. While the LEDs in each unit are equally powerful, the variety in unit size and number of LEDs on a particular unit allow patients to treat smaller or larger areas on the body.

The Dio, the company's smallest device, is a lightweight and portable unit that can run either from a rechargeable battery or from a standard wall unit, featuring 24 LEDs and covering a four square inch treatment area. The Supernova, Light Force Therapy's largest unit, has 190 LEDs and covers a 70 square inch treatment area.

All equipment is shipped with a full product usage guide as well as a convenient Quick Start Guide that walks patients through the process so they are able to use the product most effectively. Users begin with Light Force Therapy's patented EPS routine in which they put the device directly on each ear, palm and sole for one minute each. Patients can refer to their product usage guide or Quick Start Guide to understand how to best alleviate the pain they are experiencing, which setting to use and how long to use it. Patients are encouraged to test various frequencies to best meet their individual needs. Customers also are offered a one-year money back guarantee as well as a one-year manufacture's warranty.

Dr. Bruce Bloom, director of Goldman Philanthropic Partnership, calls Light Force Therapy a very exciting technology.

"It's easy to use, it's non-invasive, and it has a wide range of uses. It seems to have a very strong positive effect without causing any of the side effects that you would normally get from medications or from lots of other invasive therapies that you can do. And relatively inexpensive for the return that it provides, from a health standpoint, Bloom said.

Society is entering into a chapter in which, unlike before, people are beginning to take their health-related needs into their own hands. They are questioning the traditional methods of pain relief. They are tired of solutions that do not work and pose a persistent financial drain.

All across the globe, little light bulbs are going off. People all over the world are recognizing the virtually untapped, and often misunderstood, power of light.

This article originally appeared in the September 2003 issue of HME Business.

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