As Joanne Nicholas lies on a recliner, her physical therapy assistant Sheryl Albert puts a hand-held grayish-white device against the soles of her feet.
Resembling a futuristic electric shaver, this device ? connected to a small, portable computerized machine ? emits red, monochromatic infrared light that helps relieve Nicholas? pain.
Sounds like something you might see done in the sick bay of a Star Trek episode?
Maybe, but it’s not science fiction, it’s science fact.
Nicholas, a 56-year-old Oxford resident who has multiple sclerosis, bone spurs in her heels and recently underwent gastric bypass surgery, has been undergoing advance light therapy for a month and can already feel the results.
‘My therapist told me about this,? said Nicholas, who retired on medical disability for MS after working almost 25 years for the Oakland County Department of Social Services. ‘I’d had previous treatments with microwave and heat therapy. Each of them helped a little bit, but nothing has helped (like this).?
The Dynatronics SOLARIS X-3 Light Therapy technology used on Nicholas? feet, knees and back works to accelerate recovery and reduce pain caused by peripheral neuropathy, a disorder where damage to the body’s peripheral nervous system results in pain and numbness to the hands and feet.
The procedure uses emissions of what Residential Home Health therapy director Mark Heitchue describes as ‘near infrared? light targeted to affected areas ‘that penetrate deep into tissue to treat at the cellular level.?
This procedure, which is painless, results in faster results for pain relief and recovery time and, according to RHH, generates results faster and more effectively than similar forms of therapy.
Because of the weekly treatments, Nicholas is able to do more things in life for longer periods of time.
She can get up and move around with a walker and can even do exercises for her physical therapy. ‘I’m walking so much more, and this lessens the arthritic pain in my knees and back,? she said. ‘It also helps with my heel spurs. After the treatments, those areas feel a lot better and it lasts until the next treatment the following week.?
Albert estimated it takes about 15 minutes to use the light therapy treatment on Nicholas? feet, knees and back. She uses the controller on three to four spots on Nicholas? feet, knees and back, each taking 45-50 seconds.
Because the treatments alleviate pain and give Nicholas more mobility, she’s able to work more on her physical therapy. She and Albert work on balancing along with weight shifting and standing exercises.
‘We do different things while she’s standing still with her hands,? Albert explained. ‘This helps with things she does like working in the kitchen and doing whatever she needs to do on a functional day-to-day level. We’re trying to incorporate that with therapy to make her day to day tasks much easier.?
Nicholas is now able to bake bread, cook, do her laundry, vacuum, and do her dishes.
‘The only thing I haven’t done is driving, only because I’m afraid of the icy weather,? she added.
The therapy also has made it easier for her to use a scooter. ‘I’ve gotten stronger also with my left leg so I can walk and step onto scooter and sit on it and ride for distances,? she said. ‘My stamina’s longer.?
Besides being able to use her scooter to run errands, the therapy has also helped Nicholas do one activity she absolutely loves’putting up Christmas decorations.
‘I’ve assembled a little tree already,? she said. ‘I’m a Christmas fanatic. My goal is to put a tree in every room.?
Heitchue added that while this light therapy technology generally has been around for many years, The SOLARIS light therapy is new to home health care and has been used primarily in outpatient settings. So far, the results have been very positive.
‘We’ve found over last seven to eight months of using it, there have been some great results,? he said. ‘Patient testimonials report reduced pain like Ms. Nicholas, and with reduced pain comes improved function.?
He added there are 50 of these SOLARIS Light Therapy units out in the field to be used by physical and occupational therapists. The company covers areas from Port Huron to Muskegon and from the Michigan/Ohio border up to the Saginaw area.
‘All our therapists have this equipment,? Heitchue said. ‘They use (it) at their discretion with a physician’s order for treating patients.?
In the meantime, Nicholas continues her therapy and losing weight. And as for the prints and posters of San Francisco on her walls, perhaps the day will come when she again see those sites in person. To learn more visit www.residentialhomehealth.com.