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Light-Based Therapy May Treat Thrombocytopenia

A low-intensity type of laser treatment may offer a non-invasive, drug-free treatment for thrombocytopenia — a potentially life-threatening shortage of the blood cells called platelets that are essential to blood clotting. In their paper appearing in Science Translational Medicine, a research team from the Wellman Center for Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) reports that low-level laser therapy increased the generation of platelets from precursor cells called megakaryocytes (MKs) and had the same effect in several mouse models of the condition. They also identified the probable mechanism underlying this effect.

“Our study reveals for the first time that low-level laser therapy enhances platelet production in animals with thrombocytopenia, but not in normal controls,” says Mei X. Wu, PhD, of the Wellman Center at MGH, the senior author of the study. “This result suggests that a safe, drug-free method that does not depend on donated blood products can be developed for treating or preventing thrombocytopenia.”

Among the conditions that can lead to thrombocytopenia are certain types of leukemia, an autoimmune disorder that attacks platelets, and side-effects of certain drugs, including some used for chemotherapy. The most established treatment is platelet transfusion, which since it risks complications including infection, allergic reaction and immunosuppression is limited to the most severe cases. Dosage levels of the FDA-approved drugs that increase platelet levels must be precisely controlled to avoid excessive platelet production that raises the risk of dangerous blood clots.

 

 

SOURCE…www.sciencedaily.com

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Light Therapy Works for Fibromyalgia

 

I’ve had severe fibromyalgia for 14 years, and I’ve been disabled as long. Without a doubt, the pain is certainly a central issue, along with the severe fatigue, flare ups, and crashes. It’s an absolutely miserable disease that’s intrusive and destructive. I broke commitments that really shouldn’t be broken, which put a strain on personal relationships. The pain is a level of suffering that can easily push one to insanity or worse.

I found light therapy last October Some areas are completely free of pain at times, which hasn’t happened in 14 years, but if I stop treatment the pain returns. It’s not a cure, my fibro is still terribly limiting, but it’s an amazing treatment for the pain. The decrease in my personal suffering has been outstanding.

It still astonishes me how well laser therapy works. I still suffer from fibro fog, low energy, and all of the other problems associated with fibromyalgia, but my pain levels have dropped from a constant 7-9 out of 10, to a much more tolerable 2-4. I use the laser between 20 minutes to an hour or more a day, and rather than become resistant, my body seems to respond better after getting used to treatment.Some areas are completely free of pain at times, which hasn’t happened in 14 years, but if I stop treatment the pain returns. It’s not a cure, my fibro is still terribly limiting, but it’s an amazing treatment for the pain. The decrease in my personal suffering has been outstanding.

The laser is like an alarm clock for under active mitochondria, only stimulating the cells in need. Properly functioning tissue (not in pain) have little to no response, while damaged or inflamed tissue “wake up” and begin healing. Some areas need daily treatment, like my calves and back, while other areas can go days between treatments.If you’re a fan of science fiction, this is the coolest thing since the smartphone made Captain Kirk’s communicator look silly.

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Light Therapy May Aid Traumatic Brain Injury

 

Two patients with long-term deficits from traumatic brain injury (TBI) have shown substantial improvement in cognitive function with transcranial light therapy, investigators reported.A TBI patient on medical disability returned to work as a technology consultant after four months of nightly, at-home treatment with near-infrared light-emitting diodes (LEDs) placed on the forehead and scalp,Seven years after a closed-head TBI, another patient experienced improved sustained attention capability from 20 minutes to three hours with ongoing LED treatment.

Both patients regressed with discontinuation of the light therapy, Margaret A. Naeser, PhD, of Boston University and the Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, and colleagues reported online in Photomedicine and Laser Surgery.”Results from the two chronic TBI cases described here, along with those from previous [light therapy] studies with acute stroke patients and chronic, major depression cases, suggest that further, controlled research with this methodology is warranted,” Naeser and her co-authors wrote in conclusion.

“Transcranial red/near-infrared LED may be an inexpensive, noninvasive treatment, suitable for home treatments, to improve cognitive function in TBI patients, as well as to reduce symptom severity in post-traumatic stress disorder,” they added.

 

In patients with closed-head, mild TBI, CT or MRI scans usually show no evidence of focal lesions, but more often, diffuse axonal injury in the anterior corona radiata and frontotemporal regions.PET scans of the brain have shown reduced regional glucose metabolism in bilateral frontal and temporal lobes in chronic TBI, the authors wrote. Other studies have shown abnormal frontal-lobe activation.

Frontal-lobe regions susceptible to TBI-related damage include the prefrontal cortex and the anterior cingulate gyrus. The former is involved in maintaining working memory, especially sustained attention. The anterior cingulate gyrus has been implicated in divided attention, working memory, and memory retrieval among other functions.

Low-level laser therapy has been shown to have beneficial cellular and physiologic effects in controlled trials, the authors continued.Absorption of laser light has been associated with increased cellular respiration, intracellular calcium flux, increased ATP synthesis, increased nerve-cell proliferation and migration, and NF-κB activation.

Transcranial infrared light has been shown to reduce brain damage in preclinical models of stroke, improve memory in middle-aged mice, and improve outcomes in clinical stroke . Low-level light treatment has stimulated neuronal repair in an animal model of spinal-cord injury.

 

 

Low-level laser therapy also increases expression of various growth factors that could induce neurogenesis in TBI. Studies involving patients with chronic major depression showed significant improvement in depression and anxiety for two weeks after a single light treatment.Given the experimental and clinical evidence supporting therapeutic benefits of light therapy in TBI, Naeser and colleagues have evaluated transcranial near-infrared/LED light as a means of improving cognitive function in patients with chronic TBI.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SOURCE…www.medpagetoday.com

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Thou Shall Let Food Be Thy Medicine

 The magical elixir to a healthy life  taste great too according to this written by BRIAN SYUKI.  Hormonal imbalances and inflammation are common conditions in the U.S. They are often the culprit behind symptoms such as joint pain, fatigue, high blood pressure, headaches and bloating. Unfortunately they can also increase the risk of more serious diseases, such as cancer and diabetes.The good news? Eating certain foods will help balance your hormones and reduce inflammation. To help lower your risk for disease,  in addition to weight loss goes beyond “calories in, calories out.” Balancing hormones and reducing inflammation will help you reach your weight goal faster, so eat these superfoods  frequently. READ MORE

 

 

ClearSkullCrp

Brain Teaser: Do You See The Pattern?

Use it or lose it!

THE BRAIN IS A MUSCLE.  Just like any other muscle it needs exercise if its neurons are to stay sharp.  Studies have shown that repeatedly learning something new keeps the brain forming connections and prevents it from falling back and leveling out  into a simple state of operation.

It's even been shown that new challenges to the brain help in the defense against Alzheimer's disease.

So... let's TRAIN THAT BRAIN!

Do you see a pattern?

2 x 9 = 18

3 x 9 = 27

4 x 9 = 36

5 x 9 = 45​

12 x 9 = 108

123 x 9 = 1,107

1,245 x 9 = 11,205

12,459 x 9 = 112,131

and

and

and

and

and

and

and

and

1 + 8 = 9

2 + 7 = 9

3 + 6 = 9

4 + 5 = 9​

​1 + 0 + 8 = 9

1 + 1 + 0 + 7 = 9

1 + 1 + 2 + 0 + 5 = 9

1 + 1 + 2 + 1 + 3 +1 = 9

Answer

ClearSkullCrp

Brain Teaser: How Many Do You See?

Use it or lose it!

THE BRAIN IS A MUSCLE.  Just like any other muscle it needs exercise if its neurons are to stay sharp.  Studies have shown that repeatedly learning something new keeps the brain forming connections and prevents it from falling back and leveling out  into a simple state of operation.

It's even been shown that new challenges to the brain help in the defense against Alzheimer's disease.

So... let's TRAIN THAT BRAIN

How many 90° figures do you see?

Answer

1 … 24 25 26 27 28 … 53