Sunday, February 25, 2024

CHANGEMAKER OF THE MONTH: WHO IS CHARLES VORWALLER?

 

Written by: Lennard Goetze, Ed.D
An Interview with CHARLES VORWALLER 

Since 2021, I collaborated on a publishing project with Dr. Robert L. Bard (diagnostic imaging specialist) to conduct a tech performance review about AxioBionics wearable therapeutic device.  This was the impetus to our advocacy group and educational initiative aptly called HEALTH TECH REPORTER whose goals are to seek out and test drive the latest in non-invasive therapeutic solutions and publish reports on the validity of their claims and health advantages.  


In early 2023, we launched an event series called HEALTH TECH DEMO DAY in Dr. Bard's diagnostic imaging practice in NYC. This became the central ground for hosting manufacturers showcase of their latest devices where they provide actual case demonstrations directly to our reporters and Dr. Bard's patients.

Our 2023 search brought us together with a remarkable advancement in red light therapy by a company called Aspen Laser (See event report on March 7, 2023) where a Demo Day with their rep was a great success. Shortly after the event, a heartfelt thanks and congratulatory letter was sent to CEO and founder Mr. Charles Vorwaller for a fantastic product.  A stunning surprise was granted us directly by Mr. Vorwaller who immediately booked a flight to NYC to see us. With a growing set of clues about the strength behind this company (and their truly fearless leader), his energy and enthusiasm to connect aligned with the INC5000 list of fastest growing privately owned companies in 2020. Headlines reported Aspen Laser was the only medical laser company on the list. In 202I, it received a five-year GSA contract to sell to VA hospitals. [1]

Setting the industry standard, the TheraLight 360 uses patent pending technologies that ensure tissue saturation regardless of skin color or body type.  He brought major spotlight to the scientific term (and treatment modality) "Photobiomodulation Therapy"  - the application of Red and Near Infrared light to tissue that is injured, sick or degenerating to increase circulation, increase cellular energy production, reduce inflammation and reduce Oxidative Stress. His originavision that began in 1988 over 35 years ago was to redefine Pain Management and Recovery that resulted in the startup in 2014 for a new company called ASPEN LASER.  It grew to become a leading edge nonpharmacologic technology and research based products that make a difference in the lives of individuals (including animals) suffering from pain and injury.  Mr. Vorwaller's initial focus to accomplish this was through innovative development and breakthrough advancement with lasers providing High Intensity Laser Therapy, incorporating technologies with multiple power levels, multiple wavelengths and multiple operating modes.

We had the distinct pleasure of collaborating with Mr. Vorwaller at Dr. Bard's "MedTech Research Lab".  We also enjoyed sharing Dr. Bard's arsenal of diagnostic imaging devices used for clinically validating biometric response as part of our Medtech device testing.

We found the exchange with Mr. Vorwaller to be both highly educational and inspiring for our continued research work.  He mentioned feeling right at home in deep discussions about exploring the future of therapeutics - aligning with his first passion as a "Technology Tinkerer'.  Dr. Bard and I gained so much from his generosity by the way of endless notes on laser and light technology as well as a front row seat to the entire medical device industry.  With decades of relentless R&D on expanding therapeutic light penetration and engineering, Charles was not shy to describe his process.  

In addition, he also shared impressive insight about other non-invasive cell-regenerative modalities including PEMF, SHOCKWAVE, RT THERAPY, NEUROSTIMULATION, TRANSILLUMINATION and BIOFEEDBACK (to name but a few).  He claimed this is all part of his "required reading" as part of identifying the entire pain-healing science.  As an inventor, he also looks at the many potential integration opportunities or "stacking" of existing technologies to form the next generation of products.

"Since our company began, our focus has been on developing leading-edge technology in laser therapy," said Mr. Vorwaller. "Our medical lasers represent a number of technological developments that are significantly different than other lasers and light therapy products in the market... which we found to not be very effective".  The result of his passion and never-ending pursuit for optimal outcomes has resulted in products delivering new treatment options providing higher dosages, more treatment areas and overall faster treatment times and accelerated healing and recovery. 


HUMBLE BEGINNINGS INSPIRED BY HIS GREATEST HERO
In an exclusive interview with Mr. Vorwaller, he shared a candid look at where it all began for him. The roots to all of his work was heavily inspired by his Dad (Charles J. Vorwaller, LCSW), a 60+ year veteran and recognized visionary leader in the non profit mental health industry.
 
As a young boy, Charles witnessed firsthand the individuals that were undergoing treatment.  They were sufferers of mental diseases and all the challenges that come from that.  
He witnessed his father develop and pursue forward thinking strategies and programs including therapeutic treatments and modalities beyond the traditional and limited drug-focused programs and protocols, with the incorporation of newer standards, including non-pharmaceutical and non-invasive based treatments and interventions. This humbled him greatly to see that his dad explored all options to help the sufferers when no one could help them.  Charles grew up wanting to help the underserved and built this road in health technology.  Looking back, Charles Vorwaller is convinced that his laser and red light therapy innovations contributed to mobilizing the science of patient care and impacted others by offering improved quality of life and in some cases, giving people a new chance at life." 

References: 

Special thanks to ASPEN LASER and THERALIGHT for allowing us to interview CEO Charles Vorwaller - tech innovator and role model to the global community of entrepreneurs! Innovators of today's therapeutic technology are a rare and respected breed.  Their life's work is dedicated to offering improved change to the current trends by exploring and introducing safer and more effective ways to resolve health issues both large and small.  The success of their work adds to the definition of the future of functional and regenerative medicine. In search of these pathfinders, IPHA celebrates some of the top role models of our day!   These solutionists are the next modelers of the non-invasive movement in integrative healthcare. One such visionary is Mr. CHARLES VORWALLER, American Health Innovator and the brainsmith behind Aspen Laser and the Theralight series.


In our continued search for the next voice in support of Integrative and Functional wellness, our editors opted to follow the trail of innovative (or "alternative") healing technologies to the doorsteps of those who truly believe in their benefits.  In this case, an early report featuring Dr. Jennifer Stagg and her use of the THERALIGHT 360 prompted us to meet other therapists to get more insight in its clinical uses.

VISIONARY SPOTLIGHT: Dr. Scott Schaeffer (Mt. Kisco, NY)
His treatment approach, in addition to spinal manipulation includes a wide array of modalities and physiotherapy. In our discussion about the Theralight 360 device (and other near-infrared technologies), we covered his holistic and integrative approach to bringing full-body wellness to his patients. Dr. Schaeffer identified his commitment to researching for the latest proven innovations to address soft-tissue injuries, musculoskeletal dysfunction and other inflammatory conditions that his patients commonly present with. "There's so much out there", he started. Learning about these new healing concepts, "whatever I can use within my scope of practice to help people safely and 
non-invasively... I'm going to find it!"  (Visit Dr. Schaeffer's full feature)





FROM THE BRAIN HEALTH COLLABORATIVE

11/18/2022- RED LIGHT THERAPY FOR TBI (By: Jennifer Stagg, ND) Within the past decade, ads for Red Light Therapy (RLT) devices have exponentially appeared in the health, wellness and commercial markets- drawing significant attention to their claims and challenging their efficacy.  As with all technologies, many variables are to be considered as far as concluding on their proposed health benefits. Published reports from clinical (valid) studies detailing the utility of RLT in human health.  Encouraging reviews indicate that there is a growing body of evidence for the use of RLT in traumatic brain injury (TBI) and neurodegenerative processes, including Stroke and Parkinson’s disease. 


PHILOSOPHY BEHIND RED LASER THERAPY
Photobiomodulation is what we're actually doing when we look at red and near infrared light.  (it’s different from far infrared-that's a sauna creating deep heating in the tissue and sweating out toxins). Photobiomodulation is the application of red and near infrared light to tissue where there is disease or dysfunction.  The mechanism of action of light is very simple. It doesn't treat any specific disease or diagnosis, but it treats the underlying cause of all dysfunction in the body (all disease) and that is cellular health and wellness.

Within the cell, oxygen is supposed to flow into the mitochondria, which is the powerhouse of the cell, and that's supposed to produce adenosine triphosphate or ATP.  This is what every cell in the body uses for energy.  Due to exposure to via environmental toxins, lack of sleep, stress, injury and disease, lack of exercise, too much exercise, not enough sunlight, poor nutrition etc. oxygen flows in the cell and then it's bound by nitric oxide. That binding of nitric oxide with oxygen forms a deadly particle called a free radical.  This causes two problems: #1- that oxygen is now not free to go into the mitochondria- so our ATP production in the body drops.  #2- there's the abundance of free radicals is the root of every disease. It's the gene expression for things like cancer, heart disease and diabetes.  So what light does very simply is when we shine light in and we can get light into the cell at the right wavelength, dosage and power density, it simply unbinds the oxygen particle and the nitric oxide particle and the free radical is dissipated into the blood vessel walls. So now we have removed free radicals and inflammation inside the cell. Also, the oxygen respiratory chain starts up again and that oxygen particle is allowed to flow into the mitochondria, and the ATP now goes through the roof and rises again the body. 

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RELATED ARTICLES

RED LIGHT THERAPY FOR TBI: by Dr. Jennifer Stagg
’Infrared’ refers to a type of light that is below the spectrum of visible light. The naked eye cannot see this type of light. Light is measured in wavelengths, and to further define infrared, there are near infrared (NIR) and far infrared (FIR) wavelengths. FIR is what is typically found in many of the devices sold to the general public like infrared blankets and saunas. (Although, saunas, combine heat with light so the effects of FIR are not comparable.) FIR offers some mild effects, but it doesn’t penetrate the body as much as NIR. As a result, most clinical research published to date is on visible red/NIR because these have been shown to be more effective. (See full review)


DEMO DAY WITH ASPEN LASER - PHOTOBIOMODULATION THERAPY
: IPHA NEWS and HEALTH TECH REPORTER covers DEMO DAY at the Bard Diagnostic Imaging Center in NYC @ March 7, 2023.  National clinical trainer Mark Murdoch speaks in an interview about the Aspen Laser  technology while he treats registered patients suffering from various chronic disorders (including a rotator cuff tear & other MSK joint injuries,  psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis on the skin. (See full review)


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3D DOPPLER ULTRASOUND: A MAJOR ASSET TO RESEARCH 
From simple case studies to double blind clinical trials, the many benefits of non-invasive imaging offers  visual proof of treatment efficacy.  Ultrasound in particular is more widely used to collect a patient's biometric data safely and efficiently, thanks to its vastly improved quantitative reporting capacity. 

Under exploratory device tech reviews, this video shows the effects of electromagnetic pulse waves neurostimulat stimulation and the induction of cold laser on the body are just some of the noninvasive modalities that are easily monitored with an ultrasound scan. In the case of electromagnetic devices, the involuntary muscle contraction is evidence of the electrical changes in the targeted muscle developers of this technology continue to find new evidence, supporting its ability to recover the body's process through cellular regeneration on a preliminary study, quantitative measurement that the regenerative timeline through the use of a neurostimulator through a simple before and after comparison can easily show the body's reaction to the therapeutic device. 










RELATED STORIES:

THE SCIENCE OF ENERGY HEALING & THE BIOFIELD -

Everything is energy. Quantum physics has demonstrated that everything exists as a vibrational energy. Some forms of energy have a frequency low enough to make the object solid and therefore visible and physically tangible, such as concrete, trees, mountains, and the human body. Others, such as sound, light, heat and gravity are invisible – but they are no less real. The Biofield is a relatively new term developed in 1992 to describe the concept of energy in a more unified way, integrating knowledge gained from traditional practices with that of modern science.  Three of the main scientific principles underlying our current understanding of the Biofield energy are thermodynamics, physics and quantum physics.  (See complete feature article)


"GETTING MY LIFE BACK FROM CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME"  2/15/2022- Mrs. Suzanne Wheeler of Minneapolis, Minnesota is celebrated as IPHA NEWS' Researcher of the Month.  After years of suffering a life-altering disorder that currently continues to challenge the scientific community of its root causes, Mrs. Wheeler explored “outside the conventional box” of opioid prescriptions, uncovering alternative solutions that got her back on her feet and joining life again.  Invoking CHANGE against all odds by diligently searching for what’s beyond the convenient takes courage and conviction.  It is this level of academic strength and strategic leadership that comprises the Alternative Health and Wellness community. (see full feature on Mrs. Wheeler's PEMF review)


BRAIN HEALTH REVIEW [Part 3]:
POST-COVID BRAIN FOG & WORK PERFORMANCE
Written by: Marilyn Abrahamson, MA,CCC-SLP - CBHC

For some, Post-Covid brain fog can cause everyday cognitive tasks to be more difficult, causing the thought of returning to work to become daunting. Among the many symptoms of Long Covid, one study suggests that up to 80% of Covid-19 survivors suffer from neuropsychological symptoms such as memory impairment, attention deficit, executive dysfunction, difficulty with word finding, multitasking, and impaired visual/spatial skills. These are skills people need to properly perform their jobs, and without these skills, people can become overwhelmed by the smallest tasks.



CONTRIBUTORS

MARILYN ABRAHAMSON, MA, CCC-SLP : As a Brain Health Education Specialist at Ceresti Health, Marilyn offers initiatives that supports education and empowerment of family caregivers. She also writes for and edits the Ceresti’s monthly newsletter and produces all brain health education and brain-health coaching programs for caregivers.  Marilyn's prior work is as a NJ Licensed Speech-Language Pathologist since 1987 and is an Amen Clinics Certified Brain Health Coach.

SORAYA BEHZADI is an aspiring medical student and researcher in neurological studies focusing on holistic practice to help alleviate mental health, like generalized anxiety disorder. She received a bachelor's degree in clinical psychology with a minor in biological sciences from Hunter College. 
 Aside from being a medical assistant at local urgent cares, her current field placement under affiliations with the Integrative Pain Healers Alliance/Brain Health Collective fuels her interests in brain health initiatives from imaging to holistic perspectives.

ROBERTA KLINE, MD (Educational Dir. /Women's Diagnostic Group) is a board-certified ObGyn physician, Integrative Personalized Medicine expert, consultant, author, and educator whose mission is to change how we approach health and deliver healthcare. She helped to create the Integrative & Functional Medicine program for a family practice residency, has consulted with Sodexo to implement the first personalized nutrition menu for healthcare facilities, and serves as Education Director for several organizations including the Women’s Diagnostic Health Network, Mommies on a Mission. Learn more at https://robertaklinemd.com/


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