Monday, April 22, 2024

PROGRESSIVE CLINICAL MODALITIES IN ADDRESSING ARTHRITIS SYMPTOMS

By: Robert L. Bard, MD / Lennard Goetze, Ed.D 
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While arthritis starts as bone and cartilage degeneration, oftentimes the first reported signs are pain and swelling in the joint area. To clinically detect the root of the disorder, high resolution ultrasound is commonly recommended as an investigative approach as a quick, painless and non-invasive screening solution.[1] Ultrasound also allows us to more easily detect the presence of Synovial fluid in the joint cavities (ie. in the knee or shoulder cuff areas) without having to resort to more complex and costly solutions like MRI or CT scans. [2]

Identifying the location of the fluid helps the physician by conducting a needle intervention under ultrasound guidance preventing accidentally hitting the bone or injuring a blood vessel while sampling the fluid. With the same needle in place, steroids may be injected into the injured area as well- hence, the diagnostic treatment and study can be conducted within the same sitting. [3]

There are essentially two types of arthritis; there's the commonly recognized “bone on bone” OSTEOARTHRITIS which generally causes local symptoms that are mostly due to inflammation of the tendons and lining of the joints. Meanwhile, bone on bone is not usually what triggers the physical pain sensation; it's more likely due to the juxtaposed inflammation within the surrounding musculature. 


The second type of arthritis is inflammatory arthritis, commonly known as RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS. It is important to understand that rheumatoid arthritis in a given area (ie. the knee or the hand) is not a localized disease; it is a systemic disease that can affect many parts of the body-- including the spine, the shoulders, the hands, the knees or the feet. In other words, it could inflame almost any joint. While this is painful it may be associated with increased risk of cancer because the body responds to the stress of a diffuse disease creating abnormal cells. [4]

Some are healing cells and some are abnormal cells that can become cancerous. This means there is an increased risk of developing a tumor.  This is indicative with disorders like psoriasis as this affects over 10% of the world's population. More than just a localized skin disease, psoriatic arthritis in the spine may alter the eye and s ER's elbow. There are changes in the, in the blood vessels that can lead to increased risk of stroke  and slightly increased risk of developing malignancy with skin inflammation. This systemic manifestation is the whole body reacting to microvascular abnormalities.

Current pain relieving modalities including medications, heating pads and over the counter topical solutions may offer temporary management to address the inflammatory process and the fluid collection once located. Additionally, non-invasive treatment technologies such as pulsed bioenergy neurostimulation (aka PEMF) and photobiomodulation (PBMT)- or near infrared & cold laser therapies.   Within the past several decades, these modalities and other innovations are part of a growing market of consumer grade non-invasive devices that (now) offer quantitative results of efficacy and restorative care.  Use of advanced ultrasound imaging plays a major role in tracking therapeutic progress and timely recalibration of these devices. [5][6]

Meanwhile, research and development of certain brands are now achieving medical-grade status through regulatory approvals in their restorative (healing) properties and the reduction of inflammation through the increase of vascular inflow leading to cell regeneration. [7]



How to Detect & Manage INFLAMMATION the Non-Invasive Way

Learn about the latest in non-invasive diagnostic imaging modalities and the current breakthroughs in personalized therapies with pulsed bioenergy regenerative science. The AngioFoundation, the Integrative Pain Healers Alliance, the Women's Diagnostic network and all branches of the NY Cancer Resource Society unites under a coalition called "WAR ON INFLAMMATION"- an educational, advocacy and research initiative in pursuit of resources and solutions to offer new informative support against the many chronic disorders of our day.  Additional support comes from the BioEnergy  Therapeutic community and the Paul Dreschnack Research Foundation exploring the many advantages of Extracellular Vesicles.   


ADVANCEMENTS IN ENERGY MEDICINE
By: Roberta Kline, MD

The term "energy medicine" has been in general use since the founding of the International Society for the Study of Subtle Energies and Energy Medicine in the 1980s.  Energy medicine often proposes that imbalances in the body's "energy field" result in illness, and that by re-balancing the body's energy-field health can be restored. Some modalities are described to "bring balance to the body's overall wellness", while others bring claims of addressing pain, detoxing, cell regeneration or an improvement in overall energy. 

Every living thing requires energy to exist and function, and this comes in different forms. For example, in the human body are “energy generators” called the mitochondria. These tiny powerhouses in our cells convert fat, protein and glucose into (ATP) the energy that fuels everything that is needed for us to be alive. 

When that vibrational frequency or information flow is disrupted, cellular health suffers and the end result can range from minor aches and pains to major illness. But now our knowledge of the energy of the BIOFIELD also provides the opportunity for healing in a much more effective way.  This healing can complement or even replace the need for more invasive conventional therapies. 

(See complete feature on HEALTH & HEALING 101)

LASER MODULATION THERAPY
Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) or photobiomodulation (PBM) is a form of medicine that applies low-power lasers or light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to the surface of the body. It is claimed that application of low-power lasers relieves pain or stimulates and enhances cell function. It  addresses the underlying cause of all dysfunction in the body (inflammation & disease) in support of cellular health and wellness.  Red light is recognized for its ability to penetrate deeper into the skin, allowing for better absorption by cells deep in the body. Today's Red Light therapy comes in a variety of models with different capacities- including the full body red light bed (TheraLight) and targeted deep tissue laser therapy systems (Aspen Laser).

PULSED ELECTROMAGNETICS
PEMF (pulsed electromagnetic field) devices have a wide range of frequencies available.  They can influence cell membrane potentials of many different tissues to enhance communication and increase blood flow, decrease inflammation and activate a number of genes possibly through epigenetics. Pharmacology is also leveraging electromagnetics to explore more effective ways of getting medications into cells. Drug delivery systems are being developed using nanoparticles designed to manipulate cell membrane electromagnetic fields to improve absorption.

In 1979 the FDA approved PEMF therapy for stimulating bone growth, and in 1987 for adjunct therapy for treating postoperative edema and pain. The FDA also approved PEMF therapy for the treatment of patients with depression in 2011. For both animals and humans, PEMF therapy is marketed commercially to address inflammation by stimulating microcirulation, the lymphatic vessels and mobilizing toxins from the cells more efficiently. PEMF therapy is also reported to support restorative health  mechanically by improving blood flow.  (source: AOPP/ Association of PEMF Professionals and AuraWell PEMF)


VISUALIZING THE TREATMENT OF INFLAMMATION
The Answers Collected from Ultrasound Imaging


Historically speaking, the most favored (and sensible) way to identify the results of any treatment is by tracking the body's immediate response to it. Controlled testing must show the patient's condition PRE and POST effects, where true data-finding is collecting the necessary EVIDENCE of its claims. The investigator can pull a significant amount of data from this form of validation testing: including stage-by-stage bodily response to future projections of possible side effects.  Modern diagnostic science looks to imaging for its safe, non-invasive yet quantifiable analyses of what’s under the skin. In this latest review, ultrasound offers a flicker-free visual (10-30 frames per second) of muscle contraction.  The “real-time” advantage of video under a 3D Doppler Ultrasound easily and clearly shows the frequency of the muscle bundle’s firing (twitching) indicating fatigue and potential pathology.


REFERENCES

1) The Role of Musculoskeletal Ultrasound in the Rheumatoid Arthritis Continuum- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7305070/   Published online 2020 Jun 19. PMCID: PMC7305070

2) “Progress in imaging in rheumatology” - E Filippucci, L Di Geso, W Grassi | Nature Reviews Rheumatology, 2014•nature.com Nat Rev Rheumatol. 2014;10:628–634.  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25201383/

3) Role of ultrasound in osteoarthritis:  https://www.elsevier.es/es-revista-revista-espanola-reumatologia-29-articulo-role-ultrasound-in-osteoarthritis-13020659#:~:text=During%20the%20course%20of%20the%20intermittent%20episodes%20of%20mild%20to,detecting%20the%20amount%20of%20effusion.

4) “EULAR definition of arthralgia suspicious for progression to rheumatoid arthritis” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27991858/  Ann Rheum Dis . 2017 Mar;76(3):491-496. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2016-209846. Epub 2016 Oct 6.

5) Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) Treatment Ameliorates Murine Model of Collagen-Induced Arthritis-  Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Jan; 24(2): 1137. Published online 2023 Jan 6. doi: 10.3390/ijms24021137 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9862561/#:~:text=PEMF%20treatment%20at%2010%20Hz,17%2C%20or%20TNF%2D%CE%B1.

6) The Mechanisms and Efficacy of Photobiomodulation Therapy for Arthritis: A Comprehensive Review PMCID: PMC10531845  PMID: 37762594 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10531845/ Renlong Zhang and Junle Qu*

7) Image guidance and performance testing - R.Bard-  https://angiofoundation.org/research_trials.html Published by: AngioMedical Press. © 2023





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