Natural Health Tip – Better Health
With Light
Merri and I first learned about healing with light from Anthony Castiglia, M.D. who runs Advanced Integrative Medicine in Mooresville, North Carolina (704-799-9740).
He explained that this was a leading edge health treatment for all types of illness, aches and pains, wounds, burns, cavities, joint problems, arthritis, fibromyalgia, brain cancer, osteoporosis and much more. Anthony had introduced me to a specially designed ultrasound device called a Cavitron, that spots tiny cavities in the jaw (often created when teeth are pulled) called cavitations.
My examination had revealed two such cavities and we were trying to avoid the normal medical answer, which is a root canal.
I wanted an alternative method of healing and hence was introduced to the idea of using infrared light treatment. I began to research healing and light and learned that infrared is being used in many types of medical treatments.
At that stage I had no idea what a monumental difference infrared light would bring to my family’s health. Before I give you an incredible tale about health, let me prepare you with a bit of science.
Though I had never heard of using infrared light for healing, as I researched this subject I was quite astounded to learn how many institutions do use this light for healing.
Infrared is currently used by NASA's space medicine program, and in Stanford University, the National Cancer Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, University of British Columbia, Kingston Regional Cancer Center at Queen's University in Ontario, Royal Brisbane Hospital in Australia, St. James Hospital in Dublin and the University of Padua in Italy.
What is the Science?
Infrared light increases energy inside cells by stimulating cytochromes, which are part of the electron transportation chain that converts sugar into energy. This stimulates cellular reproduction, relaxes muscles and stimulates nerve transmission, enhances the immune response, reduces scar tissue and promotes wound healing, stimulates collagen production (making skin tighter), increases blood capillary circulation and vascular activity, stimulates production of endorphins and enkephelins from the brain, increases RNA and DNA synthesis, stimulates production of the adrenals which reduces pain and stimulates the production of adenosine triphosphate, (ATP) an immediate energy source for muscle contraction. Plus there have not been any reported negative side effects.
This means that infrared treatment is being used for arthritis, wounds, burns, cancer, bone loss, diabetic ulcers, poor blood or oxygen supply. The treatment is very effective for pain and inflammation reduction. There are numerous studies of subjects who had lost their protective sensation in their lower limbs due to diabetic neuropathy. All the limbs actively treated with infrared showed improvement. The placebos in the double blind studies showed almost no improvement.
This has been especially helpful for people who in their older age lose their balance and fall. Infrared improves the foot sensation. All the subjects tested had improved balance and gait. Falls decreased 96%.
Infrared helps overcome strains, pains and much more. Infrared machines are in space, and are also used in US Navy nuclear submarines for SEAL teams.
I found a long list of endorsements. For example Jason Giambi, the American League MVP wrote, "I highly recommend the Light Patch to any athlete or anybody who wants to reduce pain, accelerate healing and increase athletic performance."
Other endorsements come from a renowned micro surgeon, a Montana State senator who had been reduced to walking with crutches after cortisone and chiropractic treatments had failed. He was able to return to a normal life in business, golfing, farming and horseback riding through infrared treatments. To see what other say, see below.
Here are a few of the testimonials I read.
Dr. Joseph Kutz, Micro Surgeon."We have utilized the Bio Scan for, among other things carpal tunnel syndrome, acute joint problems and ligament trauma. We have found that pain and swelling were often reduced within 48 hours following treatment with Bio Lights and that patients were able to return to bear full activity within 48 hours after treatment."
Arnold A. Mohl, Montana State Senator. Senator Mohl was diagnosed with an extremely painful affliction of the spine. Shortly after he was reduced to walking with crutches and function in daily activity. Cortisone injections and chiropractic treatment offered little long term relief and he was scheduled for orthopedic surgery.
With the use of Bio Scan he was able to return to his normal lifestyle. In his own words, "I have been able to return to my normal daily activities such as running my business, golfing, farming and horseback riding. I've decided against surgery, and believe that without the Bio Scan products I would still be fighting the battle with my spine."
Dr. Karl Lickteig, NBA Chiropractic Sports Practitioner. "In my 13 year career, I have yet to witness unlayering of debilitating musculoskeletal conditions with such precision and speed as with the Bio Scan systems. Within one month of using Bio Scan my clinical practice finds a waiting list for new and existing patients of up to six weeks. With much gratitude to Bio Scan we literally hold the future of health care in our hands."
Dr. Harry Whelan, Professor of Neurology, Medical College Froedert Hospital. "For most wounds we do not need to interfere with nature's healing. But this technology may be the answer for problem wounds that are slow to heal."
Growing numbers of doctors and dentists are using infrared treatments. If you live close to a source of these infrared machines, you can have treatments there. However, you can also buy home units and help yourself.
Merri and I obtained a home unit, which led to a health miracle I am about to describe.
We bought one of the most powerful units, we could find called a Bio Pack, for ourselves. This was expensive ($3,450), but as you will see well worth the price. However later in this report you’ll see how you can gain most of the same benefits for as little as $99.
We were using our Bio Pack on my teeth and it helped, but this was not the miracle. My mother at 83 had several of the normal health issues that a somewhat overweight woman this age would have, especially high blood pressure. Then due to the loss of her best friend and sister, she went into a tailspin and began to suffer seriously from arthritis and fibromyalgia. She could barely walk, had great difficulty in standing from a sitting position and was in continual pain. While we were visiting her, I thought, why not try the light?
Mom has never been one to try things that her M.D. has not prescribed, but because it was just light and because her pain was intense I was able to convince her that she had nothing to lose by giving this a test.
The first two nights I had to talk her into using the lights. The third night she asked me! From that point, her pain diminished and she began to progress until she was once again able to walk easily and the fibromyalgia and pain were gone.
But this was the least of the miracle. I cannot explain this but after she started using the light something in her entire attitude changed. First she lost 45 pounds. Then her high blood pressure disappeared (it was 129 over 56) last time she checked. Her outlook on life brightened. Since she began using the light Mom has traveled with us to our home in Ecuador Never in the past 10 years could we get her to do this. She literally bounced around Quito, quite a feat considering that this city sits at almost 10,000 feet.
Observing this dramatic turn around through nothing more than placing a light on a few joints and acupressure points really intrigued me and I began to research more. Here are a few of the facts I have learned.
The Health Link for Medical College of Wisconsin at healthlink.mcw.edu/article/975450257.html reports:
“Light Emitting Diodes Aid in Wound Healing
“Powerful light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have been shown to help heal wounds in laboratory animals and are now being tested on humans at the Medical College of Wisconsin. The LEDs were developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to spur plant life in space.
“Harry T. Whelan, MD, Professor of Neurology, Pediatrics, and Hyperbaric Medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin, found that diabetic skin ulcers and other wounds in mice healed much faster when exposed to the special LEDs in the lab. Laboratory research has shown that the LEDs also grow human muscle and skin cells up to five times faster than normal. The study is conducted at the College's MACC (Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer) Fund Research Center.
"For most wounds, we do not need to interfere with nature's healing," Dr. Whelan said. "But this technology may be the answer for problem wounds that are slow to heal."
“The Food and Drug Administration has approved a multi-year investigation of the LEDs as an experimental treatment by a team led by Dr. Whelan. The study, funded by NASA, will specifically examine the technology's effects on diabetic skin ulcers, serious burns and flesh wounds caused by radiation and chemotherapy treatments. The studies on patients are being done at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin and Froedtert Hospital.
“LEDs are being studied in comparison to and in conjunction with hyperbaric oxygen therapy, a standard treatment in which the patient is placed in a pressurized oxygen chamber to stimulate new cell growth.
“In the first 18-month phase of the project, 100 individuals will be studied at Froedtert and Children's Hospitals. The participants have wounds such as a burn, crush injury, radiation burn, skin graft, diabetic ulcer, or any other wound with poor blood or oxygen supply, that is determined by their physician to be healing slowly or not at all.
“In a separate protocol, Dr. Whelan is studying and using the LEDs to promote healing of acute mouth ulcers resulting from chemotherapy and radiation used to treat cancer in children. The treatment is quick and painless.
"Some children who probably would have to be fed intravenously because of the severe sores in their mouths have been able to eat solid food," said David Margolis, MD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and an oncologist at Children's Hospital, whose pediatric cancer patients are participating in the study. "Preventing this oral mucositis improves the patient's ability to eat and drink and also reduces the risk of infections in patients with compromised immune systems."
"So far, what we see in patients and what we see in laboratory cell cultures, all point to one conclusion," said Dr. Whelan. "The nearinfrared light emitted by these LEDs seems to be perfect for increasing energy inside cells. This means whether you're on Earth in a hospital, working on a submarine under the sea, or on your way to Mars inside a spaceship, the LEDs boost energy to the cells and accelerate healing."
“In another continuing study, Dr. Whelan has also used LED therapy to treat more than 20 individuals with brain cancer tumors without the side effects of traditional or laser surgery. This study, done in collaboration with Glenn A. Meyer, MD, Professor of Neurosurgery, uses LEDs to activate light-sensitive, cancer-killing drugs that can kill tumor cells beyond the surgeon's reach without harming healthy cells.
“LED technology was developed to enhance the growth of plant tissue in space by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and Quantum Devices Inc. of Barneveld, Wisconsin. LEDs have a similar physiological effect on human cells as they do on plant cells. In space, the lack of gravity keeps cells from growing naturally, resulting in slow-growing plant life and loss of bone mass, atrophied muscles, and wounds that do not heal properly in astronauts. LEDs stimulate cytochromes in the body that increase the energy metabolism of cells. Cytochromes are part of the "electron transport chain" that converts sugar into instant energy required by the body to perform all of its actions, such as raising a finger or healing a wound.
“Laser light has been shown to have similar effects on growing cells, but lasers are heavy, inefficient, more costly and do not offer the ideal wavelength of light for cell growth. The specially designed near-infrared LED has a longer wavelength than laser light that penetrates deeper -- to a depth of 23 centimeters, or more that nine inches -- without damaging the skin. Though three times brighter that the sun, the LED is very safe and easy to use, as well as portable. For wound healing, the LED is housed in a 3.5" by 4.5" flat array from which it emits a red light that is cool to the touch. An array of LEDs includes three wavelengths to affect various cell types.
“An LED array is currently on board a US Navy nuclear submarine for treatment of potential training injuries. Dr. Whelan is a commander in the Navy and a diving medical officer for the Naval Special Warfare Command, which includes the SEAL (Sea, Air and Land) teams. Dr. Whelan has been inducted into the NASA Space Technology Hall of Fame for his research into the use of LEDs for wound healing and the treatment of brain tumors.”
More News About Infrared
Newsweek International magazine shined even more light on this light subject with an article "Therapeutic LEDs use light to penetrate deep into tissues and boost the body's own natural healing processes"
This article by Anne Underwood of NEWSWEEK INTERNATIONAL began with: "The marine's voice had an edge of urgency. His unit was about to ship out to Iraq. He had tried all the remedies-chiropractic, massage, electric stimulation. But he had never seen anything like the eight-inch black plastic disk from a company called Light-Force-Therapy, bristled with 192 red and infrared light-emitting diodes (LEDs). He placed the device directly on his back for 15 minutes. The Marine came back four days later for more. In just two half-hour sessions, he noticed more improvement than he had in three years of other therapies.”
The article went on to say that light heals and that LEDs, (Light Emitting Diodes) can boost the body's own natural healing processes. The articles stated: “Studies are showing that these new devices can help ease chronic pain, speed wound healing and prevent acute mouth ulcers in certain cancer patients. Even the U.S. Defense Department and NASA are studying LEDs as potential aids to healing injuries on the battlefield and in outer space. And plans are in the works to introduce the technology, patented in at least nine European countries, to the U.K. later this year.
"In one published study, LEDs developed for NASA sped wound healing in a U.S. Navy submarine crew by 50 percent. Other researchers have shown that certain infrared wavelengths stimulate the release of nitric oxide in blood vessels, causing them to dilate. This, in turn, increases circulation to a wounded area, improving delivery of oxygen and nutrients and the removal of wastes. That may be why LEDs seem to relieve ailments from muscle strains to shin splints.
"LED devices may even help reverse diabetic peripheral neuropathy or nerve impairment in the limbs-long thought to be irreversible. In a study last year in the Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association, doctors treated 49 subjects with an infrared-only LED device from Anodyne Therapy LLC. After just six 30-minute sessions, 48 of the patients showed improvement. Similarly, says Denver podiatrist Dale H. Carnegie, one of the study's authors, the Anodyne device can help heal diabetic foot ulcers. Ultimately, he says, this could spare patients with diabetes from having limbs amputated." The more we looked the more ways we found that these LEDS are being used.
Removing Ten Years
Take for example the issue of skin care and looking young. An article in Time magazine about Botox (injections of dilute botulism toxin). Botox works on the forehead, but cannot be used on the lower face. This has created a boom for fillers that puff up the face and make wrinkles vanish. People all over the world are filling their faces with stuff to make them look younger.
The article showed that the fillers that were becoming popular included CosmoDerm (or Cosmoplast), which come from human Restylyne and Hylaform, (an acid that works on wrinkles), Artefill (microbeads of cow collagen) and Cymetra (ground up human skin). Plus there is silicon and radiance (a form of synthetic bone). Use of these fillers is up 33% this year according to the Time article.
However, there is a downside. Most of these fillers, like Botox, only provide temporary benefits. Second they can be expensive. Fillers a can cost $700 to $900 and last only six months. Throw in the cost of the temporary Botox fix and you build up a substantial regular cost.
These quick fixes also do not address the concern of aging. One of the main reasons our faces and bodies wrinkle and sag is because of an accumulation of toxins that throw our systems out of balance. Infra red light it turns out is an all natural way to look younger and shed toxicity, balance hormonal systems and improve health. Infrared light stimulates blood vessel growth and collagen in the face. This alone can help one look younger.
Even plastic surgeons are using this type of treatment now. One surgeon reports at http://www.prplastic.com/index.htm l reported that four to six treatments of broad spectrum light in the visible and near infrared range, from 515 nm up to about 1200 transmitted through a small, smooth, flat glass hand piece gently placed over the skin can decrease overall redness, flushing and dilated capillaries and sun damaged skin will become smoother with a decrease in fine wrinkles, reduction in pore size, and fading of sun spots. This site says that patients after one treatment feel smoother skin with a more even tone.
The site reports that this technique was first introduced in 1998 by a dermatologist in California (Dr Bitter) and Dr. Mullholland (a plastic surgeon in Toronto) helped refine the procedure especially with regards to wrinkle improvement.
Light Can Do Much More
The Consumer health organization of Canada a non profit organization explains why these lights work so well at their link. http://www.consumerhealth.org/ which is copied below.
“HEALING WITH SINGLE FREQUENCY LIGHT
by: Olszewski, David, E.E., I.E.
“EARLY EXPERIMENTS In 1965, the Russians and Czechs were trying to standardize colour therapy, which is the use of colours to treat the body. When they used a single colour on a number of people, they got different reactions because colour affects emotions and produces different effects. The Russians wanted to have a standard treatment, so they theorized that if they isolated one frequency of blue, or red, they could duplicate colour therapy on a regulated basis. They started separating different frequencies with lasers, and they discovered a lot more than they expected to find. They discovered that a single frequency light in a laser can stimulate DNA in damaged cell tissue. They used a low power laser under 50-milliwatts because higher lasers can cut tissue.
“PULSED VS.CONTINUOUS LASER They discovered that if they used a pulsed laser light, the tissue healed rapidly. On the other hand, if they gave a continuous beam, it sedated the cell and killed the pain.
When a single frequency pulsed light hit the cell, it actually stimulated the cell to start producing more protein than it normally does, and as a result, the cell would heal. Even when they took the light away, the cell continued its healing. The continuous beam had a reverse effect. It actually caused the cell membrane to relax; it killed pain, reduced inflammation and made muscle tissue relax.
“INCREASED HEALING IN THE 660 nm WAVELENGTH
“It didn't matter what the frequency was. It could be infrared, red, blue, or green, as long as it was single although, as you move toward the red end of the spectrum, the rate of cellular regeneration increased. For instance, a single frequency in the green range might affect the kidney 40 times better than a normal base-line study, whereas a red would be about 4,000 times faster. So over the years they migrated to infrared, red and eventually the 660 nanometer wavelength because it was the fastest way to regenerate tissue. So if you have an injury you would normally recover from in ten days, you can actually recover that tissue in two days by treating it with light.
“WAVELENGTH OF CELL TISSUE
“About ten years later at the University of Chicago, researchers discovered that the average wavelength of cell tissue in the human body ranged between 600 nanometers and 720 nm; 660 is the midpoint. So in essence, the reason a 660 nm works better than any other single frequency is because it is closer to the resonant frequency of cell tissue. The other reason is that 660 nm absorbs better in hemoglobin.
“LASER LIGHT VS LIGHT EMITTING DIODES (LED)
“When this therapy reached the U.S. and Canada, both lasers and light-emitting diodes at 660 nanometers were being used. The LED diffuses; the single frequency laser does not. With this diffusion, the cell can actually be in control of the treatment and shut off the molecules when it was done. But with the laser, the cells are no longer in control; the doctor or the practitioner applying the laser is in control. If he does it too long or with too much strength, you would not only heal the tissue, but you would start a deterioration again. So basically, the use of light-emitting diodes eliminated the draw back of lasers, and light could be applied into such sensitive areas as the eyes and around the face. LEDs allowed this whole area to blossom into a much larger usage by average people in their homes. Tiina Karu, Ph.D. of the Laser Technology Center in Russia, and affiliated with the University of California at Berkely, probably the top researcher in the world on the use of lasers and light emitting diodes published a study in Health and Physics Digest called "Photobiological Effects of Lasers" which discusses photobiological stimulation without laser light. The article explains that you can do laser treatment without using laser light, by using light emitting diodes which are much safer. Since the cells are basically in control of the process, there is no way to overuse light.
“THE MERIDIAN SYSTEM
“Acupuncturists discovered that single frequency light could activate acupressure points. Pulse light could stimulate it; continuous light could sedate the acupuncture points. But they also discovered that light applied to a meridian end-point can actually be traced flowing through the meridian to the organ acupuncture points. The meridian system is a useful pathway for getting light deeper into the body, so if you are treating things like asthma in the lungs, there is an alternate method of getting light into the lungs.
“DEPTH OF LIGHT PENETRATION
“As we developed more types of lights with different geometrical shapes, we were able to actually get light deeper into the body without going through the meridians. Initially, single frequency light penetrated approximately an inch and a half, but today, larger units can penetrate up to eight inches. It will go through the skull. We use it on strokes, concussions and internal problems in the brain.
Excellent studies have been done using light for pain relief, degenerative osteoarthritis, carpal tunnel tendonitis, skin ailments, acne, psoriasis, healing of the sinus cells, throat and ear problems, whiplash and lower back problems.
“PENETRATING THROUGH THE BLOOD STREAM
“You can even get light into the blood stream. One of the best ways is through your belly button, because the aorta artery is behind the belly button. So if you insert the light there for 20 minutes, every drop of blood in the body will pass in front of the light, increasing the activity of your white cells, red cells, B-cells and T-cells, so you can boost your whole immune system.
“ACUTE VS CHRONIC CONDITIONS
“If you use lasers or light-emitting diodes, it will actually speed up healing by a factor of five. If you have chronic conditions like osteoarthritis or whiplash from 15 years ago, conditions that are not responding or are deteriorating, the use of laser and LED light has actually stimulated regeneration. I believe light is going to play the biggest part in chronic conditions for people who have already explored a lot of other modalities and have found no solution.
“BRAIN WAVE STUDIES
“We were studying the diagnosis of illnesses like leukemia, etc through brainwave patterns. We were surprised to find that when we treat the person with light, or with heat, that when the body starts healing, it shifts into what is called a healing profile where beta waves disappear, and alpha, theta and delta appear like you wouldn't even find in a yogi.
There you have numerous strong suggestions that show that something as simple and safe as a single color of light can improve health.
You can consult your health care professional about this but there are also steps you can take to gain general benefits from light at home. There are now a multitude of LED light instruments available on the internet ranging from a few hundred to thousands of dollars. The question is which one to choose.
To answer this question Merri and I turned to one of our main health care advisors Dr. Joe Spano. He is one of the great healers that Merri and I have worked with and is a consultant to the Slower Network. Dr. Joe is an M.D. who has practiced complimentary medicine for the more than the 20 years we have known him.
Joe really knows his stuff. He is board certified in internal medicine and anti-aging, was an instructor in Physical Diagnosis at Tulane University Medical School, Chief of Staff at Naples Community Hospital, President of the Department of Medicine and is listed in “Best Doctors in America”. We are impressed by his balance as well as his medical credentials. Not only is he a great doctor who has taught guided meditations and healing through sound for decades, but he has a long list of published scientific papers with names like, “Production of Precipitating Antibody to Hepatitis-Associated Antigen (HAA) using Pepsin-treated HAA” as well.
Joe sees beyond just medicine, having been on the founding board of Seacrest Country Day School, on the Collier County Economic Development Board and the Collier County Conservancy and Christian Medical Foundation.
Ruth Montgomery, past president of the prestigious National Press Club, wrote about Joe Spano in her best selling book.
Merri and I especially like the fact that Joe lives by the maxim of “Physician Heal Thyself”. I know his age, but if you meet him, I’ll bet your guess won’t come close. He looks, acts and is a young man biologically. Chronologically, he is well past what others call “retirement age”.
Yet there is even more, that I consider the most important fact of all. We have spent all types of time at all kinds of occasions with Dr. Joe ranging from hiking in Andean mountains to being at healings, attending funerals, parties, formal meetings and visiting orphanages. Even Joe’s and our daughter roomed together for years. When you do so many things together over two decades, you get to know the man. We know, that Dr. Joe is in great health, strong, wise, kind, gentle, sympathetic, giving, charitable, successful, astute and that, most of all, he cares.
So we asked Joe what he recommends as he has used light and sound for healing for years.
Joe explained that for home use simple and inexpensive is usually best. The key is to stick to LED in the 630 to 690 nanometer range (less risk than laser).
He recommends two LED (not laser) instruments to his patients, one called the Chi Light which provides the option of pulsed or continuous beam (priced at $295 plus $6.95 shipping including a manual) and another that has only a continuous beam but is far less expensive *($99 plus $6.95 shipping including the manual).
Dr. Joe keeps some of these lights in stock and we can pass orders onto him. To order send me a note at garyascott@slowR.com.
To enhance the health focus of this site we are starting an “Ask Dr. Joe” feature here. If you have medical questions about how light can help please send them to me at garyascott@slowR.com and Dr. Joe will answer them. Some will be posted at the slowR.com site (no names or addresses will be shown).
This is the last chance to sign up for our June 16-17-18
course here at the farm with Vaidya Mishra. He is a healer with immense healing
knowledge to share. This course will be an experience that immerses you in
naturally healthy surroundings, such as the pure water, clean air, silence,
freedom from electromagnetic radiations, specially prepared food. Due to
a cancellation, it is possible to attend. For details go to garyascott.com/catalog/ayurvedic_cleanse.html
Join us in Ecuador for our Super Thinking – Super Spanish
course. Enjoy the sun! See great views! Inspect real estate for sale. Shop
in the great markets. Laze in the warm thermal pools as you enhance health
and learn to speak Spanish! For details go to garyascott.com/catalog/superspanish.html
Gary
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