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medpundit |
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Tuesday, November 19, 2002Lasers that produce heat also destroy tissue. The cold laser uses a different wavelength of light, so it is able to penetrate deep into tissue without destroying it. Now, I'm a physics moron, so I have to take my husband's word on this, but he finds it highly unlikely that any wavelength could penetrate through the skin to reach the molecules in the tendons without being powerful enough to burn through it. And I have to admit, this sounds suspiciously like those magnet devices to me. Yet, it has FDA approval: Wesley was one of the places that tested the Microlight, which won federal Food and Drug Administration approval earlier this year. In Wesley's study, which began in 1996, the Microlight allowed 78 percent of the 45 patients treated to return to normal activities. Placebo effect? Probably. Aetna says it’s bunk, and they list the references to back it up. Then, too, the same technology is used at spas as a promised wrinkle treatment. Maybe the FDA didn’t do so well in physics, either. (Before I get any emails in defense of the FDA, I realize they don't concern themselves with the mechanisms of action, only with the studies showing whether or not a device helps or harms.) posted by Sydney on 11/19/2002 06:25:00 AM 0 comments 0 Comments: |
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