Monthly Archives: March 2017

Communication to All Laser Medicine Practitioners

In October of 2016, Theralase, a small Laser Therapy company located in Toronto, distributed a questionnaire to BioFlex Laser Medicine Practitioners. Several recipients were confused with regard to the origin of this document. This is understandable as it is a thinly disguised effort to make it appear to have originated at Meditech. I can assure you that this was not the case and unfortunately, this demonstrates the characteristics of some industry principals – projecting a blend of hucksterism, hype, disinformation and deception.

Most significantly, the questionnaire reflects the lack of clinical understanding that prevails within some Laser Industry Manufacturers, as reflected by their literature, press releases, etc., best described as pseudoscience. These communications perform a disservice to the legitimate sector of Laser Medicine, aside from the paucity of comprehension of clinical pathologies and the inappropriate design of devices required to resolve the latter. All manufacturers must focus on the design and building of machines to relieve the many problems that exist, instead of simply building devices to generate profits. Without fully understanding these realities and objectives, their efforts will continue to be self-defeating.

Prior to responding to the five questions included in the questionnaire, we will attempt to provide some overall perspective to this entire situation. Moreover, we regard this as an opportunity to expand the educational process that is so important in qualifying and empowering Laser Therapists.

At this time, at least three knowledgeable and respected medical practitioners, offended by the Theralase comments, have offered to respond to the questionnaire and these reports will be delivered to you sometime in April.

At Meditech, we are reluctant to advertise however we make efforts to share information reflecting current basic research and engineering improvements, many of which are integrated into the systems we manufacture, along with new, effective clinical applications. We prefer to leave the evaluation of our technology and the clinical results achieved to others who have the ability to independently comment on our body of work and how it is affecting current medical practice. To wit:

    • Dr. Norman Doidge’s book, “The Brain’s Way of Healing”, which was published in 2015, devotes an entire chapter to BioFlex Laser Technology and this text still resonates with the medical and lay community in many parts of the globe.

 

    • In 2015, an Australian TV network filmed our activities over the course of two weeks and developed a documentary, extoling our technology in Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania and adjacent regions. The network called Seven Network Limited is similar to the U.S. program, 60 Minutes.

 

    • In October 2016, Meditech was featured on David Suzuki’s “The Nature of Things”, which will be broadcast in many countries around the world over the next several years. This achieved considerable favourable international recognition and I stress that this exposure was not solicited.

 

    • In December 2016, Dr. Gifford-Jones, a highly respected syndicated medical journalist wrote an article which was circulated in over 70 newspapers in Canada. The article commented favourably on our treatment of cerebral concussion and other neurological conditions.

 

  • In addition, many articles have been published with regard to Meditech’s Laser Technology based on our achievements in this field in a number of countries.

At this time, I enclose a prescient article written independently by Dr. Leonard Rudnick, the director of Laser Therapeutics in Tuscon, Arizona. This commentary was written in July 2007 in response to previous comments by Theralase that we originally chose to ignore as being nonsensical, much like the current five questions recently circulated. This article was written over ten years ago and is evidence of the negative trend that Theralase is intent on pursuing.






I also include an article presented by Dr. Jan Tuner, who is based in Sweden and has been highly active in the Laser Therapy sector for over 30 years. Dr. Tuner’s comments with regard to the minimal value on tissue healing of light delivered at 905 nM, the wavelength recommended by Theralase, is particularly relevant. A number of other issues are also addressed in this communication.





On a final note, I refer to a typical Theralase press release sent to me by a biotechnology analyst for my comment. The release is dated October 13, 2016. After reviewing the document, my conclusion is that a company that would release a paper of this nature has a limited understanding of research, science and integrity. Performing a study of brain cancer on a single rate, regardless of the outcome, is irrelevant at best.

Unfortunately in our society, there are no controls over this type of deceptive literature. Our conclusion is that prevarication should not be the standard for success and hopefully over time, activities of this nature should lead to the demise of the company.

Another penny stock disappearing from the Venture Exchange will certainly not be missed.







Conclusion

Some good emanates from all events, no matter what the intentions may be. This matter has provided an opportunity for Meditech to expand the educational process and clarify a number of contentious issues. The answers to the questionnaire that Theralase has posed and answered inappropriately will be fully resolved by a follow-up communication, which you should receive in April 2017.

dr kahn signature 2015-01

Fred Kahn MD, FRCS(C)

CEO, Meditech International Inc.

Laser Therapy in the Treatment of Neurological Conditions

Meditech International is a vertically integrated biotechnology company founded by Fred Kahn, MD, FRCS(C) in Toronto in 1989. Over the course of time, the company has established four treatment platforms that provide a high level of success in the treatment of a variety of medical pathologies.
The first platform includes musculoskeletal problems, sports injuries and spinal conditions.
The second introduces a revolutionary method of wound healing that is effective in a timely manner.
The third application is for the resolution of dermatological problems including psoriasis, eczema, acne, etc.

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The most recent and exciting platform addresses the treatment of neurological conditions, focusing primarily on cerebral concussion, also known as traumatic brain encephalopathy. As we all know, cerebral concussion has become a major healthcare challenge, as the incidence of this condition increases, the result of high-level sports activities, motor vehicle accidents, military conflicts and episodes occurring throughout the course of daily activities. The negative impact on the quality of life and the stress on economic resources are incalculable. Many options are available to relieve symptoms and hopefully stimulate the healing process. Unfortunately hope, from a realistic perspective, does not produce results.
In view of the limited therapeutic options currently available, aside from being only minimally effective or scalable on an encompassing basis, there is no single application that has provided consistent, effective relief. Reputations have been built on employing nutritional and/or exercise programs, neurofeedback and prescribing an extensive number of pharmaceuticals, the majority of which compound the problem, aside from the adverse effects induced by their addictive propensities. None of these methods provide a specific, curative effect to mitigate the pathology engendered by TBI.
Symptoms generally include headaches, sleep aberrations, a complex array of cognitive and executive dysfunction, brain fog, fatigue and depression, all of which negatively impact the quality of life. Most of these symptoms may be imperceptible initially, however they generally become more evident as time progresses. This is the result of the activation of inflammatory pathways, both at the cellular and physiological level, which leads to deterioration of the neurons, axons, etc. One must be aware that neurodegenerative disorders, including the Dementias, Parkinson’s, etc. may often result from a traumatic episode at an earlier stage in the individual’s life which may have been long forgotten. It may therefore be inferred that aside from chronic pain and depression, more serious late stage degenerative conditions may also result from traumatic brain injuries sustained at an early age.
The World Health Organization has recently published statistics indicating that 6 out of every 1000 individuals have sustained some form of concussion. It is estimated that there are somewhere between 20-30 million North Americans living with TBI-related disabilities. This does not include the vast number of cases that go unreported. Efforts to improve the treatment outcomes should be a priority for all clinicians and healthcare providers involved in these endeavours.
Once a diagnosis has been established, the therapeutic options are limited. Essentially concussion patients presently are prohibited from involvement in high-risk physical activities and demanding cognitive tasks. They are encouraged to rest and pharmaceutical solutions, often widely utilized, unfortunately do not address the underlying pathologies involved.
At Meditech, over the past 10 years particularly, we have focused on the treatment of neurological conditions, primarily traumatic brain injury, as these cases present the largest cohort of neurological problems. Protocols have been developed specifically to treat both acute and chronic conditions which have been further divided into stable, labile and other categories.
It must be observed that isolated injuries to the central nervous system alone are rare. A growing body of evidence indicates that the skeletal and soft tissues of the cervical spine, along with the spinal cord, may bear the primary brunt of the trauma. Aside from the torque and whiplash forces affecting the central nervous system, structures at the atlanto-occipital junction are exceedingly vulnerable to trauma. One should also be cognizant that the injury often includes the auditory and proprioceptive mechanisms. The brain stem, located at the posterior aspect of the brain, provides continuity with the spinal cord. The cranial nerves originate in the brain stem and when a traumatic episode occurs, physiological and neurochemical changes are manifested, leading to varying degrees of neuronal impairment. Neuroprotective functions are dependent on the viability of mitochondrial metabolism, which is essential to the process of cell survival and regeneration.

duo+_smCurrent research indicates that the effects of photobiostimulation consists of the primary effect, i.e. a direct photochemical change secondary to the excitation of photoreceptors and the activation of secondary messenger cascades with subsequent modulation improving function and gene expression. The secondary effect occurs at some point subsequent to light exposure. Impaired mitochondrial oxidative metabolism is associated with neuronal degeneration and this process is reversed with the application of Light Therapy.

Mechanism of Action
Therapeutic effects are actualized via three channels. The first is the direct effect of photon particles interacting with the membranes and intracellular molecules of the cells, constituting the neurological, connective and skeletal tissues that comprise the structures undergoing therapy.
The second is the absorption of the photon or energy particles by the cerebrospinal fluid which are transmitted to the spaces surrounding the central nervous system, the ventricles and the spinal cord.
The third is the humoral effect, i.e. the absorption of photon particles by the intravascular contents and distribution to the affected tissues. The circulation of both cerebrospinal and vascular fluids play a significant role in the actualization of this process.
During 2016 at Meditech, we treated 500 cases diagnosed with cerebral concussion. The results achieved by patients that follow the prescribed therapeutic regimen in a compliant manner are well in excess of an 80% recovery rate. Protocols are continually refined and individualized based on extrapolations from our clinical experience and our extensive database. At this point, we feel that Laser Therapy is the treatment of choice for patients presenting with traumatic brain injury; moreover it offers a precise, consistent and universally effective therapeutic approach to the elimination of symptoms and the full restoration of quality of life. Modified treatment protocols have also been applied on a limited scale to Parkinson’s disease, Dementia, Autism and other neurological conditions. Results to date have exceeded our expectations and in some instances, have been dramatic.
An early and better defined recognition of the diagnosis of concussion and the institution of Laser Therapy are paramount to the resolution of this and other neurological conditions in an expeditious manner.