Edit: February 6, 2018

CLINICAL ABSTRACT

Purpose of Article: To demonstrate the efficacy of Laser Therapy in the Treatment of Chronic Cerebral Concussion.

The patient is a 38-year-old individual who presented complaining of multiple cognitive impediments. On careful questioning, he recalled sustaining a severe concussion at age 5, after falling six feet from a fence. Evidently he lost consciousness for an undetermined period of time and was taken to the hospital by his parents. A number of investigative procedures were performed, however no therapy was provided.

From that time on, the patient had a difficult upbringing, experiencing problems with all relationships including his parents, at school working with teachers and subsequent to completing his education, maintaining a job. He had been on Zoloft for depression for many years. He stated that he had been diagnosed with “Obsessive Compulsive Disorder”, has difficulty organizing, is subject to chronic “brain fog” and has severe pain in the cervical spine. These problems had become well established and the patient summarized his status as being unable to get along with anyone, achieve any level of success in his work objectives and generally preferred to live alone as an introverted, problematic recluse.

PHYSICAL EXAMINATION:
On initial examination on August 18, 2015, the patient was noted to be right-handed. The right grip was 90 lbs and the left was 80 lb. Range of motion of the cervical spine with regard to flexion, extension, lateral rotation and lateral flexion was 60% of normal. A loss of the normal curvature of the cervical spine was noted, along with significant para-cervical muscle spasm and moderate tenderness from the occiput to T1.

The patient’s attitude was extremely negative and with regard to movements and speech, he appeared to be hypoactive. The neurological examination was grossly within normal limits however a bony depression was noted over the left frontal bone, attesting to the initial injury at age 5 years. Generally speaking, the patient was minimally communicative and appeared to be locked in a protective shell.

The initial diagnosis formulated after a prolonged period of questioning, and the physical examination, was–Cerebral Concussion (chronic, severe).

The case clearly represented the clinical picture of a chronic case of Cerebral Concussion and it was somewhat doubtful after the period of time that had elapsed from his initial injury that improvement in his condition could be provided.

COURSE OF TREATMENT: Treatment was initiated using the BioFlex Laser Therapy System on August 22, 2015. Initially, treatment was confined to the cervical spine, including the occiput and upper thoracic spine. Irradiation of the brainstem and cerebellum were included in this process. Following five treatments of this area on consecutive days, treatments were extended to the cerebral hemispheres. Initially only the occipital lobes were targeted but as the course of treatment advanced, treatments were extended to the temporo-parietal and frontal lobes. These focused on the motor, sensory and speech centres of the brain.

After the initial three days of treatment, the patient reported that he was experiencing petit mal seizures at night. He also revealed that the house he grew up in had high lead levels which he was exposed to during his formative years. At this point in the course of treatment, he noted that the chronic “brain fog” was gradually being replaced by clarity and his reading abilities had begun to improve.

At this time, he began to reduce the intake of Zoloft, which had been prescribed for his chronic depression.

As therapy progressed, range of motion of the cervical spine improved to a relatively normal level. After 12 treatments of the cervical spine over a course of three weeks, along with applications to the cerebral hemispheres, he reported that he was able to engage in more physical activities and his mental clarity continued to improve. In addition, he commented that his emotional status was more stable, his energy levels had increased and the periodic petit mal seizures had almost completely disappeared. After six weeks of treatment, the patient felt that he had improved sufficiently on the functional level that he decided to discontinue treatments.

Two years following the completion of treatment, the patient presented with another problem and at that time, we did not recognize him. There was a complete change in his appearance, demeanor and his communicative skills. On questioning, the patient revealed that his lifestyle had improved substantially, although he was still using Zoloft periodically. Conversational levels were relatively normal, the patient was optimistic and there was no evidence of any psychological or behavioural problems.

He indicated that he had been holding a steady job for the past year, had moved to a higher level environment, appeared to be well groomed and communicated with a great deal of self-assurance. Indeed, when I saw him in the waiting room, I had difficulty recognizing him. For the first time since I had known him, he was optimistic with regard to the future and felt that his life was continuing to improve on all levels.

RELEVANT COMMENTS: In the past, there has been minimal progress in developing effective treatments for chronic brain injuries, particularly in cases of multiple cerebral Concussions. This patient illustrated the tremendous benefit that can be induced by appropriate Laser Therapy. The changes in this patient were dramatic from all perspectives, particularly his speech and energy levels. The patient stated that the quality of his life had normalized and looked forward to the future with optimism.