Magneto-Laser Therapy of Pulpitis and Vertebra Column Osteochondrosis
This month, I want to share with you another interesting study that I read several months ago from Russia. One of the most interesting features of the study is that it was done at one of the largest stomatological medical institutions in Russia: the Moscow State Medical Stomatological University. The department of physical therapy and rehabilitation has three divisions providing outpatient care. It has a staff of 56 people including two Doctors of Science and nine PhDs. These departments are equipped with the latest, most up to date equipment available. This clinic has a treatment capacity of 120 patients per shift. This research was conducted from March 2000 to January 2001 on patients suffering from pulpitis and vertebral column osteochronritis.1
Pulpitis is a medical condition in which an inflammation of the dental pulp occurs. Increased sensitivity to stimuli, specifically hot and cold, is a common symptom of pulpitis. A prolonged throbbing pain is also associated with the disease. Pulpitis may be caused by dental caries that penetrate through the enamel and dentin to reach the pulp, or it may be a result of trauma, such as thermal insult from repeated dental procedures.2
Osteochondrosis is a family of orthopedic diseases of the joint that occur in children and in rapidly growing animals, particularly pigs, horses, and dogs. It is characterized by interruption of the blood supply to a bone—in particular to the epiphysis—followed by localized bony necrosis, and later, regrowth of the bone. This disorder is defined as a focal disturbance of enchondral ossification and is regarded as having a multifactorial etiology, so no one thing accounts for all aspects of this disease.3
Methods
Patients with each condition were divided into three groups:
- Group I underwent traditional pharmacological and physiotherapeutic treatment.
- Group II underwent a course of quantum therapy with a TerraQuant MQ2000 magneto-infrared laser apparatus.
- Group III underwent a course of placebo treatment with a MQ2000 “imitator” designed to look like the real apparatus.
The patients treated in Group II were treated in accordance with established protocols that were developed by the researchers at MedicalQuant, the manu-facturer of the magneto-laser equipment.
Patient Demographics By Complaint Pulpitis
Number of patients:
110, including 64 men and 46 women
Patients’ ages:
20-25 years old – 18 patients
26-30 years old – 12 patients
31-35 years old – 16 patients
36-40 years old – 14 patients
41-45 years old – 21 patients
46-50 years old – 19 patients
51 years and older – 10 patients
Medical history of patients:
up to 1 day (24 hours) – 44 patients
up to 2 days (48 hours) – 12 patients
up to 1 week – 18 patients
up to 2 weeks – 17 patients
from 2 weeks to 1 month – 19 patients
Treatment course:
The treatment course consisted of 10-12 sessions encompassing 10-15 procedures. Dimunition of pain exacerbation symptoms, positive functional changes at medical and roentgenologic examinations and normal results of clinical-and-diagnostic tests served as a criterion of positive effect.
Osteochondrosis (cervical column osteoarthrosis)
Number of patients:
160, including 96 men and 64 women
Patients’ ages:
20-30 years old – 19 patients
31-40 years old – 41 patients
41-50 years old – 58 patients
51-60 years old – 22 patients
61-70 years old – 12 patients
71 years and older – 8 patients
Medical history of patients:
less than 1 year – 9 patients
less than 2 year – 11 patients
less than 3 year – 13 patients
less than 4 year – 7 patients
less than 5 year – 5 patients
less than 6 year – 7 patients
less than 7 year – 8 patients
less than 8 year – 38 patients
less than 9 year – 22 patients
10 years and more – 40 patients
Treatment course:
The treatment course consisted of 12-15 procedures. Diminution of pain and recovery of full locomotor function, as well as positive results of instrumental examination, served as a criterion of positive effect.
Results
For pulpitis, Table 1 summarizes the percentage of positive effect for Group II and indicates a 30 point increase in positive effect over that of Group I—with 35% less drug dosing and in a shorter period of time over that of traditional pharmacological and physiotherapeutic treatments. Further, in 58% of cases of patients in Group II with a diagnosis of periodontitis and pulpitis, a threat of surgical intervention was avoided.
| Number of patients | No Other Treatment Options | Surgery Only Option Given | Treatment results | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nosology | Total | Group | Group | ||||
| I | II | III | I | II | III | ||
| Pulpitis | 110 | 55 | 65 | 0 | Positive effect 58% | Positive effect – 88% Drug dose – 35% less Treatment period – 2 days shorter | - |
| Osteochondrosis (cervical column osteoarthrosis) | 160 | 70 | 80 | 10 | Positive effect 78% | Positive effect – 89% Drug dose – 28% less Treatment period – 5 days shorter | Positive effect 19% |
Table 2. Treatment results from magneto-laser treatments (Group II) as compared to traditional pharmacological and physiotherapeutic treatment (Group I) and sham treatment (Group III).
