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low light laser therapy

Could non-invasive Laser Therapy replace Botox for Migraine?

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We’ve talked before about an up-and-coming migraine treatment known as LLLT, or low level laser therapy. This is a non-invasive therapy that uses low level lasers to stimulate cells. It’s a treatment used for other pain conditions as well – read more here: Laser Therapy (LLLT) for Migraine

green lasers!Researchers in Brazil wanted to investigate how LLLT compares to the more well known Botox (onabotulinumtoxinA) treatment for chronic migraine. Why? Because LLLT could end up being a lot cheaper, for one thing. Also, it’s less invasive than Botox treatment.

The study, published last month, found that LLLT treatment was indeed comparable to Botox. Both did help patients with chronic migraine. One small difference was that patients treated with Botox seems to have a little lower anxiety (as a migraine symptom) after treatment, and those with LLLT seemed to have more improvement in sleep patterns. On the downside, sometimes pain increased initially with Botox treatment, and a few patients complained of a temporary “burning sensation” with the LLLT treatment.

The researchers were quick to point out that this was a small, preliminary study. The study was open label – patients knew what they were getting. They also noted that there was more “human interaction” with the LLLT treatment, something that could improve outcomes.

Due to the newness of LLLT, there is reason to believe outcomes could improve as we learn how to use it. The same is true of Botox, even though it has become more common as a migraine treatment.

Another comparison was the LLLT treatment takes more time. But the monetary savings were still significant.

This is not to say that LLLT would necessarily replace Botox treatment. Botox still may work better for some. But if a cheaper treatment, with less danger of side effects, could be tried first, it may benefit many patients.

More on this study: Botulinum toxin A (BT-A) versus low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in chronic migraine treatment: a comparison

Laser Therapy (LLLT) for Migraine

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Yes, there is current interest in using lasers to treat migraine. In this case, low level laser therapy, otherwise known as LLLT.

The idea of adding more light and heat to migraine may not sound appealing at first. But LLLT is a non-invasive and non-painful therapy that has been used for a number of pain conditions including headache disorders. There are specific laser treatment devices that are used for certain conditions.

K-laser
One of the K-Laser devices
In the case of LLLT, the lasers are set at a lower level than what is used for surgeries. This is not a cutting treatment. Instead, it stimulates your cells in certain ways that may promote healing.

The trials of this type of laser therapy for various conditions have not always had spectacular results. However, since the therapy seems to be side effect free and non-invasive, there is some interest in further researching the treatment.

So that brings us to migraine. Currently, The San Francisco Clinical Research Center is putting together a sham-controlled, single attack study to test the effectiveness of LLLT for migraine. Now, this is a very specific and small study, but it might be a place to start.

The LLLT needs to have a target. In this case, it’s the sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG). The SPG, a nerve cluster behind the nose, is already the focus of migraine treatment (and cluster headache treatment). Injections to this site have shown great promise in migraine treatment – could laser therapy do the same thing?

This study won’t give us all the answers, because it will not be a series of treatments (which may be what is needed) but only a single treatment.

However, if this treatment can help with a single attack, it could be another situation where a migraine patient could have a hand-held device at home that would allow them to treat themselves.

If you’re interested, you can talk to a migraine specialist about this treatment. If they have had success with their patients, it might be something to pursue.

Meanwhile, we’ll look forward to hearing about future research.

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