Red light therapy for neck dissection side effects

That’s a lot of money to fork out. I’ve just had this surgery and have only needed paracetamol. Have you been in loads of pain then? 

NickyJJ4978db said:

. I’ve just had this surgery and have only needed paracetamol. Have you been in loads of pain then? 

It’s to deal with fibrosis ( scarring) which can cause no end of problems. It’s called Photobiomodulation. The way the light delivery works is quite complicated in that efficacy is not just a function of wavelength. I am in touch with Thor who deliver this treatment at an increasing number of NHS hospitals. There are a lot of cheap ineffective machines on sale. Emma Hallam runs the first head and neck dedicated late effects clinic in the country and she has been trialling home units. She is the one to ask about them. 

Hi Nicky. I think we are the lucky ones as like you I had very little trouble after my neck dissections. The issue with fibrosis after a neck dissection sounds difficult. It is great that the medical profession are always looking at new treatments to help with these troublesome side effects.

Lyn

Yes, a lot of extreme tension in the neck, which has been exacerbated by full rotator cuff tears. Sometimes the spasms are so severe it feels like I’m being strangled. Horrible.

My hospital has a Thor machine which was gifted but apparently they can’t afford to get it serviced!

Struth! What a ridiculous state of affairs. Makes you wonder whether management has any idea how much their patients cost in the long run if these things are ignored. 

Gosh I had no idea. So this is several weeks down the line is it? Does it help? 

Hi All, this post attracted my attention as I had part of my Thyroid gland removed and Laryngectomy, followed 12 months later with Chemo and Radiotherapy for OS cancer which was very high up and effected the just under my mouth area, I did have excessive heat problems after the Lary operation but over the past 5 years the heat problem has got worse, all blood tests have cleared the Thyroid as the problem as I had read that Chemo and RT can adversly effect the Thyroid. The GP has nowsaid it could be a number of things including tissue and other damage, I'm wondering if this treatment would help damaged tissue and nerves

Thanks Tony

BTW, you are normally offered photobiomodulation if you had radiotherapy which I didn’t. It’s a puzzle to me therefore why I have such bad fibrosis - maybe it’s because I’m old

Raewyn said:

BTW, you are normally offered photobiomodulation if you had radiotherapy

Only in some places. Swansea didn’t have one and still don’t seven years later 

Im sure the number of cancer centres with PBM is well less than half  

Raewyn said:

maybe it’s because I’m old

Surgical technique? Fibrosis is after all a fancy name for scarring