Laser Therapy: Enhancement of Nerve Regeneration by Therapeutic Laser
by William J. Kneebone, RN, DC
 Injuries to the nervous system affect over 90,000 people every
year.1 Spinal cord injuries alone account for over 10,000 annually.2
Damage to the lower spinal column can result in paraplegia or quadriplegia.3
Nerves can be damaged either through disease or trauma. Trauma to the nerves can occur as
a consequence of motor vehicle accidents, severe falls, lacerations, and typing. Traumatic
injury, such as falls and motor vehicle accidents can lead to the severing of nerves.
Several diseases can damage nerves. They include multiple sclerosis, diabetes, spina
bifida, and polio.
In this article we will discuss some of the basic concepts relating to nerve
regeneration and its response to therapeutic laser. Several research studies will be
cited.
Nerve Injury
Peripheral nerve injury immediately elicits the migration of Schwann cells, phagocytic
cells, and macrophages to the damaged tissue site in order to clear away tissue debris.
Initially after injury, there is swelling of the proximal end of the nerve and is
subsequently accompanied by retrograde degeneration. Once the debris has been cleared,
axonal sprouting begins to occur.
Regeneration, however, is limited to the central nerve system and not the peripheral
nerve system. The glial cells and extracellular environment exert an inhibitory influence
on the regeneration process. Central nerve system lesions have been shown to re-grow in
acceptable environments. Therefore, the primary issue nerve regeneration in the central
nerve system is crossing or eliminating the inhibitory lesion site.1
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— May 2010
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