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Alabama Workers Compensation
Features MicroLight Laser
in March Newsletter
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS), the most common
repetitive-stress injury, is a manifestation of nerve and tissue damage
from fast, forceful and seemingly harmless repetitive wrist and hand
motions. Repetitive movements can cause inflammation of the tendons that
pass through a narrow tunnel in the wrist called the Carpal Tunnel.
Those tendons enable the hand to open and close. The median nerve that
also passes through the Carpal Tunnel carries impulses from the brain to
the fingers. Inflamed tissue in the Carpal Tunnel can squeeze the median
nerve, causing significant swelling and debilitating pain.
Dr. Gray has been part of a clinical study group for the past 7 years
for non-surgical laser treatment of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. He has
treated several hundred patients with CTS. "We now have a state of art
multidisciplinary facility consisting of medical doctors, physical
therapists, and chiropractors. We are a one stop shop for the
non-invasive treatment of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. This is a facility
that a compensation adjuster can send their clients. employee and be
assured that the employee will get what they need and not have to go to
three or four different facilities and the almost certain lost
communication," stated Dr. Gray of the Central Alabama Spine & Rehab.
According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS),
approximately 366,000 CTS surgeries were performed in 1999, a 300%
increase from 1991. However, both surgical and non-surgical treatments
generally have not enabled CTS sufferers to return to work. At General
Motors, about 1% of workers who undergo invasive CTS surgery permanently
return to their previous jobs. As a result, CTS costs General Motors an
estimated $250 million per year, including worker compensation payments.
ne In response to the dramatic growth of CTS among its employees,
General Motors conducted a controlled 36-week double-blind clinical
study using the ML 830 to treat 116 employees who had CTS (under its
former designation "MicroLight 830") in conjunction with a physical
therapy program. This study showed a significant improvement in grip
strength and range of motion among workers treated with the ML 830. when
compared to workers treated with a placebo laser. A prominent college of
medicine in Houston, Texas, conducted a later double-blind study in
2000. That study showed 70% improvement in the active group. For more
information about MicroLight or its ML 830, please go to
www.microlightcorp.com.
For Additional Information Please Contact:
Dr. Jody S. Gray
Central Alabama Spine & Rehab
4329 Main Street
Pinson, AL 35126
205-681-4243
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