What are Shingles?
Shingles, also called herpes zoster, is a viral infection that causes a painful rash. It is caused by the varicella-zoster virus which is the same virus that causes chickenpox. After the eruption of chickenpox, the virus lies inactive in nerve tissue near your spinal cord and brain. With the decrease in immunity and the increase of stress, the virus may reactivate as shingles.
The incidence and severity of shingles have been shown to increase with advancing age. There are an estimated one million cases of shingles per year in the US alone, and half of these cases occurring in people aged 60 or older. Postherpetic Neuralgia (PHN) is a common complication of shingles that affects 50% of patients over the age of 50 years.
PHN is characterized by ongoing pain subsequent to the resolution of the rash associated with shingles. The severe pain has been described as an unrelenting sharp, burning, stabbing symptom that interferes with sleep, work, and other activities of daily life. It can even lead to social withdrawal and depression. In some cases, the pain persists for many years.
There is no current treatment or prevention of PHN. However, cold laser therapy has shown promising results for the treatment of acute shingles as well as PHN.
How Can Cold Laser Therapy Help with Shingles?
Cold laser therapy is also known as low-level laser therapy (LLLT), employing light with a wavelength in the red to near-infrared region of the spectrum. It is popular as a safe, natural and non-invasive treatment for shingles and PHN without side effects.
Cold laser therapy is used to improve blood flow, reduce inflammation, and promote ATP production in the mitochondria of cells. Cold laser therapy devices are designed to reduce pain and inflammation as well as enhance tissue healing.
Cold laser therapy is proven to relieve the neuropathic pain associated with shingles and PHN. Cold laser therapy can mediate analgesia by releasing local neurotransmitters such as serotonin, promoting the release of endorphins, while simultaneously decreasing prostaglandin E2 and bradykinin levels.
The inflammation that causes the abnormal stimulation of the nerves in the case of PHN is reduced rapidly with cold laser therapy. An increase in anti-inflammatory cytokines, interleukin (IL), along with a decrease in pro-inflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-a, and IL-1b, allows for the rapid resolution of the inflammatory process.
In addition, cold laser therapy can accelerate the healing process of damaged cells. It increases the oxygenation of tissues and allows inflamed and damaged cells to absorb photons of light, speeding up the healing process. In this way, cold laser therapy can help with shingles and PHN.
Research Study
One study revealed that applying cold laser therapy within the first 5 days of a shingles eruption can significantly reduce the incidence and possibly prevent PHN. Another study confirmed that “This result might be explained by the anti-inflammatory effect, nerve regeneration, and indirect viral deactivation stimulated by LLLT.” One month after the eruption, 27.3% of the patients not receiving cold laser therapy continued to suffer from PHN, while 8.3% of patients with acute shingles receiving cold laser therapy were diagnosed with PHN.
If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with shingles, PHN, or is at risk for shingles, cold laser therapy can be beneficial for you.
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