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INTRODUCTION
Recently, photon therapy has been discovered to help those with
various types of pain. Several doctors in USA have completed studies
with patients suffering from back/leg/hip/knee pain, diabetic
neuropathy, myofascial pain and TMJ.
One Canadian doctor has also been using photon therapy which
consists of a thermal imaging processor and a photonic stimulator
device to help RSD/CRPS patients. This page is a profile of Dr
Pollett and his work.
In 1966, Dr Pollet received his medical degree from Dalhousie
University, Nova Scotia and began a general practice in Nanaimo,
B.C. He then returned to Halifax, Nova Scotia where he began
a general practice. While working at various hospitals, he also
gained experience in general medicine, obstetrics as well as
anaesthesia and surgery. After completing his training in Anesthesiology
in 1978, he commenced anaesthesia practice in Sydney, N.S. After
visiting several Pain Management Clinics in USA he began seeing
pain referrals.
From 1989-95, he functioned as staff anaesthetist (Canadian
term for Anesthesiologist) at Sydney City Hospital, Sydney Community
Health Centre (formerly St. Rita Hospital) and New Waterford
Consolidated Hospital. This constituted approximately 60% of
his practice. The remainder of his working time was devoted
to developing a pain management clinic for Cape Breton Island.
By that time he was receiving approximately three-hundred new
referrals per year at the clinic, mostly for chronic benign
pain.
In 1994 the clinic was transferred to the Northside General
Hospital in North Sydney. Since November, 1996, he has been
operating a full time pain clinic at the Northside General Hospital
in North Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada."
DR POLLETT SAYS: "In 1997, I arranged for 3 patients
to try photonic stimulation, a non-invasive experimental treatment
for Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome)
and other painful conditions. This was developed by a Pittsburgh
chiropractor, Dr Constance Haber. The treatment was very successful
and I acquired the second of these devices in the world in July,
1998.
Since then I have treated several hundred patients with this
device and found it to be a powerful tool which may revolutionize
some aspects of pain therapy. I was invited to speak about my
results in December, 2000 at the 3rd International CRPS (RSD)
Conference presented by The Neuropathic Pain Research Institute
at the Grosvenor Resort in Lake Buena Vista Florida.
I also frequently present video conferences on chronic pain
for Nova Scotia physicians under the auspices of the Continuing
Medical Education division of Dalhousie University Medical School.
UPDATE: July 2003
Since 1998, Dr Pollett has been treating CRPS patients with
photon therapy. Based on treatment statistics in his clinic,
the success rate is 60%.
"Infrared Light Therapy in the Treatment of Chronic
Pain" in Today's Therapeutic Trends will be published
in their fourth quarter issue. We congratulate Dr Pollett
on his hard work!
RESULTS OF TREATMENT
WITH THE BALES SCIENTIFIC PHOTONIC STIMULATOR
by Harry F. L. Pollett, M.D. FRCPC
Cape Breton Healthcare Complex
North Sydney, Canada
Diagnoses Treated:
-
Back Pain - 21 Patients
-
RSD - 13 Patients
-
Tension Headaches - 10 Patients
-
Leg/Hip/Knee Pain - 10 Patients
-
Myofascial Pain - 5 Patients
-
Diabetic Neuropathy - 4 Patients
-
Chest Wall Pain - 3 Patients
-
Post Herpetic Neuralgia - 3 Patients
-
TMJ - 3 Patients
-
Abdominal Wall Pain - 1 Patient
Treatment Results Diagnoses Treated:
-
Back Pain - 21 Patients (11 helped by other
means before treatment with Stimulator)
-
Back Pain - 21 Patients (at end of treatment
with Photonic Stimulator)
-
Back Pain - 21 Patients (at present time -
September, 1999)
-
Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD) or Complex
Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) - 13 Patients RSD - 13 Patients
(at end of treatment with Photonic Stimulator)
-
RSD - 13 Patients (at present time - September,
1999)
-
Tension Headache - 13 Patients (10 patients
helped by other means before treatment with Stimulator)
-
Tension Headache - 13 Patients (at end of
treatment with Photonic Stimulator)
-
Tension Headache - 13 Patients (at present
time - September, 1999)
-
Leg/Hip/Knee Pain (at end of treatment with
Photonic Stimulator)
-
Leg/Hip/Knee Pain (at present time - September,
1999)
-
Diabetic Neuropathy - 3 Patients (1 patient
helped by other treatments)
-
Diabetic Neuropathy - 3 Patients (at end of
treatment with Photonic Stimulator) Diabetic Neuropathy -
3 Patients (at present time - September, 1999)
-
Myofascial Pain - 5 Patients (4 patients
were helped by other treatments before Photonic Stimulator)
-
Myofascial Pain - 5 Patients (at end of treatment
with Photonic Stimulator)
-
Myofascial Pain - 5 Patients (at present time
- September, 1999)
Recurrences
-
Change in Work Status
-
Concerns
Treatment Results
-
Minimum Number of Treatments - 3
-
Number of Patients Treated - 105
-
Number of Patients Surveyed - 81
Back Pain: 21 Patients (11 helped by other means
before treatment with Photonic Stimulator) Treatments Included:
-
Trigger Points
-
I.V. Lidocaine
-
Epidural Steriods
-
Chiropractor
Back Pain - 21 Patients (at end of treatment with
Photonic Stimulator)
-
Worse after treatment - 5 Patients
-
Unchanged after treatment - 7 Patients
-
Slightly better after treatment - 4 Patients
-
Significantly better after treatment - 5 Patients
Back Pain - 21 Patients (at present time - September,
1999)
-
Worse after treatment - 4 Patients
-
Unchanged after treatment - 5 Patients
-
Slightly better after treatment - 5 Patients
-
Significantly better after treatment - 7 Patients
REFLEX SYMPATHETIC DYSTROPHY (RSD) or
COMPLEX REGIONAL PAIN SYNDROME (CRPS) - 13 Patients
(4 patients were helped by other treatment before Photonic Stimulator)
Treatments included:
RSD - 13 Patients (at end of treatment with Photonic
Stimulator)
-
Worse after treatment - 1 Patients
-
Unchanged after treatment - 1 Patients
-
Slightly better after treatment - 2 Patients
-
Significantly better after treatment - 9 Patients
RSD - 13 Patients (at present time - September,
1999)
-
Worse after treatment - 2 Patients
-
Unchanged after treatment - 3 Patients
-
Slightly better after treatment - 3 Patients
-
Significantly better after treatment - 4 Patients
-
All better - 1 Patient
 HOT
RSD
There are two sets of images here. The one entitled HotRSD
is of a 40 year old woman with a history of RSD after an
automobile accident in June, 1997. She delayed her treatment
because of pregnancy until the spring of 1998 at which time
she was treated with a series of Bier blocks with guanethidine.
These were unsuccessful and when she was first imaged with
the Bales infrared camera in August, 1998 she had a hot
swollen (R) arm which was twice the size of her left arm.
Nevertheless, her fingers were very cold. She was treated
with the photonic stimulator between then and the end of
October, 1998. The initial images in August, 1998 are in
the top row. Follow-up pictures were taken in February,
1999, approximately four months after completion of treatment
and they are shown in the bottom row of images. |
 COLD
RSD
The second set of images is entitled Cold RSD (R) . There
are three rows of images. The top row were taken in January,
1999, prior to commencing treatment of any kind. The patient,
a man approximately 45 years old, preferred to commence
treatment with conventional treatment which is covered by
provincial medicare. He had a series of (R) lumbar sympathetic
blocks, which only gave temporary pain relief, followed
by a series of Bier blocks with guanethidine, which also
gave temporary pain relief. Follow-up pictures taken in
July (our hottest on record) showed that although he had
slight warming of his thighs, his feet if anything, were
colder than they were in January! Although both feet look
cold, almost all his symptoms were in his right foot. He
had four treatments with the photonic stimulator in July
and the bottom row of pictures were taken in September,
about six weeks after completion of treatment. I think the
results speak for themselves, but the patient reported about
a seventy percent reduction in symptoms.
Thanks to Dr Pollett for allowing us to include these cases. |
PHOTONICS FRENZY AT NIAGARA
St. Catharines Standard Wed. October 3, 2001. A6 For the Standard
College president cuts ribbon with a laser as
leading-edge tech programs launched
WELLAND: Niagara College provided a glimpse at
the future Tuesday with the offical launching of Ontario's first
undergraduate programs in the emerging field of photonics.
"The launching of the photonics program places
Niagara among higher institutions in Ontario as a leading edge
in technology", said Niagara College President Dan Patterson,
who used a laser to cut the ribbon to open the labs.
"We're really excited about that because
at the end of the day what is most important is that we provide
the best opportunities for our students and for our industry.
Photonics is the next multi-trillion dollar industry."
Photonics involves the generation, transmission and utilization
of light information and energy.
The two and three year diploma programs were developed
through a partnership wtih Photonics Research Ontario and Algonquin
College to train technicians and technologists for employment
in the photonic sector.
Photonics is being applied in virtually all industries,
businesses, and households, ranging from laser eye surgery to
the scanner at the supermarket or the fibre-optic cable that provides
high-speed Internet service. Because of this wide range of applications,
there is an urgent need for trained photonics professionals in
most industries from laser tehcnologies and machining to the manufacturing,
telecommunicaions, medical, biotechnical, imaging, optical and
microelectric sectors.
"There has been an overwhelming reponse to
the inititative from the industry and, more importantly, from
the students" said Dr Gerard F. Lynch, president and CEO
of Photonics Research Ontario. "The first graduates of this
program will build a solid foundation that has the capacity to
launch Ontario as a global hub in photonics, but to do so we need
trained people."
Companies move where there is technology and trained,
capable people, Lynch added.
"Without both we will not be successful in
the economic agenda for the coming century. This program lauches
us into establishing the core of trained people that will be required
for the photonics industsry to expand in Ontario."
The photonic project was funded in part through
a $3.5 million Strategic Skills Development grant from the Ministsry
of Economic Development and Trade. It will provide curriculum
development, space renovation and the acquisition of more than
$1.7 million of laser and related photonics equipment, including
laser welders, advanced optics equipment, fibre optics equipment,
and advanced electronic equipment at both Niagara and Algonquin
Colleges.
Jay Yatulis, the program coordinatior, is looking
forward to the challenge.
"We've got the first group of students coming through and
they are absolutely pumped. The'ye really excited about the program,"
said Yatulis.
(reproduced with permission)
Where can I find Photon Therapy in Canada?
NOVA SCOTIA
Harry FL Pollet, MD FRCPC
Cape Breton Health Care Complex
North Sydney, Nova Scotia
Tel: (902) 828 2899
ONTARIO
Toffy Kobrossi, DC,
2830 Keele Street
Toronto,Ontario M3M 3E5
Tel: (416) 635 6028
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