Anodyne Treatment

Use the selection criteria below to select the Comment Period for which you would like to view the comments for the selected document. You can use the alphabetical links above the results table to jump to comments submitted by a commenter whose last name starts with that letter. Select the 'Expand All Comments' link to view all the full comments, and click the 'Collapse All Comments' link to view only the abstract for all comments. Select the 'More' link in the Comment to view the full text of the specific comment in a new window. Title: Physical TherapistOrganization: Bodycentral Physical TherapyDate: I use Anodyne therapy daily at my clinic in Tucson, AZ. We have had very significant results with patients with peripheral neuropathy.sensation has improved over the course of only 3-4 visits. Improving sensation in the feet of people with diabetes not only improves their balance, but it also decreases the chance of them unknowingly developing ulcers because of decreased sensory imput.

These devices are beneficial to the public, and should be available to all. Title: Doctor of Physical TherapyOrganization: Elkins Physical TherapyDate: I am disappointed in Medicare's limited coverage for Anodyne Therapy. There are numerous published studies supporting its efficacy. In additon to this, Anodyne has been effective for several of my patients. Some of the results have been near miraculous. I have witnessed first-hand patients being cured of chronic foot pain.

Anodyne may be available in the countries listed below. Ingredient matches for Anodyne Diclofenac. Diclofenac sodium (a derivative of Diclofenac) is reported as an ingredient of Anodyne in the following countries. Bangladesh; Important Notice: The Drugs.com international database is in BETA release.

I have seen return of sensation in people that have not felt their feet for years! I feel it is short-sighted not to understand how this will save Medicare in the future.Derek M. Andrews, DPT.

Title: Clinic DirectorOrganization: Continuum Wellness ClinicDate: I have had very positive feedback and objective gains for patients who have been referred for diabetic neuropathy. We, as a clinic, have been utilizing Anodyne therapy in teatment for diabetic neuropathy. Consistent results have been achieved especially in the area of pain relief, sensation return, balance improvement and functional strength gains.We have not previously been able to consistently achieve results for patients with diabetic neuropathy largely secondary to persistent pain.Anodyne therapy coupled with physical therapy therapeutic interventions have allowed patients to become more independent and less likely to have to access the medical system for the painful effects of diabetic neuropathy.

From a provider's prospective, we have not been able to consistently, successfully treat patient's with diabetic peripheral neuropathy before the use of Anodyne. Anodyne is an important adjunct of physical therapy for patients with peripheral neuropathy with and without diabetes. Organization: Scott M Aronson, DPM, PCDate: I have many patients who have had improvment with the use of MIRE therapy during the past 2 years. Patients have had a decrease in pain as it relates to periphera neuropathy as well as increased sensation. Many patients have been able to eliminate (or atleast decrease) the use of medications such as Neurontin (decreasing the side effects as well). A great number of patients have purchased there own machines (at their own cost) from the manufacturer which is further proof of the benefits of the MIRE therapy.

I would hope that you consider this a covered benefit. Title: physicianOrganization: MindBody AcupunctureDate: I am a pain management physician in the state of Wisconsin. I am an anesthesiologist with extra credentials in pain management.

Stronghold kingdoms gameplay fr. I believe the infrared light therapy system should be reimbursed by Medicare. I have treated over 2 dozen patients with the unit and would have treated many more if reimbursement for the treatment were available.

I have had good success with the unit in treating diabetic neuropathy and fair success in treating non-diabetic neuropathy. In addition, I have treated muscle pain and joint pain with the unit and achieved fairly good result. Most important however is the really fantastic results that I have achieved with wound healing. This is a medical device that needs to become the standard of care for all diabetics just as glucose monitoring devices are standard of care.

With this unit we will decrease the amount of neuropathy and avoid extensive tissue damage in many of our diabetes thereby avoiding amputations, falls, injuries and many other complications of chronic degenerative disorders, not just diabetes. It would eliminate much of the need for stronger drugs such as neurontin and narcotics. Please give real consideration to covering this service at a reimbursement rate that makes it available to all. Title: PTAOrganization: Affinity health systemDate: I have worked in the outpatient clinic now forabout 1 1/2 years. In that amout of time Ihaveseen about 15-20 patients for anodynetreatment.The majority of patients I haveworkedwith using this modality have had verygoodresults.

They have had increasedsensation,decreased pain,decreased burning,andincreased balance. They have reportedbetterability to ambulate with fewer falls,and abilityto ambulate longer distances. Ihave used noother modalities for peripheralneuropathy thathave had similar results. Title: Physical TherapistOrganization: Progressive Therapy ServicesDate: Indications/conditions treated with RevitaMed PILTPeripheral Neuropathy related to Diabetes and idiopathic.Outcomes/responses to RevitaMed PILT: We have had excellent results with this equipment. Patients have reduced pain in their feet. Patients have improved sensations and reduced numbess leading to improved gait and balance. Patients have also reported reduced tingling and burning in their feet.Number of patients to date that have received RevitaMed PILT treatment: Approximately 15 patients have been treated with RevitaMed PILT.Clinical data demonstrating efficacy of RevitaMed PILT treatments: We collect patient data using the pain scale, the monofilament test for sensations, tinetti's balance and gait scale, MMT for strength.

Pain scale: upto 5 points of reduced pain.Monofilament test: 1-2 points improvement.Tinetti's scales: 2-3 points improvement. MMT: 1/3 to 1/2 grade improvement.The above data differs from patient to patient.Improvement to patients’ quality of life initiated by RevitaMed PILT treatment: E.g. Improved balance and thus reduced frequency of falls. Easier to get in and out of the chair. Improved posture.Able to sleep better.

Improved community ambulation.How RevitaMed PILT treatments reduced patients’ risks of further complications or injury RevitaMed PILT combined with therapeutic exercises helsp in improving balance, strength, and flexibility in our patients. This reduces their risks of injury due to falls.Safety of RevitaMed system (i.e. 0 patients have received burn resulting from RevitaMed PILT treatment): No incidents of burns reported from RevitaMed PILT.

Title: Director/Co-OwnerOrganization: Rehabilitation Assoc. Of Central Va.Date: Anodyne therapy has been remarkably effective in the treatment of peripheral neuropathy as well as slow healing wounds. The clinical effectiveness is unparalleled as compared to other procedures available. As there is little to no other modality that is effective for peripheral neuropathy, not covering this procedure would seem to be unethical as we would be witholding a treatment that is known to be effective. I strongly encourage you to consider this as a covered service for medicare constituents. Title: Physical TherapistOrganization: Therapy Concepts Inc.Date: I own an outpatient wound care center. Anodyne therapy plays an critical role in the care of my patients.

We have been able to save limbs and thus save Medicare the finacial burden of limb loss. Furthermore, Anodyne unequivically restores protective sensation in the diabetic foot. The restoration of protective sensation is critical to preventing limb loss.

There are numerous double blind placebo controlled studies that support this outcome.Sincerely,Greg Barone MPT/CWS. Title: Manager TherapyOrganization: Holzer Medical CenterDate: I manage therapy for hospital based outpatient department. We have had a unit for over 2 years and have had great success for several patients, including neuropathy and general pain in the feet and hands.Several patients have gotten the info to get home units, some have proceeded and others have not due to associated costs- but would like to, and often due to re-occuring symptoms are re-seen for treatments.The unit has also been used in our SNF unit for assisting in circulation and therefore wound healing with good success.

Title: PhysicianOrganization: Metro Tulsa Foot & Ankle SpecialistsDate: I am a wound care physician in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I have treated over 100 individuals with Anodyne for diabetic and non-diabetic neuropathy with great success. Many of my patients have purchased home Anodyne units and continue to use them regularly.I believe this modality offers a fantastic non-invasive treatment options for neuropathy. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at your convenience. Title: Physical Therapist/Clinical ManagerOrganization: Spot Rehabilitation and home careDate: I have had numerous success stories related tothe Anodyne infrared unit in my physical therapypractice. The main success stories are relatedto the neuropathy and wound care patients, butalso Raynauds Syndrome, Restless Leg Syndrome,various pain areas, etc. I have treated nearly20 patients over the 3-4 months since recievingthe unit with approximately 90% success rate.HOwever, the reimbursement by MEdicare is nonexistant and needs to be changed to reflect thebenefits companies are providing.

We do not haveany other modalities that work like the infraredtherapy to provide these types of benefits topatients who are unable to exercise due to pain.We are working on getting home units for severalpatients to continue their care at home. Thanksfor reading my comment.

Please contact me if youhave questions at.-.-. Title: Physical therapistOrganization: NovaCareDate: I am a physical therapist and have been working with Anodyne for about 6 months.

I have had people who self-pay for treatment while waiting to receive their home units, because it helps them sleep through the night. I have seen significant decreases in pain, increases on standardized blanace assessment tests, and occasionally, improvement in the myofilament test. If people who are on a fixed income are willing to pay $499 out of pocket for a unit, they must be noticing real and valuable changes in their day to day lives. Title: Physical TherapistOrganization: St.

Elizabeth HospitalDate: I personally have treated about 10-15 patients, using infrared therapy. Our department has treated many more than this. I have used the infrared treatment for painful neuropathy.

Many of the patients I have treated have gone through numerous tests and treatments with no success. I have found the infrared treatment to be very helpful in relieving pain and increasing sensation. The amount of relief depends on the severity of the patients' neuropathy. I have had some people who have little to no pain after using infrared therapy, and others where it has just given them the relief to sleep at night. Some of my other collegues have used the infrared therapy for wounds and chronic pain, and have found successful results. Overall, I feel that the infrared therapy has been a successful modality in treating my patients, and feel it would be a dis-service to discontinue insurance based payment.

Title: Physical therapistOrganization: Life Care Center of GreeleyDate: I have been using Anodyne therapy in our clinic for several years. I have seen some very good outcomes with increased sensation, decreased levels of pain, improved balance, increased ability to sleep and increased activity levels.I primarily treat people with diabetic and non-diabetic neuropathies who have been limited by painful, numb feet and legs. These people have usually tried and failed intervention with medicines due to side effects of impaired thinking, impaired balance and poor control of symptoms.Although Anodyne is not effective for all patients with neuropathy, for the patients that it is effective, it is like a minor miracle. Neuropathy is so overwhelming, patients are highly motivated to participate in any program that provides relief and I have seen good carryover with home unit compliance.Prior to MIRE, I had little to offer patients with neuropthy and feel MIRE treatment is a reasonable treatment route for many patients.Thank you for your consideration in this matter.Anne Bennett, Physical Therapist. Title: DirectorOrganization: Rancho Physical Therapy; Hemet, CA.Date: I am a physical therapist and regularly utilize infrared (Anodyne) for the management of cases where loss of protective sensation, impaired circulation, inflammation or chronic pain is of conern.

I have treated over one dozen patients with this device over the past 3 months. My clinical outcomes with infrared have far exceeded my expectations and out performed other contemporary modalities such as TENS, US or paraffin. In the realm of protective sensation I have had 2 of 2 patients achieve full return of protective sensation within 12-20 sessions as compared to complete absence initially. The use of infrared is highly appropriate for a large patient population and should be allowed as a covered benefit for patients in a physical therapy setting.

Of note, these devices are more expensive to purchase and more labor intensive to set up than other modalities. Treatment time per session is also greater than other modalities and as such should be reimbursed at a higher rate to reflect the actual cost of performing this valuable service. I wholly endore the usage of this modalities and will continue to utilize it for the effective management and care of my patients.

Organization: Thompson Home HealthDate: I am employed with Thompson Home Health. We currently have nine different locations in Louisiana. A large number of our patients have been diagnosed with diabetic peripheral neuropathy and currently use the anodyne therapy machine. We have seen this machine help patients experience a decrease in pain. These patients have also experienced a dramatic improvement with balance and gait. We look forward to continuing use of this product on our patients.

Title: RNOrganization: Thompson Home HealthDate: In the home health agency that I work for, we see a very large number of patients diagnosed with diabetes. Many of these patients have diabetic peripheral neuropathy. We have utilized the Anodyne Infrared Therapy System combined with physical therapy in the majority of these patients. It is awesome to see these patients regain sensation, have a lower incidence of falls and decreased pain as well as balance improvement.In the future we hope to use Anodyne in other areas.

For now, we are very excited to have it for our diabetic peripheral neuropathy.Sincerely,Tammy Bordelon. R.N.Thompson Home HealthAlexandria, LA. Title: Physical Therapist/ Certified Athletic TrainerOrganization: Napa Valley Physical Therapy CenterDate: I am a physical therapist in Northern California. I have been practicing for 10 years. I have been using Anodyne (MIRE) for 9 months.

With this treatment, in addition to therapeutic exercise and neuro reeducation (balance training), I have been seeing excellent responses. Most commonly patients are experiecing less pain, better balance, less risk for falling, and generally have more tolerance for physical activity. Some of the folks I have seen have had peripheral neuropathy for years and have tried other options for treatment without effect. The Anodyne has helped them to begin returning to a more normal lifestyle.

I am very happy and enthused with the results thus far. I believe that if there is a treatment which can help people to have less pain and be at less risk of falling, then it should be readily available. I suspect the cost of a person falling and being hospitalized will far out-weigh the cost of physical therapy treatments which would include MIRE, therapeutic exercise, and balance training.Thank you, Rob Brandon, MPT, ATC. Title: Director of Wellness and RehabOrganization: HRMCDate: We have been using infrared therapy devices in our outpatient physical therapy department for 2.5 years now, and have noted significantly positive responses to treatment by patients with peripheral neuropathy symptoms from diabetes and other etiology. Improvements range from reduction of pain to return of full tactile and proprioception of the extremities treated.

We have not seen 100% recovery 100% of the time. But we have seen at least 25% improvement with greater than 70% of patients treated, and have seen greater than 50% improvement with greater than 40% of pateints treated. Keep in mind that prior to use of infrared therapy we were able to help zero percent of patients with diabetic neuropathy 100% of the time.

In addition to helping patients decrease pain and complaints of numbness, the bigger benefit noted to these folks is an opportunity to improve functionally and to improve their safety with gait, transfers and ADL's by reducing their risk for falling. I hope that this is helpful to you. Title: Lead Physical Therapist and PreceptorOrganization: Gentiva HealthCareDate: As a Physical Therapist, I have personallytreated 300+ patients with infared lighttherapy/'anodyne'. The infared is extremelyuseful in improving circulation and sensation tolight touch in the feet of diabetics, and alsomy patients most often ALSO report a significantdecrease in pain, and clinically I see such areduction in falls!!

The company I am employedwith, Gentiva Healthcare Services, is veryinterested in what the actual 'befores'and 'afters' are, and so we ask ALL of theTherapists to objectively test upon Eval andupon Discharge. This data is then tracked andcompiled and the results from over 1000 patientseach year (began in April 2004) are INCREDIBLE!!Pain reduction by average of 40%, sensationimprovement by 30%, 50% reduction in patients athigh risk of falls.

(These are the resultsfrom April 2004- Dec 2004. 2005 infared resultsare comparative to this, I just dont have thosein front of me at the moment) These findingscontinue to be just as, if not even moreimpressive as we continue to spread the word. Itruly believe this community (Fort Walton Beach,FL) have benefited from infared therapyimmensly. I BELIEVE that infared therapy worksbecause I have SEEN it work, tried and true,over and over again with my patients. Istrongly encourage you, as a medicare reviewerto consider coverage for the infared home unit.As a practicing Physical Therapist for 9 years,I know that with patient compliance, a homeinfared unit could decrease the frequency offalls, improve health in the tissues viaincreased blood flow (reducing diabetic wounds),decrease pain and reduce pain medication, andreduce the frequency for physical therapy re-intervention (as the benefits from our clinician-provided infared treatments wear off, as in somecases).

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Thank you for your consideration. Feelfree to contact me if you would like any of the2005 data we have collected (over 1000 patients)or if there is anything else I can help you within regards to this matter! Melanie Broome, LeadPhysical Therapist and Branch Preceptor.

Light TherapyLight therapy is the application of light to an acute or chronic injury to promote increase of circulation and relieve pain. Light therapy can benefit almost all tissues and organs of the body. The light for these therapeutic purposes is in the red or near infrared (NIR) spectrum (600nm – 1000nm). We can only see light up to 700 nm so we cannot see infrared light.Light has a photochemical effect comparable to photosynthesis in plants. For light therapy to work, enough light has to penetrate below the surface of the skin and be absorbed by cells to exert a sufficient chemical change.During the past 50 years there have been over 1000 published scientific papers regarding the therapeutic effect of light.Therapeutic light may be in the form of a laser or light emitting diodes (LEDs).

LEDs are used in all types of products from outdoor lights, to computers and light bulbs. Technological advancements in LEDs make them a safe and cost efficient method to deliver light therapy. Unlike medical lasers, Anodyne (and other LED products) do not require either the healthcare professional or the patient to use protective eyewear during treatment.The medical benefits from light therapy is dependent on several factors, primarily: wavelength, power density, pulse frequency and duty cycle (the dose). Clinical results may differ because of changes in the dose, just like medications. Positive results with Anodyne dose formulation are documented in 25 clinical studies published in medical journals.A few words about light therapy dose parameters:. Wavelength (measured in nm) is the waveform in which packets of light (photons) travel. This is important because some wavelengths penetrate more deeply into the body where they are absorbed to deliver its clinical benefit.

Anodyne uses near infrared at 890 nm for this reason. Power Density is the amount of light power delivered to an area of the body. Anodyne unique diode clusters maximize the power density delivered over each square inch of body surface area treated.

Pulse Frequency is the number of times the light turns on and off each second. Anodyne has a pulse frequency of 292 per second. Other products operate at other frequencies.

Duty Cycle is the percentage of the time the light is on compared to how often it is off. Anodyne has a duty cycle of about 50%. Anodyne Therapy Increases CirculationTreatments with Anodyne can increase local circulation by up to 3200% percent after just 30 minutes and circulation remains elevated often for several hours even after treatment is over.The following graphics demonstrate that Anodyne treatment can substantially increase local circulation. The images were captured with a sophisticated scientific instrument called a scanning laser doppler , which measures blood flow just below the surface of the skin. Brighter colors (red being the highest and dark blue being the lowest) show greater capillary blood flow.