Parkinson’s patients can avail of a new laser therapy treatment being brought to the Irish market that targets common symptoms of the disease.
Australian med tech company SYMBYX has designed a laser therapy device, which targets cells within the gut and ultimately can improve the wellbeing of Parkinson’s patients. Orla Hares, an Irish native who works as a physiotherapist in Canada, will host the webinar and is optimistic about the project.
“The clinical trial is now up and running. We recommend that people join the live webinar so we can show them how to use the laser therapy device. A lot of people with the condition are heavily dependent on their medication; we want to try and reduce that,” Orla told Dublin Live.
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Orla reveals that patients in Canada have already responded positively to the laser therapy. She believes it has helped one of her patients, who struggled to use her hands after a diagnosis of Parkinson’s, return to her favourite hobbies such as crocheting and knitting. It has also helped patients get back their sense of smell, a loss which is often associated with Parkinson’s.
Parkinson’s is now the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzeimher’s and the fastest growing worldwide. An estimated 12,000 people live with the condition in Ireland, with exploratory studies suggesting this could rise to 20,000 in the next 15-20 years. Current treatment is heavily reliant on prescription drugs, which patients must take multiple times a day.
The device works by targeting cells within the gut, which research suggest has a direct link to the nervous system. The light therapy can therefore help improve brain function. Patients can self-administer the treatment using a hand held device from the comfort of their own homes.
The gut itself helps produce hormones such as serotonin and dopamine, which Parkinson’s patients often lack as a result of their illness. CEO of SYMBYX Wayne Markman says that light therapy therefore has as good an effect on improving a patient’s mental health in addition to addressing their physical symptoms.
“The same drugs have been on offer for the past 65 years and have the same limited benefits. We’re adding another tool to the mix and disrupting the way people have been treated for decades,” Wayne revealed.
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Wayne and his team are currently seeking FDA approval for the project in the hopes to bring their laser therapy treatment to the U.S. The use of the device is already legal under EU law and the company hopes that the treatment could also be used to target other neurodegenerative conditions in the future.
SYMBYX will host the webinar in conjunction with the Dublin branch of Parkinson’s Association Ireland on August 15 . The event will take place in the Personal Health Medical Exercise Club in Dublin but people can also attend virtually.
Further information is available on SYMBYX’s website.
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