Non-invasive treatment for diabetic neuropathy shows promise

Main Category: Diabetes
Article Date: 05 Jan 2004 - 0:00 PDT

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A new, non-invasive device that uses near-infrared light to increase blood flow in diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) has shown promising results in early clinical trials.

Treatment with the Anodyne Therapy System (ATS) appears to restores sensation, reduce pain, and improve balance in patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), according to a report published in the January issue of Diabetes Care.

ATS is thought to increase blood flow by dilating arteries and veins.

The auhors assessed the outcomes of 27 patients with DPN who were treated with placebo or active ATS for 2 weeks and then active therapy for 2 more weeks three times a week.

The study group included 9 patients who were insensitive to 5.07 and 6.65 test filaments and 18 who were only insensitive to the 5.07 filament.

In the group with milder sensory impairment, both 6 and 12 weeks of ATS were associated with a significant drop in the number of insensate sites. In contrast, no sensory improvements were seen with sham therapy.

ATS therapy was also tied to a reduction in neuropathic symptoms scores and with a fall in visual analog pain scores and the percentage of patients with substantial balance problems decreased from 90% to 17% with ATS.

But in the patients insensate to both test filaments, ATS did not produce significant improvements in sensation, neuropathic symptoms, or pain.

Although the results are 'encouraging,' the authors conclude 'more discreet quantitative sensory tests would be helpful in determining the exact degree of sensory improvement experienced after the administration of ATS treatments.'

Reference: Leonard D, Farooqi M and Myers S (2003) Restoration of Sensation, Reduced Pain, and Improved Balance in Subjects With Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study with monochromatic near-infrared treatment Diabetes Care 27 (1) 168-172