Fast relief from debilitating headaches

Every year over £150 million is spent on diagnosing and treating migraine headaches.

However, if we include other factors such as loss of economic productivity through absence from work which account for 25 million sick days due to headaches every year its more like a staggering £2.25 billion.

Here’s a case study from Wendy Boast at the Sunu Centre, Oxted.

A fit and active maths teacher, this patient had suffered for four months with continuous, severe headaches as a result of a cycling accident. He had suffered concussion but no broken bones, however the main blow was to the left jaw, affecting his neck and head generally.

He was becoming very stressed about having time off work - time out of the academic year, the impact on his students and pressure on other staff but also he found his concentration and memory were now a real problem.

I provided him a programme of 6 weekly treatments; from the first one he saw a real improvement and his colleagues all commented on how much better he looked. By treatment number 3, we were able to focus on specifics; the overwhelming pain had gone, and the “hidden” pains were apparent, particularly in the right temple. By treatment 6 he was so improved that he could manage his normal workload, and any lighter headaches brought on after deep concentration (marking and assessment activity) were easily dealt with by normal painkillers or some relaxation.

He is able to manage his workload without taking time off, his memory and concentration are much improved, and he gives Cold Laser Therapy 10 out of 10!!.

LLLT brings new life for an injured race horse

It may come as a surprise to some people that low level laser therapy (LLLT) or cold laser is used extensively within the equine field where its application has proved to be very effective. Professor Gordon Farmer, President of UKITL and owner of Futurehealth has been treating both humans and animals, and in particular horses, since his practice began over twenty five years ago. Here's his story.

Bean King was a very beautiful five year old grey race horse. He had a quite distinguished race history, winning four races on the flat including the famous ' Ebor Handicap' held at York each year.

Bean King was bred by the Duchess of Bedford at Woburn Abbey on behalf of Stone Petroleum of New York and trained in Newmarket by Robert Armstrong. One day the horse had a fall on Newmarket heath and injured his back. He was subsequently seen by a number of different vets, including ones brought over especially from France to see him, but they were all at a loss to know how to treat him. The nature of his injury meant that the horse couldn’t move around his stable or even move his head or neck to eat and was therefore rapidly loosing condition. So severe was the problem that the vets seriously considered euthanasia. I heard of the plight whilst in the yard treating other horses. I asked the trainer and the visiting vet whether I could have a look to see if I could help. They both consented and I was given 30 minutes to have a go.
After examining the horse thoroughly with my nerve diagnosis system I concluded that he was suffering from what is now called "kissing lesions" of the spine.

I carried out extensive treatment to his lymphatic system and subsequently his spine with Cold Laser, utilising 3 different programmes at differing joules/cm3 and pulse rates. After the allotted 30 minutes the vet returned to see us walking the horse around the private parade ring.

Bean King went on to make a very full recovery, so much so that he was moved to 'The Valley of the Horse', Lambourn where he became a hurdler. He went on to win 'over the sticks' and carried on racing for a further 3 years.

This success drew a great deal of attention from the press and helped to raise the profile of cold laser as a fast and effective treatment for horses. Over the years I have helped literally hundreds of race horses back to recovery. Their response to this light therapy is astounding. The same results can be achieved on any animal and indeed many veterinary practices now employ this therapy as a valid alternative to drugs.

LLLT improves fertility

This is a wonderful success story from the extensive practice of UKITL President, Professor Gordon Farmer.



A very healthy, married, 31 year old female, had been trying for a baby for five years and had undergone three IVF treatments over a period of twelve months, without success, and at a cost of £45,000.

In 2007 she pulled a muscle in her shoulder and whilst treating her for her injury, she volunteered the above information to me and asked if that was something I might be able to help with. Her husband’s sperm count was perfect, so this led me to the conclusion it was most likely that the problem was a blockage somewhere in her fallopian tubes. I ascertained that she did indeed have a large area of inflammation around both fallopian tubes.

I carried out 2 treatments with LLLT over a two week period. The following month she rang me delightedly, saying that she had conceived. They are now the proud parents of a very healthy little boy.

The effect of the cold laser had been to reduce the inflammation, remove the blockage and hence let nature take its course. All this with no pain, drugs or side effects.

Plantar Fasciitis - Policeman's heel

Here's another case study from Wendy Boast at the Sunu Centre, Oxted.
Plantar Fasciitis (presenting as a severe pain in the heel) affects about 1 in 10 people; it usually occurs in people spending at lot of time on their feet such as sportsmen and women, police officers, postal workers etc. It eventually gets better on its own as long as the patient takes plenty of rest - this is not always possible for busy working people.

This policeman did indeed have policeman's heel (plantar fasciitis) which was giving him a lot of pain, because he walked the beat 6 to 7 hours every day. The condition had been getting worse over 12 months, and he didn't want to take time off work. I gave him four treatments over three weeks which resolved the condition. The treatment included Cranial Laser Release Technique (CLRT) to relieve the pain, as well as cold laser application for the heel itself. His size 15 feet were happy again.

LLLT for Morton's Neuroma

Morton's neuroma is a thickening of nerve tissue which occurs at the base of the third and fourth toes. The thickening, or enlargement, of the nerve is the result of compression and irritation of the nerve. This compression creates swelling of the nerve with resultant pain, which can eventually lead to permanent nerve damage.


Here are two very different Morton's Neuroma(MN) cases who have had great relief after cold laser treatments which are pain free, non invasive, relaxing and have no side-effects. They have been provided by Wendy Boast, Laser therapist at the Sunu Centre, Oxted.

Patient 1 developed the MN about two years ago on her right foot, at the base of her toes. She tried the steriod injection (agony and no improvement) and then had surgery, but has since developed two more MN spots on the same foot around the scar tissue, and also the left foot has developed MN. She could not walk for more than 15 minutes without severe pain and could spend very little time on her feet, so her life was really restricted by this condition.. She felt great improvement after the first treatment, and is now well on the way to full repair.

Patient 2 has had MN on her right foot for at least four years, and has tried acupuncture but with no improvement after two years treatment. Her pain starts after walking for about an hour despite using arch supports etc, she is a keen rambler and this condition was preventing her enjoying her favourite pastime. Her normal walking to and from work etc was not badly affected. The first few treatments did not seem to make much difference but she was determined to avoid surgery so we persisted and the results were good. She can now walk 10 to 15 miles on her weekend rambles.

LLLT on chronic arthritis and the side effects of medication

Here's an intersting case study on the long term effects of LLLT on an elderly patient. This woman is my mother. Her debilitating condition was too severe for her to make the journey to Daventry to be treated by Gordon Farmer, (see previous blog). It was the need to improve her quality of life which has driven me to research, understand and practise cold laser therapy.

Mrs C, aged 87, has chronic arthritis in her shoulders, hands, hips, knees and ankles. When I first started to treat her almost 12 months ago she was suffering from oedema in her legs and ankles, breathlessness, abdominal pains, acid reflux, constipation, numbness in her fingers and feet, carpal tunnel syndrome, mild depression and pernicious anaemia. Many of her ailments were a result of side effects from her drug regime.

Low level laser treatment administered on a regular basis has resulted in a very significant reduction in oedema, all feeling returned to her feet, no abdominal pain or acid reflux, improved mobility, reduced pain, no constipation and generally a great improvement in her mental state and her quality of life. She has ceased many of her medications including warfarin, statins, Losartan for HBP and breathlessness, steroidal inhalers, anti-emetic meds, omeprazole and allopurinol for gout. Her weight has also reduced by over 30lbs, much of which is attributable to the reduction in water retention.

Introduction and Welcome

I’ve been meaning to sit down for ages to write up my experiences and case studies of what is probably the most exciting therapeutic treatment I have ever come across, i.e. Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) or ‘cold’ laser as it is often referred to.

My passion for this modality stems from its impact on my own quality of life. Struggling to cope with incessant and debilitating migraines I turned in desperation to a therapist who had been recommended to me by a friend who had been treated for a serious lung condition. Enter one of the most influential men in my life and one for whom I will always be eternally grateful, namely Gordon Farmer.

Not only did Gordon significantly improve my migraines but he also cured a number of other nagging complaints along the way. I was so impressed by this technique that I literally begged him to teach it to me. And how glad am I that he eventually agreed? Together with a dear friend of mine, Wendy Boast (of lung condition fame) I embarked on an intensive learning programme to grasp not only the mechanics of laser therapy but also to acquire an understanding of acupuncture, reflexology, lymphatics and neural pathways. Applying this knowledge to treatment protocols in my opinion delivers a far superior result than conventional cold laser therapy.

I set my practice up in North Yorkshire in March 2008. Working from home I have had the privilege of seeing some remarkable results from my application of this therapy. Over time I intend to use this blog as an opportunity to share some of these results and to spread the awareness of the truly amazing benefits of laser therapy.

My thanks to Gill Jacobs of Light for Health for suggesting I set up this blog.