Roberta Chow, PhD
Honorary Associate | Vielight
Castle Hill, Sydney, AUSTRALIA
Dr. Roberta Chow is a world leading clinical practitioner and PhD in the field of laser therapy for pain management.
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Biography
Dr. Roberta Chow is a world leading clinical practitioner and PhD in the field of laser therapy for pain management. A general practitioner in private practice, Dr. Chow is focussed solely on pain management. She has used lasers for pain management and wound healing in her practice since 1988. Over the last 15 years she developed a special interest in Pain Medicine which led her to undertake a PhD in the Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney, studying Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) in neck pain. Following this she undertook further training with the Pain Management and Research Centre, Royal North Shore Hospital. Dr. Chow is one of a small group of doctors practising solely in pain medicine at a primary care (i.e. GP) level and a world leader in Low Level Laser Therapy. In addition to administering laser therapy Dr. Chow also employs prolotherapy and/or acupuncture in her consults.
Dr. Chow is also an honorary research associate of the Nerve Research Foundation, Brain and Mind Research Institute (University of Sydney). She was part of the research group which was awarded a National Health and Research Grant to study the effects of LLLT on nerves. In addition, Dr. Chow was on the Steering Committee for the development of the, now ratified, National Pain Strategy, designed to guide integrated and innovative planning for pain management across Australia.
Industry Expertise (1)
Research
Areas of Expertise (3)
Laser Therapy
Pain Management
Wound Healing
Accomplishments (1)
Honorary Research Associate
Nerve Research Foundation
Education (1)
University of Sydney, Faculty of Medicine: PhD, Low Level Laser Therapy
Affiliations (1)
- Australian Medical Laser Association : President
Links (2)
Media Appearances (2)
Efficacy Of Low-Level Laser Therapy In The Treatment Of Neck Pain
Medical News Today
2009-11-13
An article published Online First and in a future edition of The Lancet reports that low-level laser therapy (LLLT) reduces pain after treatment for non-specific neck pain. The article is the work of Dr Roberta Chow, Nerve Research Foundation, Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney, Australia, and colleagues.
Laser therapy: making light of hidden pain
Financial Review
2014-07-23
For most of her career, Roberta Chow has followed an orthodox path, sitting on regulatory committees and examining boards. But when she came across LLLT in 1988, she was impressed by its effectiveness. Later, when she tried to get approval for it, she was surprised at how readily many of her colleagues dismissed it as quackery...
Articles (5)
Electrophysiological Effects of Single Point Transcutaneous 650 and 808 nm Laser Irradiation of Rat Sciatic Nerve: A Study of Relevance for Low-Level Laser Therapy and Laser Acupuncture
Photomedicine and laser surgery
2012 The purpose of this study was to evaluate effects of transcutaneous 650 and 808 nm laser irradiation (LI) to a single point overlying rat sciatic nerve; a comparison to four point LI and relevance to the clinical application of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) and laser acupuncture (LA).
Inhibitory effects of visible 650-nm and infrared 808-nm laser irradiation on somatosensory and compound muscle action potentials in rat sciatic nerve: Implications for laser-induced analgesia
Journal of the Peripheral Nervous System
2011 Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has been shown in clinical trials to relieve chronic pain and the World Health Organization has added LLLT to their guidelines for treatment of chronic neck pain. The mechanisms for the pain-relieving effects of LLLT are however poorly understood. We therefore assessed the effects of laser irradiation (LI) on somatosensory-evoked potentials (SSEPs) and compound muscle action potentials (CMAPs) in a series of experiments using visible (λ = 650 nm) or infrared (λ = 808 nm) LI applied transcutaneously to points on the hind limbs of rats overlying the course of the sciatic nerve. This approximates the clinical application of LLLT.
A Pilot Study of Low-Power Laser Therapy in the Management of Chronic Neck Pain
Journal of Musculoskeletal Pain
2010 This pilot study was undertaken to test techniques of application of laser therapy, appropriate outcome measures and to determine effect sizes in order to facilitate the performance of a larger, clinical trial of laser therapy in chronic neck pain. Methods: We conducted a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study of low level laser therapy in 20 patients with chronic neck pain. The primary outcome measure was change in a 10 cm Visual Analogue Scale [VAS] for pain. Other measures used included a Self-Reported Improvement in pain [SRI], measured by a VAS, Short-Form 36 Quality-of-Life questionnaire [SF-36], Northwick Park Neck Pain Questionnaire [NPNPQ] and the McGill Pain Questionnaire [MPQ].
Efficacy of low-level laser therapy in the management of neck pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised placebo or active-treatment controlled trials
The Lancet
2009 Neck pain is a common and costly condition for which pharmacological management has limited evidence of efficacy and side-effects. Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) is a relatively uncommon, non-invasive treatment for neck pain, in which non- ...
The effect of 300mW, 830nm laser on chronic neck pain: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study
Pain
2006 A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in 90 subjects with chronic neck pain was conducted with the aim of determining the efficacy of 300mW, 830nm laser in the management of chronic neck pain. Subjects were randomized ...