Daemen College : News : News Releases
James H. Cummings Foundation Awards $25,000 to Daemen College for Laser Equipment
The Physical Therapy Department at Daemen College has been awarded $25,000 from The James H. Cummings Foundation to fund equipment the College’s Physical Agents Laboratory. Funds have been used for the purchase of Laser Sys*stim 540 Therapeutic Lasers and Auto Therm Short Wave Diathermy equipment.
“This equipment will allow us to further physical therapy student education and to expand our research on the therapeutic effects of deep heating modalities and therapeutic laser” said Jack Stachura M.B.A., D.P.T., Certified M.D.T, Assistant Clinical Instructor at Daemen.
Physical Agents are a broad group of procedures using various forms of energy that are applied to tissues in a systematic manner and that are intended to: increase connective tissue extensibility; increase the healing rate of open wounds and soft tissue; modulate pain; reduce or eliminate soft tissue swelling, inflammation, or restriction associated with musculoskeletal injury or circulation dysfunction; remodel scar tissue; and treat skin conditions. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved laser therapy for treatment of neck and shoulder pain of musculoskeletal origin, wrist and hand pain associated with carpel tunnel, and iliotibial band syndrome pain. Research into the efficacy of low power laser for other musculoskeletal conditions has just begun to be conducted. Dr. Stachura teaches the physical agents course and is currently advising two student research groups that are studying the effects of therapeutic ultrasound on stretching hamstring muscle and strengthening biceps muscle.
The physical therapy program at Daemen College has had continuous accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education since its beginning in 1974. Daemen College is the first small liberal arts college in New York State accredited to offer the Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree. In thirty-two years of physical therapy education, Daemen has graduated more than 2000 physical therapists.