Woman credits recovery on red light therapy after stroke
Lake Charles, LA (KPLC) - Nearly 800,000 people have a stroke each year in the United States. And while many assume that they won’t have to worry about having a stroke until they get older that isn’t the case anymore.
It’s been one year since Amber Trahan had a stroke at the age of 31 and she says without Faith, red light therapy, and one specific doctor in Lake Charles she wouldn’t be where she is today.
Her episode began when Amber Trahan was walking out the door for her son’s baseball game and lost her keys. But when she finally found them and went to tell her husband it started.
“All I could say is, ‘Jacob something wrong. No, I need you to come now,’ and that was my last word. And whenever I said ‘now’ the entire left side of my body collapsed,” recalled Trahan Trahan.
Her stroke happened on March 6, 2022, leaving Trahan in a wheelchair with limited mobility at the age of 31.
Trahan said it was incredibly difficult being so young and for it to be nearly impossible to do normal daily tasks, “I couldn’t go to the restroom by myself, I couldn’t get in an out of bed by myself.”
Neurologists said that rehab would be the only way she’d be able to recover. But after a few weeks with little change, Trahan began to look for other treatments.
Eventually, someone recommended a different approach, one sought after by people across the whole world and used by a doctor located right here in Lake Charles. Trahan heard stories about Dr. Kyle Daigle’s unique laser therapy and managed to get an appointment. After just one visit Trahan was suddenly abe to move her foot.
“It was the only hope I needed...to know this was going to work,” said Trahan.
Dr. Daigle explains that he uses different types of therapies as well as a QEEG brain scan to look at what a patient’s brain is doing.
“We started using music therapy, and we were lasering her neck to get blood flow in these areas of the brain while we worked on the left side of her body,” said Dr. Daigle.
The Sulphur native is a chiropractor and says he often uses multiple approaches to stimulate cells, which can speed up healing and recovery. The special treatments focus on helping patients regain a sense of Neurological balance by making sure muscles, joints, and the spine are able to send signals throughout the spinal cord.
In Trahan’s case, that means targeting specific parts of her brain.
“I knew that if I was going to be able to get this area right here called the motor strip to turn on then we were going to be able to get Amber to start moving her arms,” explained Dr. Daigle.
Trahan was able to regain mobility in just two weeks of treatment. Now, one year later, Dr. Daigle says, “She’s going to baseball games, she’s cooking, she’s driving.”
“It’s emotional to see people suffer. A lot of bad things happen to really good people and it’s my job to motivate these people.” But, he says no matter the diagnosis, “It’s really just an obstacle.”
Trahan says she hopes to write a book on her journey and experiences and that while he’s still working to recover fully, she can’t believe she’s come so far.
“I truly feel had I not come here...to see Dr. Kyle then I wouldn’t have gotten my life back,” said Trahan.
Trahan’s story is a reminder that a stroke can happen at any age and that knowing the signs and acting quickly make a huge difference. Health professionals want everyone to remember one acronym BE FAST when it comes to recognizing the signs of a stroke.
- B - Balance, loss of balance, headache, or dizziness
- E - Eyes, changes in vision
- F - Face drooping on one side
- A - Arm weakness
- S - Speech difficulty
- T- Time to call 911
You can find more information on light therapy and Dr. Kyle Daigle here.
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