Sportlaser - Press Release - U.S. Olympic Committee

For More Information Contact:
Wyatt Earp
Chief Executive Officer
SportLaser®
877-535-2737

U.S. Olympic Committee Welcomes New Laser Device For Treatment Regimens
SportLaser® therapy provides pain relief and faster healing for U.S. Olympians and Olympic Hopefuls

SANTA MONICA, Calif. –– January 27, 2004 –– Thanks to the SportLaser®, a breakthrough, non-invasive laser device, injured Olympic athletes and Olympic hopefuls now will be able to get back into training and competition faster. Hand-held and fully portable, SportLaser® can be used anywhere, from the training rooms to competition venues.

The SportLaser® was in trials during 2003 in the sports medicine departments of the U.S. Olympic Training Centers in Colorado Springs, Colo. and Chula Vista, Calif. It has now been approved by both facilities and will be introduced at the training center in Lake Placid, N.Y. by March 2004.

“ The effect of the SportLaser® on injured athletes has been impressive,” said Edward Ryan III, ATC and Director of Sports Medicine for U.S. Olympic Training Centers. “With SportLaser® treatment, athletes have experienced significant relief from pain and increased range of motion – particularly in the acute phases of injury. We have also seen a reduction in healing time for many conditions. This will be of particular benefit to athletes preparing for and competing in Athens this summer, when providing pain relief will be most critical. SportLaser® is a welcome new tool for our treatment and recovery regimens.”

The SportLaser® is a cold (non-thermal) infrared laser device. Its 830 nanometer wavelength penetrates up to two inches below the skin’s surface, without producing heat, to stimulate photo- reactive cellular receptors, known as chromophores. The energy of laser photons prompts these structures to dramatically accelerate natural healing processes in compromised cells, normalizing pain thresholds, optimizing cellular functions, increasing micro-vascularization and speeding the rate of tissue repair. The result is diminished pain, reduced inflammation, decreased edema, faster healing times and an increase in the tensile strength of repaired tissues.

“ Olympic athletes spend nearly their entire life training for perhaps one great moment of competition,” said Wyatt Earp, SportLaser® CEO. “We are proud to provide the athletes competing for the United States with this superior technology, so they can better focus on the goal at hand --- winning.”

Low level (cold) lasers have been used internationally over the last 18 years for the treatment of a wide range of medical conditions including soft tissue injuries, cervical neck pain, repetitive stress injuries, tendinitis, hamstring injuries, arthritis, plantar fasciitis, lateral epicondylitis and wound healing. Over 300 clinical studies, 2000 published articles and a number of texts speak to the validity and efficacy of laser therapy. However, it was not until 2002, after the FDA approved lasers for the treatment of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and related health problems, that they became readily available in the United States.

Now, both professional and collegiate trainers as well as world class professional athletes and team physicians from across the country are adopting SportLaser® therapy into their treatment regimens.

About the U.S. Olympic Committee

The passage of the Amateur Sports Act (now the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act) as federal law in 1978 appointed the U.S. Olympic Committee as the coordinating body for all Olympic-related athletic activity in the United States. Headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colo., the USOC’s mission is to support U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes in achieving sustained competitive excellence and to preserve the Olympic ideals, thereby inspiring all Americans.

The USOC is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the sole agency in the United States responsible for training, entering and underwriting the expenses for the U.S. teams in the Olympic and Paralympic Games. As the custodian of the Olympic movement nationally, the USOC is the moving force in the USA for support of sports that are on the program at the Olympic, Paralympic and Pan American Games.

About SportLaser®

SportLaser®, the largest distributor of laser devices to the sports rehabilitation market, is a subsidiary of Innovative Medical Group, Inc., a medical device manufacturer and distributor based in Santa Monica, California. For more information, visit www.SportLaser®.com or call 1-877-53LASER.

SportLaser®
17218 Preston Road, Suite 4000,
Dallas, TX 75252
877-53-LASER