Khan Kinetic Treatment (KKT)
Khan Kinetic Treatment (KKT) is notable for being one of the few nonsurgical medical devices used typically for the treatment of spinal cord injury, whiplash, herniated disks, back pain, neck pain, osteoarthritis, and HeadAche. The KKT device, invented by Dr. A.H. Khan, is placed on the spine and induces a small amplitude, high-frequency sine wave into the tissues of the entire spine and cranium.
The KKT device
The KKT is a spinal and upper cervical treatment device consisting of a controller mounted on top of an impulse delivery mechanism, or device head, which is mounted on a movable armature to a fixed stand. The device head generates waveforms and the stylus, located at the base of the device head mechanically transduces the waveforms through the skin and ultimately to the spine, causing minor vibration of the vertebrae and minor repetitive stretching/activation of the attached soft tissues. The device head May Be freely moved in 3 dimensions so that the stylus may be positioned accurately on the skin. The stylus delivers sinusoidal waveforms of various frequencies (80 to 120 Hz) and amplitudes both linearly and rotationally to the spinous or transverse processes of the spine through the skin.
Operational mechanism and theory
Prior to treatment, 3 digital radiographs are taken of the cervical spine (coronal, sagittal, and transverse planes). Software receiving the patients’ intake digital radiographs automatically calculates the 3-dimensinal orientation (x, y, and z) of the atlas as compared with the occipital condyles (C0) and the axis (C2). Clinical decisions for the treatment follow standard clinical protocol.
Once the precise location and type (amplitude, frequency, duration of pulses, and number of pulses) of necessary treatment is determined, the treatment parameters are saved for a particular patient and either sent to the KKT from a desktop computer or directly programmed into the KKT using touch-screen software located on the device head. The data are electronically archived for each patient. After appropriately placing the patient on the treatment table, the device head is manipulated in 3 dimensions. To ensure the appropriate impulse vector, the controller has accelerometers to obtain precise stylus position feedback on the touch-screen display. When the correct impulse vector of the stylus is achieved, the device head is lowered so that the stylus makes skin contact and is then locked in position before treatment. Only then the device may begin when initiated by the clinician.
The KKT Spine treatment device's intended treatment mechanism is to heal exclusively by the use of sound waves, which resonate down the spine.
History of using sound waves for treatment
The use of sound waves in order to heal soft tissue and other ailments is not new. Sound wave healing has been in uses since the early 20th century. In the 1920s and '30s sound waves were routinely used for physical therapy, primarily for European soccer teams. In the 1940s, sound wave healing was used as a cure-all for everything from arthritis to ulcers and eczema. Sound wave healing has been proven to promote healing in various soft tissues such as cartilage and inter vertebral discs.
Clinical Research
The KKT spine treatment device is supported and advanced by continuing partnerships and studies in both McGill University and the University of Calgary. Clinical test have shown that recipients of the KKT system have reported a lower use of pain medication. Research data have demonstrated bio-mechanical evidence of KKT’s ability to decrease pain and improve neck disability in patients with chronic pain. Further, the method of treatment has actively demonstrated potential for tissue regeneration. KKT has been extensively reviewed in such medical publications as The Journal of Musculoskeletal Pain, the American Journal of Pain Management, and the Clinical Journal of Pain.