Therapeutic Laser Therapy is the use of specific wavelengths of light (red and near-infrared) to create therapeutic effects. Laser therapy is a clinically-proven therapy that has played an important role in Europeans’ healthcare for over thirty years. This type of therapy has been the subject of over 2,500 scientific papers, published worldwide. There are no reported side effects to this painless, non-toxic, non-invasive, light-based therapy.
Now, after FDA clearance in 2002, Laser Therapy is being used extensively in the United States. In comparison with European practitioners, the North American healthcare field has been slower to adopt this therapy, and so Laser Therapy has been relatively underutilized here in the U.S. until recently. Happily, however, there is now increasing awareness and acceptance of Laser Therapy among American healthcare practitioners.
We are proud to have added this leading edge therapy to our clinic and are pleased to offer this amazing modality to our clients.
BENEFITS OF THERAPEUTIC
LASER THERAPY
- Anti-inflammation. Laser therapy has an antiemetic effect as it causes vasodilation & activates the lymphatic drainage system (less inflammation = less edema & less pain.
- Anti-Pain (Analgesic) Laser therapy has a
highly beneficial effect on nerve cells, de-
creasing nerve sensitivity & promoting re-
generation of myelin tissue.
- Accelerated Tissue Repair & Cell Growth. Laser energy penetrates deeply into tissues to accelerate cellular reproduction and growth, enabling affected cells to absorb nutrients and dispose of waste products more quickly.
- Improved Vascular Activity. Laser therapy significantly increases the formation of new capillaries in damaged tissue, which speeds up the healing process, closes wounds more quickly and reduces scar tissue.
- Increased Metabolic Activity. Laser therapy creates higher output of specific enzymes, greater oxygen exchange, and increased food particle loads for blood cells.
- Trigger Points and Acupuncture Points. Laser therapy non-invasively stimulates muscle trigger points and acupuncture points, providing enhanced musculo-skeletal pain relief.
During each painless treatment laser energy increases circulation, drawing water, oxygen and nutrients to the damaged area. This creates an optimal healing environment that reduces inflammation, swelling, muscle spasms, stiffness, and pain. As the injured area returns to normal, function is restored and pain is relieved.
For acute conditions a patient may be treated daily, particularly if they are accompanied by significant pain. 6 to 12 treatments may be sufficient.
More chronic problems respond better when treatments are received 2 to 3 times a week, tapering to once a week or once every other week, with improvement. 10 to 15 (or more) treatments may be needed. Conditions such as severe arthritis may require ongoing periodic care to control pain.
Improvement in your condition (usually pain reduction) may be felt after the very first treatment. Sometimes you will not feel improvement for a number of treatments. However, this does not mean the condition is not improving. Each treatment is cumulative and results are often felt after 3 or 4 sessions.
Laser Therapy can be used in conjunction with other forms of treatment, including physical therapy, soft tissue mobilization, manual osteopathic manipulation and even following surgery. Other healing modalities are complementary and can be used with laser to increase the effectiveness of the treatment.
The typical treatment is 15 minutes, depending on the size of the area being treated.
Contraindications for LASER THERAPY:
There are very few contraindications for laser therapy compared to other forms of electrotherapy.
- Directly over active cancer sites
- Epilepsy
- Direct treatment of thyroid gland
- Organ transplant patients
- Direct contact with pacemaker
- Pregnancy
- Over eyes
Laser Therapy does not hurt.
There is little or no sensation during treatment. Occasionally one feels mild, soothing warmth or tingling. Areas of pain or inflammation may be sensitive briefly before pain reduction.
There are very few side effects or risks associated with Laser Therapy.
Occasionally some old injuries or pain syndromes may feel aggravated for a few days, as the healing response is more active after treatment.
There are thousands of published studies demonstrating the clinical effectiveness of Laser Therapy. Among these, there are more than one hundred rigorously controlled, scientific studies that document the effectiveness of laser for many clinical conditions.