Laser Therapy

Greetings on this cold and frigid February day!  It looks like we are in the polar vortex for at least several more days.  I have a great HOT topic to talk about today I hope it informs and warms you up!

 What is Laser Therapy?  Great question.  Let’s start with the basic word laser.  Did you know it is an acronym?  It is.  Here is what the five letters of laser stand for: Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation.  What does that mean? Lasers are a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification. Lasers differ from other sources of light because they emit light coherently. Spatial coherence allows a laser to be focused to a tight spot; spatial coherence also allows a laser beam to stay narrow over long distances (collimation), enabling applications such as laser pointers. The type of laser I use is called Low Level Light Therapy (LLLT)

 I use a Class 4 multiwave locked system (MLS) laser at 808 and 905 nm by Cutting Edge Laser technologies.  The MLS laser uses specific wavelengths of light that have a strong anti-inflammatory, anti-edema effect on tissues that are exposed to laser.  Painful conditions accompanied by swelling or inflammation benefit from this technology.  Photons of laser energy penetrate deeply into tissue and accelerate cellular reproduction and growth.  As a result the cell of the tendons, ligaments and muscles repair themselves faster.  As inflammation is reduced pain subsides very quickly. In simple terms laser energy kick starts the healing process thereby speeding recovery.

 Unlike some pharmacological solutions, there are no known negative side effects.  Laser therapy is cleared by the FDA and is safe and effective.  It is proven successful as evidenced by extensive and credible studies conducted in our country’s finest institutions including Harvard University.

MLS laser therapy is painless! Most patients report no sensation at all while receiving laser therapy.  Treatments average 8 minutes.  MLS laser therapy is fast acting; many patients in high levels of acute pain experience relief after the first or second treatment.

Over 90% of patients experience positive results after the 3rd treatment with the average course of treatment being 7 to 10 sessions.  In many cases by the 3rd or 4th treatment swelling is greatly reduced and there is rapid relief of pain.  The effects of MLS laser therapy are cumulative therefore; expect to see improvement as you proceed through your treatment pain.  Chronic conditions can be controlled with regular treatments.  Acute conditions usually subside quickly, typically within one phase of treatments.

It is critical that once you start, you complete the course of treatments recommended or symptoms are likely to reoccur.

MLS Laser Therapy effectively and successfully treats:

Tendon and ligament injuries

Soft tissue injuries

Muscle strains and tears

Sore muscles and joints

Degenerative joint conditions

Neurological pain

Chronic non-healing wounds

General pain

Musculoskeletal disorders

Pre and post surgical treatment

Anti-inflammation applications

Specific neurological conditions

Common Results and Benefits:

Rapid pain relief

Strong anti-inflammatory effect

Timely healing of sprains and strains

Rapid recovery of the structural integrity of injured region

Rapid resolutions of swollen areas

Immediate improvement of local blood circulation

Rapid repair of superficial injuries, such as wounds and ulcers

Benefits of Laser Therapy:

Non-surgical

No sedation necessary

No side effects

Rapid Results

Speeds Healing Process

Commonly treated Conditions:

Arthritis

Bursitis

Sports Injuries

Sprains and Strains

Back and Joint Pain

Post Surgical Recovery

Disc Disease

Repetitive Motion Injuries

Tendonitis

Bruising, Contusions and Muscle Tears

How does it work for you?

Light energy will enter the damaged cells and stimulate inter-cellular activity.  This reduces pain in the area and speeds recovery of the damaged cells.  Once the cells recover the healing process is complete.

What can you expect during your treatment with Dr. Nina?

Laser therapy is painless and usually lasts several minutes. You may experience a comfortable sensation at the point of application.  You can use this time to relax or ask me questions you may have.

What can you expect after the treatment?

Most patients see positive results in 1-3 treatments.  The swelling is greatly reduced and there is a rapid relief of pain.  Chronic conditions can be controlled with regular treatments.  Acute conditions usually subside quickly, typically within one set of treatments.

For all of you scientific minded people the following is a more in depth science oriented detailed explanation of how the laser works.

Low level laser therapy (LLLT) is the application of light (usually a low power laser or LED in the range of 1mW – 500mW) to a pathology to promote tissue regeneration, reduce inflammation and relieve pain. The light is typically of narrow spectral width in the red or near infrared (NIR) spectrum (600nm – 1000nm), with a power density (irradiance) between 1mw-5W/cm2. It is typically applied to the injury for a minute or so, a few times a week for several weeks. Unlike other medical laser procedures, LLLT is not an ablative or thermal mechanism, but rather a photochemical effect comparable to photosynthesis in plants whereby the light is absorbed and exerts a chemical change.

Cellular Chromophores and First Law of Photobiology

The first law of photobiology states that for low power visible light to have any effect on a living biological system, the photons must be absorbed by electronic absorption bands belonging to some molecular photoacceptors, or chromophores. A chromophore is a molecule (or part of a molecule) which imparts some decided color to the compound of which it is an ingredient. Chromophores almost always occur in one of two forms: conjugated pi electron systems and metal complexes.

Examples of such chromophores can be seen in chlorophyll (used by plants for photosynthesis), hemoglobin, cytochrome c oxidase (Cox), myoglobin, flavins, flavoproteins and porphyrins

One important consideration should involve the optical properties of tissue. There is a so-called “optical window” in tissue, where the effective tissue penetration of light is maximized. This optical window runs approximately from 650 nm to 1200 nm.

Current research about the mechanism of LLLT effects inevitably involves mitochondria. Mitochondria play an important role in energy generation and metabolism. Mitochondria are sometimes described as “cellular power plants”, because they convert food molecules into energy in the form of ATP via the process of oxidative phosphorylation

The mechanism of LLLT at the cellular level has been attributed to the absorption of monochromatic visible and NIR radiation by components of the cellular respiratory chain. Several pieces of evidence suggest that mitochondria are responsible for the cellular response to red visible and NIR light.

Nitric oxide produced in the mitochondria can inhibit respiration by binding to Cox and competitively displacing oxygen, especially in stressed or hypoxic cells(cell low on oxygen) Increased nitric oxide (NO) concentrations can sometimes be measured in cell culture or in animals after LLLT due to its photo release from the mitochondria and Cox. It has been proposed that LLLT might work by photodissociating NO from Cox, thereby reversing the mitochondrial inhibition of respiration due to excessive NO binding.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) are involved in the signaling pathways from mitochondria to nuclei. They are highly with biological molecules such as proteins, nucleic acids and unsaturated lipids. ROS form as a natural by-product of the normal metabolism of oxygen and have important roles in cell signaling, regulating nucleic acid synthesis, protein synthesis, enzyme activation and cell cycle progression. LLLT was reported to produce a shift in overall cell redox potential in the direction of greater oxidation

These cytosolic responses may in turn induce transcriptional changes.

Several transcription factors are regulated by changes in cellular redox state. But the most important one is nuclear factor B (NF-B). LLLT can prevent cell apoptosis and improve cell proliferation, migration and adhesion at low levels of red/NIR light illumination

There have been a large number of both animal model and clinical studies that demonstrated highly beneficial LLLT effects on a variety of diseases, injuries, and has been widely used in both chronic and acute conditions. LLLT may enhance neovascularisation, promote angiogenesis and increase collagen synthesis to promote healing of acute and chronic wounds 

LLLT can also stimulate healing of deeper structures such as nerves, tendons (, cartilage bones and even internal organs. LLLT can reduce pain inflammation and swelling  caused by injuries, degenerative diseases or autoimmune diseases.

As you can see lasers is a complicated subject with a very non complicated result.  It helps relieve pain and inflammation.

Contact me if you have more questions about laser light therapy and how you might benefit from it. You can reach me at drnina@nenaprapathy.com or 224-333-6501.   In the meantime stay warm out there!