What is Laser Therapy and How Can it Relief Your Pain?

A growing number of studies are demonstrating the therapeutic benefits of using Laser Therapy for treating both acute injuries and chronic pain. The treatment uses a painless, non-invasive device that emits laser light that penetrate the skin to stimulate cellular function.

Sports teams, military doctors and specialty pain clinics all use laser therapy to relieve pain and accelerate healing in a variety of circumstances.  It has proven to be particularly effective for treating neck and low-back pain, pain from injured muscles and joints and pain related to arthritis.  Researchers believe that three different factors may be responsible: reduction of inflammation, reduction in the conduction of painful nerve impulses and increase in ATP activity (the substance that fuels our cells).

More than 200 randomized controlled clinical trials have been performed on low level lasers.  Dr. Roberta Chow and researchers at the Nerve Research Foundation of the Brain and Mind Research Institute at the University of Sydney performed a meta-analysis study on neck pain, which was published in The Lancet. The team studied 16 trials involving a total of 820 participating patients. Patients with acute neck pain were 70 percent more likely to experience pain relief from laser therapy than placebo, while chronic neck pain sufferers were four times more likely to experience a reduction in pain from laser therapy. The level of pain relief was found to be about 20 points on a scale from 1 to 100, with relief in seven of the studies lasting into the medium-term. Patients reported very mild, if any, side effects, which was comparable to the experience reported by participants in the placebo group.

Therapists of all types, including physicians, physical therapists and chiropractors in Burke, VA are increasingly using laser therapy as a complementary therapy in their practices due to its effectiveness. As the researchers write, the results of their study show that “laser therapy reduces pain immediately after treatment in acute neck pain and up to 22 weeks after completion of treatment in patients with chronic neck pain.”

Patients feel a soothing warmth as laser energy gently penetrates tissue and boosts your body’s own regeneration powers to relieve your pain.  Treatments are painless and fast (5 to 10 min).

Results can be immediate but the most observed results are after 3 to 5 treatment sessions.  The body continues to benefit from the effects of the therapy for 18-24 hours after treatment.  During this time, modulated cellular activity leads to decreased pain and inflammation. 

K-Laser Therapy was recently recommended by Mercola.com.  Laser Therapy can treat various conditions such as neck pain, lower back pain, herniated discs, elbow tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, knee arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome. 

If you are suffering from any of these conditions give our office a call at 703-912-7822 or visit us at Chiropractors in Burke, VA.

By Dr. Todd P. Sullivan