HWN Suggests

How Lasers and Other Futuristic Recovery Tools Might Actually Help Your Fitness

I first came across cold laser, or low-level laser therapy (LLLT), or photobiomodulation, when a friend at my office with a similar low back disc injury brought a black case over to my desk, opened it up and asked if wanted to try a $2,000 handheld laser for pain relief. Of course I did.

The TQ Solo is a handheld laser producing radiation at wavelengths of 640, 875, and 905 nanometers, which includes both visible and infrared light. It’s called “cold” laser because the light it’s emitting is at energy densities low enough that they won’t heat up, or in extreme cases, cut through, tissue.

For a thorough explanation of how it works, read this paper from the Annals of Biomedical…

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Featured

 Despite FDA Caution, Doctors Say Lasers May Help With Vaginal Pain And Dryness

Recently the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning to health care providers and their patients, effectively saying, please don't try to "rejuvenate" vaginas. The agency notes that it has found numerous cases of vaginal burns, scarring, pain during sexual intercourse and recurring or chronic pain caused by the lasers and other energy-based devices that are used for such treatments.

Articles of Interest

'Cold' Lasers Take Aim At Pain and Swelling

It may sound like something out of "Star Trek" but makers of low-intensity "cold" lasers say the devices treat a broad range of pain and swelling, and may even heal a fracture. Physicians say there is some credible scientific evidence for cold lasers, but beware of exaggerated claims.

Can Lasers Improve Your Sex Life?

There is limited research on the causes and treatments of female sexual dysfunction, but some doctors are now using laser therapy as a new approach to helping women enjoy sex again.

Deep Tissue Laser Therapy and Its Use for Treating Athletic Sports Injuries

In the hands of our extremely knowledgeable physicians, class 4 deep tissue laser therapy will bring you early results in regaining mobility and freedom from pain following an athletic injury. The laser therapy itself takes just 5 to 12 minutes and over the course of two to four weeks you may need up to 12 sessions, depending on the nature of your injury.

Effect of deep tissue laser therapy treatment on peripheral neuropathic pain in older adults with type 2 diabetes: a pilot randomized clinical trial

Deep tissue laser therapy significantly reduced pain and improved the quality of life of older patients with painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

How Laser Therapy Can Benefit the Manual Therapist

In 2004 laser therapy took a quantum leap forward when the FDA approved the use of Class IV lasers for treating musculoskeletal injuries. Prior to that, most research was based on lower power, Class IIIb lasers which were at worst shown to be ineffective, or at best to have significant clinical limitations. Compared to Class IV lasers, they require longer treatment times and are only effective over smaller areas.

Laser therapy a solution for injuries and pain management

The MLS Laser Therapy is being used by chiropractors, podiatrists, orthopedic physicians, dentists, veterinarians, physical therapists, pain specialists, and athletic trainers. It has proven to be effective on a wide range of physical ailments including tendon and ligament injuries, soft tissue injuries, muscle strains and tears, sore muscles and joints, back pain, neurological..

Limb Blood Flow After Class 4 Laser Therapy

Laser therapy's ability to increase blood flow in a dose-response manner is therefore an effective, noninvasive treatment modality to improve blood flow and may promote tissue healing in the clinical setting.

The effectiveness of low-level laser therapy for nonspecific chronic low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis

In recent decades, low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has been widely used to relieve pain caused by different musculoskeletal disorders. Though widely used, its reported therapeutic outcomes are varied and conflicting.

Resources

5 Things You Should Know About Deep Tissue Laser Therapy

Clinicians are using laser therapy more often than ever before to help reduce pain and inflammation related to many common conditions. Thousands of doctors and patients have experienced the power of laser therapy and are familiar with its therapeutic effects, but for those who aren’t, here are 5 things everyone should know about it...

6 laser therapy myths you should stop believing

They have expanded from “hot” surgical lasers such as CO2 designed to cut tissue, to the therapeutic lasers used in many chiropractic clinics around the country. However, there are still many myths about what a laser is, how a laser works, and how much energy is needed to induce biological effects to relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and initiate tissue repair.

Laser MD

Pain Relief, Reinvented (TM). All too often, pain treatments take too long, cost too much, slow down your return to normal function, or increase your short-term pain. Deep Tissue Laser Therapy is the Pain-Free Solution because it works, causes no discomfort during treatment, and there are no known side effects. This is the most powerful non-invasive pain treatment, and the results can be permanent or long-lasting.

OrthoWell

Laser Therapy is a non-invasive FDA approved modality that uses light or photon energy in the infrared spectrum to reduce pain and inflammation. It is called “deep tissue” laser therapy because it has the capability of using glass roller applicators that allow us to provide deep massage in combination with the laser thus allowing for deep penetration of the photon energy. The effect of the laser can penetrate 8-9 cm into the tissue!