Pain management is a field where many practitioners get frustrated. Inside our clinic we view it all the time as a lot of the more difficult cases come in after they have seen everybody else and a chiropractor is their last resort. Chronic pain doesn't always imply that we must do more, sometimes what appears like an extremely little treatment can produce marvelous results.
Take online for example; this is a popular treatment now from everything from foot fungus to weight reduction. Now personally I haven't seen the studies that it is effective for all of the many uses folks are finding for this but I know from the study and from my own clinical experience that it is an effective therapy for pain management together with a few of the more traditional methods like physical therapy, chiropractic, acute injury and chronic injury management protocols and dynamic neuromuscular stabilization.
Lasers for used in pain therapy are beginning to gain recognition in this country. The FDA cleared Low Level Laser Therapy for used in pain, inflammation, and wound healing in 2002; however, the advantages of LLLT have already been recognized and successfully used overseas for many years. Studies have shown LLLT to lessen neck and back pain by as much as 70% without known side effects.
The theory is the laser excites the targeted cells in the injured tissue, evoking the cells to send out a sign that healing needs to take place in the area being treated. This signal travels throughout the blood stream, connective tissues, and nervous system to significantly speed up your body's response and healing time. Interestingly, researchers also have discovered that LLLT boosts healing through the entire body, not just in the area being treated.
Many would be surprised to discover that more isn't better in terms of LLLT; the effective dose is quite small. Typical treatments can take as little as five minutes and are administered many times per week over a course of 2-3 weeks for maximum and lasting effect. Inside our clinic it is one of the most used modalities. Often patient respond quickly with minimal subjective complaints, decreased muscle spasm, and increased ROM of the affected area. When you are experiencing carpal tunnel, neck and low back pain, tendonitis, knee pain or a variety of painful conditions, give laser therapy a try to see if it's right for you.
