Sponsored by Cutting Edge Laser Technologies
According to statistics compiled by The American Academy of Pain Medicine, approximately 100 million American endure some type of chronic pain, which they define as pain signals that “keep firing in the nervous system for weeks, months, even years.”
Considering the fact that the U.S. population is just over 326 million, this means that approximately one in three people deal with this type of pain on a constant basis.
Though many different remedies exist, not all provide the desired pain-relieving response free from negative side effects. Additionally, some are more invasive than the patient would like—as is the case with surgeries and injections—sending them in search of other non-invasive, yet effective pain relief options. This is where MLS® Laser Therapy comes in.
What is MLS laser therapy?
MLS stands for Multiwave Locked System and references the use of laser-based therapy which, as Cutting Edge Laser Technologies explains, is a type of therapy that has a simultaneous effect on pain, inflammation, and edema, exceeding the limits of traditional LLLT (low power) and concerns of HP (high power) laser therapy. MLS is a treatment option which utilizes lasers in a specific way to provide effective pain relief non-invasively
The way MLS Laser Therapy works is by using lasers with multiple wavelengths, allowing the practitioner to more accurately direct treatment to the problem spot, even if it is located deeper within the patient’s body or involves a large pained area. Research has shown that this particular treatment method works on a number of levels.
Benefits of laser therapy
Healthline reports that, when compared with other, more invasive treatment options like surgery, laser therapy benefits typically include:
- No costly or lengthy hospital stay;
- A faster rate or healing; and
- “Less pain, swelling, and scarring” for the patient.
Laser therapy also doesn’t have the adverse side effects as many pain relieving medications. This is especially important in light of the current opioid epidemic.
Pain medications are not the answer
In a report created by Donald Teater, M.D., Medical Advisor for the National Safety Council, Teater shares that these negative effects can consist of constipation, nausea and vomiting, gastrointestinal bleeding, cognitive impairment, and respiratory depression. He goes on to explain that, contrary to popular belief, opioid-based painkillers also tend to delay recovery and can even increase a person’s risk of developing a permanent disability while also increasing their sensitivity to pain.
Health practitioners currently use lasers in a variety of settings—from shrinking tumors to repairing detached retinas—but for chiropractic patients specifically, there are quite a few conditions that laser therapy can help treat.
Conditions laser therapy can treat
For instance, one systematic review published in The Open Orthopaedics Journal reports that, after looking at 17 different trials, there is “moderate quality evidence” that laser therapy helps relieve chronic neck pain. It also helps patients with their neck-associated disabilities and improves their quality of life.
Another study, this one published in the journal Lasers in Surgery and Medicine, involved 75 participants, each one experiencing low back pain. After engaging in laser therapy, researchers noted that there were “significant improvements” with respect to their pain and function in the low back area. This is critical since the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) reports that pain in this region of the body impacts 31 million Americans daily.
Laser therapy has also been found beneficial for other chronic pain conditions. One study published in The Journal of Rheumatology looked at rheumatoid arthritis specifically and found that, after engaging in laser therapy, their pain was reduced by 70 percent, their morning stiffness lessened by more than 27 minutes, and they had an increase in “tip to palm flexibility” when compared to a control group.
A study published in Lasers in Medical Science found similar positive effects for individuals struggling with fibromyalgia. After conducting laser therapy on 40 females with this condition, researchers found that those who had actual laser therapy versus placebo laser therapy reported lower levels of pain, as well as improvements in muscle spasms and morning stiffness.
Lasers useful in chiropractic settings
Based on studies like these, laser therapy can be a valuable tool in chiropractic settings. From chronic pains that can be pin-pointed, like those associated with the neck or lower back, to more generalized pain, such as those generally experienced with RA or fibromyalgia, lasers can provide patients some much-needed and much-desired, non-invasive relief.
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