Low level laser therapy in chiropractic may be used in a number of combinations to address a variety of patients presenting with different physical issues. A study published in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine details how chiropractic manipulation and low level laser therapy were used to treat a 40-year-old male with Bell’s palsy who presented with acute facial paralysis on his left side.
The patient had apparently experienced 10 days of the condition, which prevented him from closing his left eye and effectively moving his upper lip. The patient had not had any history of related or similar symptoms, nor had he recently suffered any kind of infection which may have given rise to the partial paralysis. He had been prescribed a course of oral steroids as part of his initial treatment.
According to the case study, the patient was treated with chiropractic manipulation and low level laser therapy twice a day for four days. As the study outlines, the laser treatment was applied along the course of the facial nerve for a duration of 30 seconds and then for one minute at the stylomastoid foreman.
As indicated by the study, the patient experience a 70-80 percent improvement in his condition after the first treatment of chiropractic manipulation and low level laser therapy. The patient reported a full return to normal facial function, control, and range of movement after the second session. This particular study indicates that a combination approach employing chiropractic manipulation and low level laser therapy appeared to allow a patient presenting with acute facial paralysis to receive complete resolve from his symptoms.
Source: Rubis, LM. Chiropractic management of Bell palsy with low level laser and manipulation: a case report. J Chiropractic Med. 2013. 4:288-91.
