Denver Laser Therapy for Pain - Integrative Health and Rehabilitation

Denver Laser Therapy for Pain is Safe and Painless Treatment

In addition to our variety of other services available, Integrative Health & Rehabilitation provides Denver laser therapy for pain.

If you’ve experienced chronic pain, inflammation, arthritis, or suffered a recent injury, laser therapy can speed your recovery. LLLT can help you return to doing what you love with harmful drugs or dangerous surgeries.

LLLT is a revolutionary advancement in the world of medical technology. Laser therapy accelerates your body’s natural healing process to assist treatment of pain, inflammation, and arthritis.

How Does Laser Therapy Relieve Pain?

Laser therapy utilizes a low-level, heat-free laser to stimulate the body at a cellular level. The focus of LLLT is to encourage the revitalization of damaged cells. When the light reaches the target area, it will penetrate up to 3 inches of tissue depth, stimulating the mitochondria (the “engine” of a cell) to function better. Since there are mitochondria in muscle, nerve, ligament, tendon, and bone cells, this therapy can improve function and speed up the repair of injuries in all those tissues.

Specific wavelengths and frequencies of light affect different types of tissue. The different tissues respond to varying combinations of these variables, and this is taken into account when treating any injury or condition.

How Does Laser Therapy Work?

Cold laser therapy has the potential to address ailments of all sizes. Conditions that may benefit from LLLT include:

Neck pain
Low back pain
Knee pain
Wrist pain
Shoulder pain
Headaches
Muscle strains
Ligament sprains
Tennis elbow
Plantar fasciitis
Sciatica
Tendonitis
Bursitis
Whiplash

Laser therapy can reduce swelling, strengthen joints, and improve the health of ligaments, tendons, and muscles.

The Science Behind Denver Laser Therapy for Pain

Research of over 4,000 studies has shown that the light energy absorbed by the cells through LLLT stimulates the mitochondria to increase the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is the primary source of energy for our cells. This increase in energy production improves the function of any cell, speeding up the healing process of injured or damaged tissue.

Is Denver Laser Therapy for Pain Safe?

The use of cold laser therapy is becoming increasingly popular in both traditional medical practice and as an adjunct or alternative solution. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved laser therapy for many conditions, including neck and shoulder pain, low back pain, plantar fasciitis, and much more.

Cold laser therapy is safe when performed on eligible conditions by a doctor or qualified practitioner. Non-invasive and painless, it does not cause any swelling or irritation. No medication or additional preparation is needed to benefit from this procedure. Still, it is commonly used with other forms of treatment to address many types of injuries and conditions.

FAQ

Does Laser Therapy Hurt?

Not at all. At most, you might feel a warm sensation or slight tingling. This sensation is the body’s natural response to stimulated nerves and will disappear shortly after your session.

Is Medication Used With Laser Therapy?

Cold laser therapy does not rely on any medication. It is a drug-free, non-invasive, safe treatment for almost every body part.

How Do I Need Laser Therapy?

Every patient heals at a different rate. The frequency of care is determined based on your response to cold laser therapy and the type of injury or complaint you are suffering from. Contact our practice with any questions or concerns about your circumstances.

How Long Does Laser Therapy Treatment Last?

Typically, a cold laser therapy session lasts between four and 10 minutes. Six to 20 minutes is the average time it takes from start to finish.

Before your procedure, we will determine the extent of your injuries and the estimated length of care. Treatment time depends on your injury’s type, severity, and location.

After how long can I expect to see results?

Most patients experience immediate results after their first LLLT treatment. In contrast, some patients may need 2 to 3 treatments before noticing significant changes.

Laser Therapy is a Natural Pain Relief Solution

LLLT can be used alone or combined with other types of treatment. Cold laser therapy addresses the body as a whole and lends itself to optimal wellness. Say “No” more to nagging aches and pains by saying “Yes” to LLLT. A safe, natural treatment.

Contact Us Today

Do what is best for your health! Cold laser therapy may be the solution to the pain and discomfort that you have long awaited.

Integrative Health & Rehabilitation today to learn more about cold laser therapy and how it might positively affect your health. Our professional team looks forward to getting to know you and helping you live a happier, healthier life.

What is Laser Therapy?

Cold laser therapy stimulates healing without increasing the tissue temperature of the area receiving treatment. This lack of increased heat is why it’s called “cold.” The light level is lower than surgical and aesthetic lasers that destroy tumors and cut tissues for surgery.

Cold laser therapy is also known as:

Low-level laser therapy (LLLT)
Low-power laser therapy (LPLT)
Soft laser biostimulation
Photobiomodulation

This procedure directly applies different wavelengths and outputs of low-level light to a targeted area. The body tissue then absorbs the light. The red and near-infrared light stimulates the cell’s mitochondria, stimulating healing and improved function. Cold laser therapy uses wavelengths between 600 and 700 nanometers (nm) for superficial tissues and wavelengths between 780 and 950 nm for deeper structures.

Although you may feel slight warming in the treatment area, the procedure is painless and non-invasive. There is typically no sound or vibration during the treatment; each treatment only takes a few minutes.

Side Effects of Denver Laser Therapy for Pain Relief

Because of its many benefits and few side effects, cold laser therapy’s popularity is growing in traditional and alternative medical practices. The FDA approves laser therapy for several conditions. Cold laser therapy is safe when performed under a doctor’s or qualified practitioner’s care. Additionally, it’s non-invasive, painless, and doesn’t require additional medication or preparation.

However, carcinomas, cancerous lesions, the thyroid, or the eyes should not be treated with LLLT. Because the effect of cold laser therapy on unborn children is unknown, pregnant women should probably avoid this typically safe therapy.

If you’ve experienced an injury causing pain and inflammation, chiropractors are specially trained to deal with those specific injuries. Your doctor can use a variety of treatments to help relieve your pain and speed up your healing. Laser therapy is also known as low-level laser therapy (LLLT), is a proven treatment for many conditions.

This article helps you understand cold laser therapy and how it can help treat your injuries. It will also examine the research surrounding cold laser therapy to help you decide if it is something you should pursue for your specific injury.

Laser therapy is a low-intensity light applied to injured or inflamed tissue. The low-intensity light, called “cold laser,” is thought to improve blood flow and decrease pain and inflammation in injured tissues.

Cold laser therapy should be distinct from a high-intensity laser that a surgeon may use to cut through tissues. The light-emitting diodes in cold laser therapy are not powerful enough to cut tissue. Still, they are strong enough to penetrate your skin and promote healing after injury.

How Denver Laser Therapy for Pain Work

Cold laser therapy uses light photons introduced to your skin with a wand containing several light-emitting diodes. As the photons enter your skin and pass through injured tissue, chemical changes to the mitochondria of the cells occur, signaling them to increase the production of adenosine triphosphate. It’s believed that the increase in ATP production stimulates tissue healing.

But not just any light will work for this healing process to occur. Low-level laser therapy, typically at 600- to 1,000-nanometer wavelength, can increase blood flow and improve recovery in injured tissues.

Types of Conditions Treated by Laser Therapy

Your healthcare provider may use cold laser therapy to treat various conditions. These may include, but are not limited to:

Any soft tissue injury that causes pain or inflammation in your body may benefit from cold laser therapy.

Pros and Cons of Denver Laser Therapy for Pain

When deciding to have cold last therapy for your injury, your healthcare provider should explain the treatment’s goals. Also, they should discuss with you the expected benefits and risks associated with cold laser therapy.

Pros of cold laser therapy include:

Treatment is non-invasive.
Treatment is typically painless.
Cold laser therapy may help your injury heal faster.

Risks to cold laser therapy are minimal, but you should understand them. Cons to having the procedure done may include:

You may need several treatments to realize positive results.
Treatment may be expensive, especially if your health insurance does not cover the therapy.
Some research indicates that cold laser treatments are no better than placebo (treatment with no therapeutic value) for musculoskeletal injuries.

Having realistic expectations of using cold laser therapy for your injury can help you decide whether to have the treatment.

What to Expect from Laser Therapy

Suppose you and your healthcare provider use cold laser therapy for your injury. In that case, it helps to understand what to expect during the treatment. You and your healthcare provider may wear special goggles to shield your eyes during the treatment. The doctor will hold a small wand with light-emitting diodes will be held over the treatment areas for a few minutes. Treatment times can vary from two to five minutes.

Is Laser Therapy Painful?

Most patients don’t experience any pain during laser treatment. In fact, most feel nothing more than a light, warming sensation. If you begin experiencing any pain or discomfort during the treatment, let your provider know. They may need to reposition your body or the laser.

After treatment, there should be no pain or discomfort.

Many healthcare providers will have you perform gentle exercises for your condition to help improve the range of motion (capability of a joint to go through a spectrum of movements) and strength of your affected body part. Keep in mind that low-level laser therapy should be one part of your total rehab experience; research supports exercise and movement for many musculoskeletal injuries.

Effectiveness of Denver Laser Therapy for Pain

When choosing to have cold laser therapy treatments, you should know the research surrounding the therapy. Some research supports using low-level lasers for back pain, neck pain, and tendonitis.

A 2015 meta-analysis (examining data from many independent studies) found that cold laser treatments can reduce pain in people with low back pain. The studies did not show an increase in functional movement, however.

Reviews of many studies (meta-analysis) found that joint pain improved with cold laser therapy. However, there appeared to be no additional improvement in overall function in patients getting the treatment.

Suppose you have tendonitis (inflammation of a tendon, which attaches muscle to bone) or tenosynovitis (inflammation of the tendon and the sheath surrounding it). In that case, your healthcare practitioner may use laser therapy for you.

Does Laser Therapy Work?

A mixed bag of scientific research indicates that cold laser therapy may be beneficial for pain relief in certain conditions. However, it may not be effective in improving function in musculoskeletal disorders. It’s best to discuss your situation with your healthcare provider before starting any cold laser treatments. While there is evidence that cold laser therapy helps decrease pain, additional types of therapy are also needed to improve functional mobility. If you suffer from pain or limited motion due to soft tissue, joint, or tendon injury. In that case, you may benefit from working with a chiropractor or physical therapist to help you return to your normal activities of daily living (ADL). Your therapist may use a variety of treatments, and one may be cold laser therapy. Cold laser therapy, or low-level light therapy, is a therapeutic modality to improve healing and blood flow to injured tissues. It is a painless procedure and may be part of a well-rounded rehab program, including exercise and functional mobility.

Cold laser therapy is a painless procedure involving introducing light of specific wavelengths to injured tissues. The lamp creates a “photobiomodulation” effect, increasing blood flow and speeding cellular processes to improve healing. If you are injured, ask your physician if cold laser therapy suits your condition.

Treatment for Chronic Pain

Experiencing chronic pain affects every area of life. Thankfully, there are many different options to help reduce and manage pain. While research regarding cold laser treatments is limited, published data indicate that it may decrease pain for specific conditions. Still, it may need to do more to improve its function.

Pain management is usually multifaceted, so talk to your healthcare provider about additional rehabilitation techniques. They may combine cold laser therapy with other treatments, including a physical therapy routine, medications, and medical procedures.

FAQ

Does Denver Laser Therapy for Pain Hurt?

Not at all. At most, you might feel a warm sensation or slight tingling. This is the body’s natural response to stimulated nerves and will disappear shortly after your session.

Is Medication Needed for Laser Therapy?

Cold laser therapy does not rely on any medication. It is a drug-free, non-invasive therapy that can be used on almost every body part.

How Long Does it Take for Laser Therapy to Work?

Every patient heals at a different rate. The frequency of care will be determined based on your response to cold laser therapy and the type of injury or complaint you suffer from. Be sure to contact our practice with any questions or concerns about your personal circumstances.

How Long Does Laser Therapy Last?

Typically, a cold laser therapy session lasts between four and 10 minutes in duration. Six to 20 minutes is the average time it takes from start to finish.

Before your procedure, we will determine the extent of your injuries and the estimated length of care. The total treatment time depends on your complaint’s type, severity, and location.

Most patients experience immediate results after their first LLLT treatment, while some patients may need 2 to 3 treatments before noticing significant changes.

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