With FDA approval and much more than 30 years of research, low level laser therapy (LLT) may soon become a frontline treatment option for doctors who are looking to not merely relieve patient's pain but additionally accelerate injury healing. Laser therapy has been used worldwide to treat well over 100 different conditions! A number of the conditions that respond the very best to LLT are sprains/strains, carpal tunnel syndrome, inlammation and swelling in joints, wounds and burns, muscle spasms, low back and neck pain and various knee and elbow pains!
Dr. Anton Mester, a Hungarian physician first noticed the tissue healing ramifications of low level laser irradiation while trying to use a laser to treat cancer tumors back in 1967 so this is actually the 30 year anniversary of the therapy! Since that time, low level laser therapy has been researched around the world with more than 2500 published articles concerning its effects.
Lightforce Medical laser therapy is a very safe type of therapy and can be utilized when other forms of electrical therapies are contraindicated such as for example when metal implants, prosthesis or screws are participating and it may be used safely on patients of all ages. The only contraindications for use are on cancerous tumors (although that is debated) and it shouldn't be applied to the thyroid for hyperthyroid conditions since it further increases the thyroid's function.
That's basically what the LLT does. It increases cellular function by stimulating the photo receptors that are on cell walls. That is why it accelerates healing. Due to this, among the outstanding areas that they are able to use the laser (besides it's amazing effects on neuromuscular problems) is in burn healing. Since nothing touches your skin, the incidence of infection is incredibly low while at exactly the same time the recovery time is reduced! It's hard to beat a deal like that!
In our own practice, we've seen some remarkable results with the laser in both pain reduction and accelerated healing of tissues which range from sprained ligaments, strained muscles, and bruises, all the way up to and including herniated and sequestrated discs. As we specialize in herniated disc treatment, we have used LLT extensively in this area and seen dramatic results!