LASER Therapy

While both laser and LED are used for therapeutic purposes, their characteristics and the physiologic impact on the body are quite different. Laser light is well-organized, in-step, and moving in the same direction (coherent); LED is not organized, in step, or moving in the same direction (not coherent). Laser light being coherent and having a higher power density than LED allows it to penetrate deeper, is delivered more efficiently to the tissues than LED, and have stronger physiologic effects.

Class IIIb lasers are placed on specific spots on the body and remain there for the duration of the treatment. Class IV therapy lasers are applied while moving the applicator over a larger area of the body. In other words, if the laser probes were stationary, it was class IIIb, if the probe was moving, it was class IV.

Yes, laser can be used before and after regenerative medicine procedures. Different practitioners may have different opinions on whether they would recommend other interventions used at the same time as regenerative medicine: speak with your doctor providing the prolotherapy or PRP for questions about your specific case.

Laser needs to be applied directly on the skin: please wear or bring clothing that allows for easy access to the area that will be treated. Gowns are available in the clinic as needed.

It depends on the nature of the injury: for example, a nerve will take longer to heal than a muscle. In most cases people will experience a change in their symptoms within the first visit, but some will take between four to six sessions to feel significant improvements. If we do not see any change in symptoms or improvement in the tissue of the area being lasered, we tend to cap the treatment trial at six sessions.

Laser is a minimally invasive treatment which most people find very relaxing. There is no pain experienced with application of the laser, and particularly in areas like the low back, hip, shoulder, and thigh, many experience a warming sensation.

Most people feel more ease in movement and reduced pain following a laser session, and a minority will experience more pain within the first 48-hours after a session. If this happens, it tends to be an achy pain, most commonly occurs at the 24-hour point following a laser session and resolves entirely: after this people will be able to see the benefits of the laser.

Symptoms of neuropathy are typically more noticeable at night than during the day and include: pain in the extremities that is burning or searing, feels like a sunburn, skin feels too tight, spongy feeling (particularly the feet), freezing, numbness, tingling, prickling, extreme sensitivity to touch, and sensation of wearing invisible stockings or gloves. Additional symptoms and signs are loss of balance and coordination and having difficulty driving because of not knowing where the feet are in relation to the pedals. Neuropathy symptoms can be unilateral if there is an injury to the nerve or the spine such as a disc herniation impinging on a nerve; they are often bilateral and symmetric if it is related to more of a systemic issue. The term neuropathy is a non-specific term used to describe injury, dysfunction, or disease of a nerve.

Yes, the Summus Horizon laser effectively treats trigger points. If you are not so keen on needles for trigger point therapies, laser is a non-invasive alternative.