Is Cold Laser Therapy The Answer To My Back Pain?
Back pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders in the US that affects around 80% of the population at some point in their lives. It’s the second most prevalent neurological ailment in the US that’s also a leading cause of job-related disabilities and work absenteeism. Every year, Americans spend around $50 billion to treat this condition!
In this post, we’ll discuss the causes of back pain and whether cold laser therapy can work as a viable alternative to surgery.
A lowdown on back pain
Back pain is linked to several conditions, including injuries, trauma, bad posture, overuse of muscles, or chronic conditions like arthritis. Common symptoms of back pain include mild muscle ache, pain that radiates down the leg, and pain that worsens when you stand, walk, or lift something.
In most cases, back pain can be addressed with self-care and home remedies. However, if it has been going on for a long time and doesn’t seem to subside, you might want to get in touch with a chiropractic specialist for cold laser therapy.
What is cold laser therapy?
Just as the name suggests, cold laser therapy stimulates healing using low-intensity light. The technique is called cold therapy because the beam of light isn’t hot enough to heat your body tissues. The heat intensity is a lot lower than other popular forms of laser therapy, including the ones used to destroy coagulate tissues and tumorous cells.
There are various names for this form of treatment. It is also known as low-power laser therapy, soft laser biostimulation, low-level laser therapy, and photobiomodulation.
During the procedure, the technician applies a carefully monitored beam of light on the targeted area. The output and wavelength of this light are highly controlled. The beam is very precisely applied, so it only affects the designated area. After the tissues have absorbed the light, the near-infrared and red light stimulates the damaged cells to regenerate.
The light intensity depends on the extent of the damage. In most cases, wavelengths between 600 and 700 nanometers are used. For deeper penetration, a more intense wavelength between 780 and 950 nm may be used.
Benefits of cold laser therapy
One of the biggest benefits of cold laser therapy is that it’s virtually painless and non-invasive. The treatment only lasts a few minutes. You might feel the device touching your skin, but there is little or no discomfort. There is no heat, no vibrating sensation, and no sound. There are also almost no side-effects.
Doctors and chiropractic providers use cold laser therapy to address a number of conditions, including sports injuries, sprains, pains, muscle spasms, and swelling. It has been statistically proven that cold laser therapy results in significant pain reduction when coupled up with other forms of exercise and treatment.
If you are dealing with back pain that doesn’t seem to be going away, head to Shelby Country Family Chiropractic by Dr. Stapleton and Dr. William Yadon for affordable Kentucky family chiropractic care. We are a state-of-the-art clinic that offers back pain relief treatments and chiropractic care for headaches, hip, and shoulder pain.
