Using Light to Speed Healing

When you suffer a muscle or joint injury, there are many options to help speed recovery.  The list is usually topped by the right combination of rest and rehabilitative exercise.  But there are other tools that chiropractors and physiotherapists can use as well.  One of the treatment modalities that we’ve had the most success with has been cold laser.  Cold laser devices use a powerful light that can penetrate up to 12 cm to help accelerate your body’s natural healing abilities.  This happens because our cells, specifically the energy producing parts called mitochondria, contain proteins that are able to absorb light energy and transform it into chemical energy.  This increase in chemical energy increases the overall metabolic rate of the cell and the tissues they comprise.  Basically, your body’s healing process gets a boost!  This results in decreased inflammation, less pain and faster healing.  The term cold laser is used to differentiate this type of light energy from hot lasers, which are used to actually cut tissue.  We’ve found the results with laser treatment to be far superior to other modalities such as ultrasound and TENS.  The variety of applications is truly impressive as well.  We’ve seen patients with conditions as varied as carpal tunnel syndrome, tennis/golfers elbow, shoulder strains, tendonitis, hip bursitis, ankle sprains and plantar fasciitis all respond very well to care.  Our clinic uses laser devices manufactured by Theralase.  Their website (theralase.com) has some great information about uses, research and safety.  Next time you are looking to give your recovery a boost, consider laser therapy.