A Patient’s Guide to Laser Therapy

It’s true, and it’s completely understandable! Some patients become a little bit nervous or apprehensive when they first hear the word “laser” associated with a procedure recommended by their chiropractor. Sometimes it’s because the first images that come to mind are from James Bond movies or science fiction comic books. Other times, it’s because they’ve heard about lasers being used in surgery, to remove tattoos and unwanted hair, or to enhance the effects of tooth-whitening procedures. But why do chiropractic physicians use lasers? The purpose of this article is to explain exactly what a laser does and to describe how laser therapy can help patients heal from injuries more quickly and completely.

First, let’s define the term. “LASER” is actually an acronym that stands for “Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation,” and it describes a variety of devices that produce coherent light, which can be more tightly focused than normal light, and can thus be used for a number of purposes. Some “hot lasers” can produce high temperatures, and thus can be used to cut materials or for laser surgery (or to torture James Bond). But the lasers typically used in chiropractic practice are “cool lasers” used to provide Low-Level Laser Therapy, or LLLT.

These LLLT lasers emit light at low levels of heat, wavelength, and pulse frequency, and are commonly used to stimulate the soft tissues of the body to speed and enhance the natural healing process. Although the stimulus mechanism is not fully understood (and is somewhat controversial in that studies to prove the effectiveness of LLLT are not yet conclusive), most of the theories of how they work center on increased production of an enzyme called adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is key to healthy cell life. It is believed that the application of this pulsating, low-level coherent light can stimulate the cells’ own healing mechanisms and have beneficial effects on both the alleviation of pain and the rate of healing. LLLT is most commonly used in a chiropractic setting to reduce pain and speed nerve regeneration, decrease muscle soreness, and reduce edema (accumulation of fluid in bodily cavities). Many chiropractors (and their patients, naturally) have reported substantial relief of acute pain from osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, tenidopathy, and chronic joint disorders as a result of receiving LLLT.

In terms of what you will experience as a patient if your chiropractor recommends LLLT, remove all thoughts of James Bond strapped to a torture table from your mind. You will sit in a comfortable reclining chair or recline on a standard chiropractic table and enjoy the warm comfort of light focused on the areas in which you are experiencing pain. In some cases the laser therapy is combined with massage or electrical stimulation to relax the surrounding muscle tissues.

Like all chiropractic procedures, LLLT is non-invasive, which means that no surgical incisions are required. There are no high heat levels, the skin is never broken or harmed in any way, and there are no side effects or long recovery periods needed after the treatments. Effective LLLT can require a series of treatments (for example, 2-4 treatments a week to start) for maximum effectiveness, but when properly administered by a Doctor of Chiropractic who has been trained in the Low-Level Laser Therapy procedures, the effects can be perceived immediately, and tend to produce permanent results.

So if you are afflicted by spinal or joint problems that cause you pain and limit your mobility, consider laser therapy and talk to your chiropractor about it. He or she can use the latest advances in medical technology to help your body heal itself.