Chronic pain affects Americans each year more than any other disease combined including heart disease and diabetes. According to recent studies, about 76.2 million Americans have suffered from pains that have lasted more than a day, while several deal with pain daily. If you are one of the millions who suffer from chronic pain, new advances in medical lasers and class iv laser equipment might be able to provide you with relief.
What is Laser Therapy?
Unlike other lasers that can burn tissue, such as those used for certain surgical procedures, the lasers used in laser pain therapy actually work to stimulate tissues and promote cell growth. Laser Therapy is used for physical therapy purposes, using laser radiation to alleviate pain and to regenerate cells. There are two main kinds of laser therapy, cold lasers(class III laser equipment) and class IV laser equipment. Class III laser equipment consists of lower energy lasers that are less than 500mW. Class IV laser equipment can have an output of 7,500 mW. Due to their higher power they are able to penetrate deeper and treat larger surfaces than class 3 lasers.
How Does it Work
There is a little bit of mystery surrounding laser therapy with no real consensus as to how laser therapy works. While the exact mechanism of action is unknown, there is data that shows the use of laser therapy can work to alleviate pain by reducing inflammation and triggering cell regeneration. Laser therapy usually takes several rounds of treatment, anywhere between eight to thirty, depending on the how severe the condition is.
Laser Therapy for Pain Management
Laser therapy has been proven to provide relief for several types pain, including arthritis such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. It has also been shown to help alleviate neck, back and joint pain.
Other Uses For Laser Therapy
Laser therapy is not only used to assuage pain it can also be used to regenerate cells such as in these procedures:
- Wound healing
- Healing dental infections
- Regrowing hair on the head
- Regenerating bones
While how it works is still under speculation, laser therapy has been able to help millions of Americans with their pain each year. If you are dealing with pain or any of the above ailments, consult with your doctor to see if laser therapy is right for you.