Overview

Have you recently been diagnosed with fibromyalgia? Or have you been in pain for quite a while and are ready to get back to feeling better? A laser therapy session with us might just be what you need for overall wellness. Here's what you should know about laser therapy for integrative medicine.

What is Laser Therapy?

Laser therapy is a practice that uses light therapy to trigger biochemical reactions within body cells. It may also be referred to as cold laser therapy. Laser therapy has been a form of treatment since the early 20th century and has been successfully used to treat patients with:

• fibromyalgia
• muscle and skin disorders
• patients with cancer
• aging and skin damage

There are several types of laser therapy used, depending on your symptoms and illness. Common examples include:

• Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) or photobiomodulation
• Fractional CO2 laser therapy
• Laser acupuncture—a form of LLLT that is used as an alternative to traditional acupuncture

Laser therapy is a drug-free and non-invasive process to reduce inflammation, relieve pain, and restore range of motion. Patients who undergo regular laser therapy sessions often report an increase in wellness and improved quality of life.

What Are the Benefits of Laser Therapy?

There are multiple benefits to undergoing laser therapy. As we've already mentioned, laser therapy does not involve the use of narcotics and is incredibly non-invasive. It also stimulates the body's own innate healing capabilities, resulting in a decrease in recovery time. This means that most patients can return to their daily routine after a laser therapy session. Treatment may also be highly effective, with many reporting an improvement in symptoms after just a couple of sessions.

Forms of laser therapy such as laser acupuncture can be beneficial for patients of all ages, especially those afraid of the use of needles in traditional acupuncture treatments. Laser acupuncture does not involve the form of needles. Instead, it uses short bursts of low-intensity laser irradiation on specific acupuncture points along the body's meridian lines.

Laser therapy can be used to treat:

• cancer patients with genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM)
• chronic pain, including back and knee pain
• sinus allergies
• osteoarthritis
• carpal tunnel syndrome
• inflammation
• improve overall skin tone, reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines

What to Expect During a Laser Therapy Appointment

If you've never had a laser therapy session before, you might wonder what to expect during the initial appointment. A certified physician at Chris Strickland will begin by asking a comprehensive set of questions to determine your current health, including your symptoms of pain.

From there, depending on your symptoms, a form of laser therapy will be prescribed to you and can include LLLT or CO2 laser therapy. During the actual therapy session, different wavelengths of low levels of light are applied directly to the area of treatment. Treatment is quick and doesn't take more than a few minutes.

While most report a change after just one session, many patients opt for a recurring treatment plan to maintain their quality of life. Effective laser therapies require an accurate evaluation and prompt care using safe, effective laser techniques.

For more information about laser therapy, contact Chris Strickland at (706) 769-9779.