What is Aspen Laser Therapy?
Laser Therapy is the use of specific wavelengths of light (red and near-infrared) to stimulate the body’s natural ability to heal. The effects of laser energy include improved healing time, pain reduction, increased circulation and decreased swelling. Class IV Aspen Laser Therapy is an FDA cleared therapeutic treatment that manages pain and inflammation while accelerating tissue regeneration. Laser energy increases circulation, drawing water, oxygen, and nutrients to the damaged area. This creates an optimal healing environment that reduces inflammation, swelling, muscle spasm, stiffness and pain. During Aspen Laser Therapy, infrared laser light interacts with tissues at the cellular level increasing metabolic activity within the cell. By improving the transport of nutrients across the cell membrane, the increased production of cellular energy (ATP) is stimulated. The cascade of beneficial effects that follows includes increased cellular function and tissue repair. Aspen Laser Class IV therapeutic lasers deliver specific red and near-infrared wavelengths of laser light to induce a photochemical reaction and therapeutic effect. Physiological effects include increased circulation, reduced inflammation, pain reduction and enhanced tissue healing. Laser therapy has been used in Europe since the 1970s and was cleared by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2005.
Top Ten Treatments for Aspen Laser Therapy
Some of the top conditions treated by the Aspen Laser high power laser are:
- Low Back Pain / Sciatica
- Neck Pain / Arthritis
- Muscle Spasms / Trigger Points
- Knee Pain
- Shoulder Pain
- Elbow Pain
- Hand / Finger Pain
- Hip Pain
- Foot and Heel Pain (Including Plantar Fasciitis)
- Headaches
Numerous studies show that Aspen Laser therapy may also help: Tendinopathies, Carpal Tunnel, Tennis Elbow, Ligament Sprains, Muscle Strains, Shingles, Sports Injuries, and many more conditions.
Common Questions about Aspen Laser Therapy
How often should a patient be treated? Acute conditions may be treated daily, particularly if they are accompanied by significant pain. More chronic problems respond better when treatments are received 2 to 3 times per week, tapering to once a week or once every other week, with improvement.
How many treatments does it take? This depends on the nature of the condition being treated. For some acute conditions 4 to 6 treatments may be sufficient. Those of a more chronic nature may require 6 to 12 (or more) treatments. Conditions such as severe arthritis may require ongoing periodic care to control pain.
How long before the results are felt? You may feel improvement in your condition (usually pain reduction) after the very first treatment. Sometimes you will not feel improvement for a number of treatments. This does not mean that the condition is not improving. Each treatment is cumulative and results are often felt after 3 or 4 sessions.
Can it be used in conjunction with other forms of treatment? Yes. Laser Therapy is often used with other forms of treatment, including physical therapy, chiropractic, massage, soft tissue mobilization, electrotherapy and even following surgery. Other healing modalities are complementary and can be used with laser to increase the effectiveness of the treatment.
Does it hurt? What does a treatment feel like? There is little or no sensation during treatment. Occasionally one feels a mild, soothing warmth or tingling. Areas of pain or inflammation may be sensitive briefly before pain reduction.
Are there any side effects or associated risks? During more than twenty years of use by healthcare providers all over the world, very few side effects have ever been reported. Occasionally some old injuries or pain syndromes may feel aggravated for a few days, as the healing response is more active after treatment.
How long does each treatment take? The typical treatment is 4 to 8 minutes, depending on the size of the area being treated.
Has effectiveness been demonstrated scientifically? Yes. There are thousands of published studies demonstrating the clinical effectiveness of Laser Therapy. Among these, there are more than one hundred rigorously controlled, scientific studies that document the effectiveness of laser for many clinical conditions.
Decompression Therapy with High Power Laser Therapy
Our office optimizes the use of High Power Class 4 Laser Therapy during each decompression treatment when recommended to help speed up patient recovery time and boost tissue healing. The soothing deep heating effect of our Aspen Laser enhances the Spinal Decompression effect, provides pain relief, inflammation control as a chemical mediator and increases recovery time. Spinal Discs are the most avascular tissue in the human body which means they are the slowest healers. Our office provides this unique and state of the art dual treatment option to give our patients the highest quality non-invasive care available.
Performance Chiropractic is proud to offer the latest in non-surgical Aspen Laser Therapy in our office! Dr. Brett Dworkis is a certified Aspen Laser Therapy provider with Aspen Laser USA.