laser therapy for back pain

7/29/2019 Laser Therapy for Back Pain

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Learn More About Sams Protocols at:

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Copyright 2013. Sam Visnic. Page 1

Laser Therapy For Back Pain: Does ItReally Work?

Guest Post By Perry Nickelston, DC, NKT, FMS, SFMA

Warning!

This information is NOT medical advice, and does not replace

the diagnosis nor treatment of a licensed physician. This

report and related content is for information purposes

ONLY. Always seek the advice of a qualified health care

professional before beginning any health program. Any

actions taken as a result of reading this report and/or related

information is at your OWN risk. Endyourbackpainnow.com,

Sam Visnic, and all related affiliates and associates, assume

no liability as a result of actions taken on your part.


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Originally posted onhttp://endyourbackpainnow.com/blog/laser-for-back-pain-does-it-really-work/

Lower back pain can be debilitating. It can affect every aspect of your quality of life and

functional daily activities. I have experienced terrible episodes of lower back pain from disc

herniations that literally brought me to my knees. I know the pain! The one modality that made

the biggest changes and lasting results for me was deep tissue laser therapy. So much so, that I

purchased my own unit and have been using it for the last ten years helping other people feel

better. Some people may have heard of laser for back pain and wanted to learn more, others

dont even know its an option. This article is designed to help both of you learn more and know

there is always hope using wonderful devices based in science and research that can be helpful.

Effective rehabilitation protocols require a strategic and comprehensive approach integrating soft

tissue techniques, fascial manipulation, joint manipulation, and functional movement patterning.

Restoring optimal range of motion and reducing pain by transitioning a client from passive to

active care should be the primary goal. Decreasing the time a client spends in the passive phase

of care and teaching painless functional active rehab of the kinetic chain will help improve

compliance. Using therapeutic modalities to significantly increase recovery times and heal

chemically damaged cells while strengthening surrounding tissue can decrease passive therapy

and accelerate the natural regeneration process of injured areas.

Laser therapy for back pain is the modality you have been searching for to enhance recovery and

regeneration. Understanding the therapeutic mechanisms of action involved with laser therapy

and treatment protocols are essential. Successful use of any modality in clinical practice

ultimately depends on the expertise and skill of the practitioner . Lets take an in depth look at the

physiological benefits of laser therapy and how it can be integrated into rehabilitation programs.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first low level Class III laser

(LLLT) in 2002 and the first Class IV therapy laser in 2003. The most significant clinical and

therapeutic difference between Class IV lasers and Class III is the Class IV higher power output

may produce a primary bio-stimulative effect on deeper tissues. Reaching deep tissue structures

is critical to rehabilitation and recovery. If you cannot reach the intended target tissue with

adequate therapeutic laser dosages overall clinical results will diminish. Laser therapy excites the

kinetic energy within cells by transmitting healing energy known as photons. The skin absorbs

these photons via a photo-chemical effect, not photo-thermal; therefore it does not cause heat
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damage to tissues. As such, laser can be safely used on patients who have metal joint

replacements without the risk of injury.

Laser light does not excite or interact with the molecules in metal or plastic. Once photonic

energy reaches damaged cells of the body, they promote a cascade of cellular activities. It can

ignite the production of enzymes, stimulate mitochondria, increase vasodilation and lymphatic

drainage, ATP synthesis, and elevate collagen formation substances to prevent the formation of

scar tissues. This is a critical step in reducing long term disabling chronic myofascial pain

syndromes and joint restrictions.

Photobiomodulation, otherwise known as laser biostimulation, is the medical term in which

exposure to laser light enhances tissue growth and healing. Photobioregeneration is also used as

a term in describing laser therapy because of the cellular healing effects.

Here is a partial list of positive effects of Photobiomodulation on the body, all of which are a

crucial part of long term healing:

Increased leukocyte activity (acceleration of tissue repair and decrease of pain)

Increased neovascularization (new vessel growth and increase oxygenation)

Increased fibroblast production (speeds tissue repair)

Increased tensile strength (helps prevent re-injury) Stabilization of cellular membrane of damaged cells

Enhancement of ATP production and synthesis

Decreased C-Reactive protein Neopterin and acceleration of leukocytic activity

Enhanced lymphocyte response with reduction of Interleukin 1 (IL-1)

Increased prostaglandin synthesis

Enhanced superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels

Stimulation of vasodilation with increased angiogenesis (new blood vessels)

Principle factors of success with laser therapy for fascial restrictions and joint rehabilitation

include; optimal dosage, power, wavelength, and accurate clinical diagnoses.

Maintaining or restoring movement of specific segments is the key to preventing or correcting

musculoskeletal pain. Fundamentally, rehabilitation is about movement, and lots of it. The base

foundation of functional movement is proper joint mobility and stability. Without adequate

mobility and stability of joints in the kinetic chain you end up with dysfunctional movement.

Activities of daily living are then built on dysfunctional movement patterns, resulting in

compensation, and injury. Microtrauma results from small amounts of stress imposed on the

body over time caused by poor biomechanics and the body compensates with suboptimal joint

alignment, muscle coordination, and posture. Joints begin approximating in an effort to gain

stability lost from muscular weakness and compensation. This process known as Joint

Centration is an inherent protective mechanism of the body which if left uncorrected may cause

osteoarthritis, degeneration, and decreased mobility.


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Postural movement patterns are learned early in life by the central nervous system (CNS).

However, structural or functional body stressors (tension, trauma, genetics, etc.), may prevent

achievement of optimum posture. Faulty postures from physical compensations alter joint

mechanical behavior, flexibility and range of motion. The increase in mechanoreceptor

stimulation from chronically locked joints results in neuro-reflexive muscular changes, i.e.,

protective muscle guarding. Long-standing over-activation of abnormal joint reflexes causes

changes in spinal cord memory that eventually burns a neural groove in the CNS as the brainand cord are unknowingly saturated with a constant stream of inappropriate proprioceptive

information.

Inherently, the brain comes to rely on this faulty information about where it is in space to

determine how to establish perfect posture. The brain simply forgets what its alignment should

be. In other words, the body now makes the abnormal its new normal. Neurology wins every

time. The silent progression of faulty postures and dysfunctional movement patterns are part of

the reflexogenic relationship between muscles and joints. Neurogenic muscle activation

patterning by combining laser therapy and functional movement rehabilitation is an effective

way to reprogram the CNS for optimal function and reverse abnormal patterning.

Laser affected areas prior to active movement patterning to accelerate the metabolic rate of deep

tissue structures. Laser therapy on muscle attachment sites can increase a cascade of neurological

input to the CNS enhancing proprioceptive awareness. Most rehabilitation cases require 6-10laser therapy sessions for maximum benefit depending on the individual and Class of laser used

for treatment. Laser affected joint and surrounding tissue with a therapeutic dose following

current research of (4-12 J/cm2) depending on depth of tissue. (Joules is the measurement of

photon energy in J/cm2).

Each therapy program is different depending on the unique circumstances of each movement

pattern dysfunction. There is no baseline laser therapy program for pain syndromes. The history

of each patient determines the laser therapy protocols. The above mentioned dosage range is a

benchmark foundation for treatment. When administered correctly, deep tissue laser therapy for

back pain can have significant and profound positive impact on healing.
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Perry Nickelston, DC

To find out more great tips, tools, and techniques for resolving lower back pain and creating a

more balanced body, visit:

http://endyourbackpainnow.com
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