Kenny La Nier
A New Phenomenon to Man
By: Kenny La Nier
You lie down on a soft table and slide protective glasses over your open eyes, you hear the beeping of the laser turning on. The doctor slides over a chair, sits down and says this will not hurt one bit.
The beeping of the machine rings in your ear, you feel a slight warm sensation on your injured spot as the doctor guides the laser across your injury and as fast as you go into the room, it is over. Laser therapy is a fast growing therapeutic device used to cure injuries and relieve pain faster than chiropractic alone.
Laser History
The history of laser therapy is quite short. The effects of laser therapy have been known since 1880. The first known benefits were only discovered in 1967 in an accident while a laser safety test was in progress. The first therapeutic laser was released in the U.S in 2002. [2]
There have been thousands of published studies about the effectiveness of laser therapy especially in European countries. [2] Europe is where these therapeutic lasers first originated. Over the past twenty years and thousands of clinical testing there have been few to no known side effects from this laser therapy.
The laser itself ia quite remarkable. The first FDA approved laser only put out five milliwatts of light energy. The newest laser, the class V K-laser puts out six thousand, five hundred milliwatts of light energy making for a more powerful, more effective laser. [2] It is small in size, with a weight of about five pounds making it able to easily move from place to place.
The laser helps by doing a variety of different things. First the laser breaks down the pain reflex in the injury and stimulates the cells helping them produce ATP providing them with help to have more energy to function normally. [5] It creates vasodilatation and brings oxygen to the veils and stimulates the lymphatic system, pulling edema and inflammation from the treated area. [5]
Healing Power of Laser Therapy
The effects of laser therapy are: faster healing time, pain reduction, increased circulation, and decreased swelling. [5] Laser therapy also treats muscle pain, joint pain, and chronic pain problems. The amount of time and treatment you will have to receive depends on how long you have been suffering from the injury and the nature of the injury itself. With the perfect blend of chiropractic and laser therapy you will achieve phenomenal results in an extremely short amount of time. [3]
Besides getting treatment for injuries and pain, laser therapy can be used to help with addictions. Laser therapy relieves the need for the substance you are addicted to without using a drug. Treatment helps your body release more endorphins into your body helping keep you calm and relaxed, which makes it easier to deal with your addiction.
When the laser contacts certain energy points on your body you will feel a source of relaxation and a state of happiness. Laser therapy has been proven to be more successful than: gum, patches, and oral medications. [1] There is no easier way to get over your addiction or smoking crutch then with laser therapy. Laser therapy can also help with weight control. There are certain points on the body that if treated with laser therapy, can help you increase your metabolism, giving your body a better chance with controlling weight. [1]
Treatments take little to no time to get. Most treatments last about five minutes, depending on the size of the area being treated; it might take more time if it is a big area.
As soon as the first treatment you may feel results and by the third treatment you most definitely see and feel improvement. Depending on the nature of the injury, one to six treatments are recommended for smaller injuries, and ten to fifteen treatments are recommended for larger injuries. The costs for treatments are: sixty-five dollars for one treatment, one-hundred and eighty for three treatments, and six hundred for ten treatments. [4]
Benefits of Laser Therapy
The benefits of laser therapy are as follows: you do not have to be sedated to have treatment, there is no pain involved, there is no medication, and there is no surgery involved with treatment. [6] There are no known side effects with laser therapy treatment, the only thing close to one is, an old injury may flare up a couple days later but that is just the nature of the healing process. [3]
In conclusion, these European-based therapeutic devices are becoming very popular, very quickly. Most studies have proven that laser therapy is equal to or more effective than other forms of physical therapy for relieving muscle pain. There are no known side effects and it is quick and painless.
Although it is unknown if it will work for acne yet, I am getting treatment for the acne on my face. It seems to be working very well but results are not sure yet. I also get treatment for injuries to my knees from snowboarding accidents I have received this past winter.
Laser therapy is the newest thing for athletes of any type. Professional fighters have been coming for treatment to heal old wounds before a fight to be in tiptop shape for the match. [4] Snowboarders are the next targets we are trying to reach out to, because of how rigorous the sport is. Laser therapy would be the perfect thing for them, after a rough crash or a minor fall they can come and get a treatment and it will help their injuries heal faster, so they will be able to get back on the slopes that much faster. [4]
Even if you're not an athlete laser therapy could help you if you have a muscle injury. Laser therapy is new but it is already becoming a phenomenally wide spread device.
Kenny La Nier
Works Cited
- Haddadean, Jody L, and George Lucio. "Nicotine Addictions." Alpha Lifestyle. 1 Feb. 2007
- Hall, Andrew K. "Laser Therapy." Summit Chiropractic. 8 May 2006. Palmer U. 8 Jan. 2007
- Hall, Andrew K. Personal Interview. 14 Feb. 2007.
- La Nier, Laura. Personal Interview. 14 Feb. 2007.
- Laser Therapy, Klasers Pamphlet.
- "Products." Klasers. 1 Feb. 2007
- World Book Encyclopedia, Chicago IL: World book, 2001. pages 81-87.
Kenny La Nier
Mr. Micheletti,
English 4
9 March 2007
More Laser Therapy Information
- Therapeutic Results Achieved with the Class IV Laser
- Understanding the effects of Photobiomodulation
- Laser Therapy Pain Relief That Works
Posted May 17, 2007
