Cold Laser Treatment for Trigger Points

IT'S NOT JUST FOR FIBROMYALGIA...

I have recently enjoyed the experience of having painful trigger points deactivated using the application of a cold laser.  Other than gentle compression at the point of contact (imagine a big fat pen with a tiny O ring at the tip) I couldn't feel a thing.  How great would this be for my fibromyalgia patients and others who are sensitive to pressure?!!  What I did notice was that pain at the treatment site vanished after only a couple of minutes.  This is why I will soon be adding cold laser therapy to my practice.  The following is paraphrased from the Microlight website:  

HOW DOES LASER HEAL?  

Healing with the use of light is not new. Light therapy was reported to be effective for many conditions by Hippocrates. With the development of the laser and its special properties, using light as a treatment has gained more popularity. This is because we can now use specific wavelengths of light and give accurately measured doses of energy directly to the appropriate treatment site, which was not possible with other light sources.  Low level lasers supply energy to the body in the form of non-thermal photons of light. Light is transmitted through the skin’s layers (the dermis, epidermis and the subcutaneous tissue or tissue fat under the skin) at all wavelengths in the visible range.

When low level laser light waves penetrate deeply into the skin, they optimize the immune responses of our blood. This has both anti-inflammatory and immunostimulate effects. It is a scientific fact that light transmitted to the blood in this way has positive effects throughout the whole body, supplying vital oxygen and energy to every cell.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM A COLD LASER THERAPY SESSION

For most people cold laser therapy is extremely comfortable. There are no pulsating shocks felt, as in forms of electronic stimulation, nor heat used as with ultrasound. The most noticeable sensation is the touch of the probe head of the laser, as it comes in contact with the skin.  Following (and even during) a laser therapy session, approximately 75-80% of patients being treated can notice an immediate improvement in their condition. This will depend primarily on the type of condition and the length of time the condition has been present.

Generally, the more chronic or severe the condition, the longer it takes to respond. The majority of conditions treated will take anywhere from 4-5 or 10-18 treatments. Once again, the number of treatments depends upon the severity of the condition and its duration. If the condition does not change immediately, it may take 3-4 sessions before a dramatic or marked change is perceived.

COLD LASER DEACTIVATES TRIGGER POINTS

The above refers to general use of cold lasers for injury and inflammation.  Dr. Bernard Filner found that cold laser can be used to deactivate myofascial trigger points.  This will allow integration of cold laser into myofascial trigger point therapy: we still identify and eliminate perpetuating factors, we still prescribe gentle passive stretch to retrain dysfunctional muscles, but we can use this new method in addition to or even instead of the traditional ischemic compression or spray and stretch therapy.  I am very excited to bring the cutting edge of pain relief technology to my practice!