By looking at the statistics, we are a nation in pain. Out of 238 million adults in America, 100 million live in chronic pain. Unfortunately, many of those in chronic pain turn to narcotic, addictive, opioid pain medications like morphine, codeine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, and fentanyl which are also some of the most commonly abused drugs. These addictive drugs at most mask the pain, while setting up the stage for many undesirable side-effects including constipation, drowsiness, nausea and vomiting and can lead to slowed breathing and death if too much is taken. Long-term use of these medications not only increases the likelihood of tolerance which requires an increasing need of the drug to achieve the same effect, but also increases the risk for addiction. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) also come with significant, inherent risks. Take for example COX-2 inhibitors, including Celebrex (Celecoxib), which carry a significant increase in the risk of heart attacks and strokes in long-term users.
This abuse and overuse of prescription pain medications has become so severe that the CDC has labeled it an epidemic. According to the CDC, in 2013 there were 16,235 deaths caused by prescription opioids, and 43,982 total drug overdose deaths, up 6 percent from 2012.1 A report published last month in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS) pointed out that more than 80 percent of the world’s opioids are consumed in the United States. It is clear that this current approach to managing pain has created unnecessary suffering, loss of human potential, exacerbation of other medical conditions, and financial burden and loss. Different options need to be explored, researched and utilized to help people from becoming a statistic.
A relatively new and unknown modality for reducing pain and inflammation, as well as promoting tissue healing at the cellular level, is Deep Tissue Laser Therapy. Deep Tissue Laser Therapy has been proven to decrease pain and inflammation associated with a number of conditions including lower back pain, neck pain, headaches, migraines, trigeminal neuralgia, shingles, carpal tunnel syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, peripheral neuropathy, shoulder injuries, ankle and knee pain, plantar fascitis, and wrist and hand pain. Deep Tissue Laser Therapy is a non-invasive technique which utilizes a Class IV laser that delivers an abundant supply of photons to not only superficial tissues like your skin, but can reach deeper tissues such as your muscles, joints, tendons, ligaments and bones. One of the key features with Deep Tissue Laser Therapy is how the photons activate an enzyme in the mitochondria of your cells, called cytochrome oxidase. Injured or damaged cells absorb more of this photon energy than healthy cells, allowing them to heal and regenerate more efficiently. Deep Tissue Laser Therapy is not stimulatory, meaning it will not have the cells or tissues do anything they could not do on their own. It simply provides the fuel and energy for these injured or damaged cells to return to a normal level of function faster and more efficiently. Laser therapy has been shown to reduce inflammatory proteins such as Interleukin-6 released by white blood cells and increase the production of anti-inflammatory proteins such as Interleukin-10.2 Laser therapy can be safely used as an adjunct or replacement for pharmaceutical drugs and over surgical hardware such as joint replacements and fusions. This pain relief treatment is FDA cleared and enables patients to have an alternative to drugs and surgery. Laser therapy treatments last between 5 to10 minutes(depending on the condition being treated) and provide a soothing warmth over the treated area.
Whether you are suffering from an acute injury from weekend warrior activities or from chronic pain that you chalk up to old age—Deep Tissue Laser Therapy is proven to be highly effective to reduce pain and inflammation associated with these conditions and is virtually free of any side effects. In fact, many professional and collegiate athletic teams rely on Deep Tissue Laser Therapy to get their injured players back in the game as quickly as possible. Deep Tissue Laser Therapy may be your safe, healthful answer to zap away the pain and inflammation that interferes from your enjoyment of life.
Recent Comments