How a Warm, Healing Laser Improves Physical Therapy Results
Today I want to talk about how a healing laser can help improve physical therapy results. We are lucky to have a Class IV laser in our clinic to help our patients heal.
The Class IV laser uses light energy to help stimulate the rate of healing at a cellular level. Depending on what’s going on with you, we will select personalized settings for your condition.
Some of the conditions that we treat with the laser include:
- Shoulder injuries, including rotator cuff tears or frozen shoulder
- Carpal tunnel
- Elbow injuries
- Knee injuries
- Tendonitis
- Bursitis
- Back pain
In general, we can use it on just about any joint in the body, including your TMJ, the temporomandibular joint in your jaw.
Treatment Success with a Class IV Laser
We have found great success for the more acute injuries sometimes in just one session. Research has shown that after just one session, you might experience a 50% improvement in range of motion and decrease in pain.
If you are suffering from a more chronic issue, meaning it’s been going on for a long time, sometimes the body has stopped trying to heal the condition, so we might need to jumpstart it a little bit and that might require multiple sessions of the laser.
Precautions for Using the Class IV Laser
Some of the precautions for the laser include active cancer or the use of any photo-sensitive medications. These are usually antibiotics, some heart medications, or topical skin creams.
Complimentary Demonstration Available
If you feel that you might benefit from the use of the Class IV laser, please call our front desk and we can set up a complimentary demonstration and see what results you get. From there, we can determine how to proceed.
If you are a physical therapy client, we just ask that you communicate with your physical therapist to determine when is the best time to use this procedure as it is usually not covered by insurance and would be a private pay option.
Thanks so much. We look forward to hearing from you soon and helping you regain optimal health. Call us today at (925) 284-3840 to schedule your complimentary consultation!
Lauren Masi is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, board-certified clinical specialist and certified athletic trainer. She earned her bachelor’s degree in physiological science from UCLA, a master’s degree in physical therapy from CSU Northridge, and a doctorate from the University of St. Augustine. As owner of Lafayette Physical Therapy and Bay Area Physical Therapy, she has assembled a skilled team to provide highly personalized and effective care. Lauren’s extensive career encompasses expertise in various physical therapy techniques, including Mulligan and Paris methods, myofascial release, and spinal mobilization. Lauren enjoys horseback riding and family time when not treating patients.