Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.
In my practice, I utilize many types of treatments to
achieve the best possible outcome for any particular condition. Obviously
adjusting the spine and many other affected joints is our primary treatment.
Exercises, stretches and use of rehabilitation protocols are also an integral
part of getting sick people well.
Today, I want to introduce you to my favorite modality in
the quest for healing at the cellular level, Laser Therapy. LASER stands for
Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. It is simply another
form of energy that can be used to create physiologic changes to tissue. Albert
Eistein provided the basic science and theory for laser.
We’ve all heard of lasers being used for things like
surgery, eye repair, teeth whitening, steel cutting, and military weapons. But how many of you have heard of healing
lasers which treat musculoskeletal conditions as well as post-surgical wounds
and pain, skin conditions, or strains and sprains?
The laser we use creates a healing beam of laser energy by
using electricity. The beam is in the infrared spectrum at about 980 nm and is
not visible to our eyes. Our high dose, high power laser can penetrate into the
body about 3 inches below the skin.
It works by the light being absorbed through chromophores in
each cell, which then raises energy production and creates increased white
blood cells and promotes healing. In the area of treatment the laser will
increase metabolic activity which helps pull healthy nutrients to damaged
areas. More oxygen flows and more blood pours through, creating a more optional
healing environment.
High dose laser therapy will accelerate your body to heal up
to 300 times faster than normal. This is why it works on most anything that
needs healing.
All types of inflammation respond well to laser treatment.
The conditions that end in –itis, for example; bursitis, myositis, tendonitis,
arthritis, fasciitis etc. all respond to laser treatment.
Any injury recovery can be enhanced by using the laser,
whether it’s a job, auto or personal injury. I’ve even used it to speed the
healing of broken bones. When my children were injured in sports, the laser was
awesome at speeding up their healing and getting them back in the game.
The pain relief from using the laser is incredible. With my
newest high power laser, even neuropathies can be helped in some cases,
especially when lack of blood flow is the culprit.
Typical treatment times are 5 to 15 minutes. The longer the
condition has been nagging you, the more times it will take to see a positive response.
Acute conditions like ankle and knee sprains see immediate relief of some pain
and swelling on the first treatment. Acute injuries respond great in just 6 to
10 treatments. The smaller the injury area, the less visits needed to show a
good response.
Chronic knee pains with arthritis or old meniscal tears see
some pain relief within 1-5 treatments, with better results in the 10 to 20
treatment range. Maintenance treatments should be scheduled at the rate of 1 to
2 per month for the chronic conditions, to keep the pain in check.
I have treated many patients post operatory. This speeds
healing of deep and superficial areas. Laser directly after knee replacement
works wonders. It complements rehab, lessens pain levels and allows you to
progress to normal more quickly. I’ve see great outcomes many times.
Laser therapy is not paid by any insurance I know of at this
time, but it is money well spent when you need healing and pain relief quickly.
Our prices are reasonable and affordable for such cutting edge technology. Most
clinics charge $30 to $90 per treatment. We are at the low end of that range.
Call us to see how laser can help heal your painful areas.