Latest pain relief treatment

The latest treatment for the relief of pain is called Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT). It is a medical treatment that uses low level (cold) lasers to alter cellular function to effectively relieve pain from rheumatoid arthritis; osteoarthritis; acute and chronic neck pain; tendonitis; chronic joint disorders; back pain; sports injuries and a wide variety of other disorders.

LLLT is used to increase the speed, quality and tensile strength of tissue repair (especially post-operative), resolve inflammation and relieve pain.

Unlike high power lasers, widely used to cut and burn tissue, low level lasers penetrate the surface of the skin with little or no heating effect and no potential tissue damage. The energy is directed deep into the treatment area, stimulating the body’s cells which convert the light energy into chemical energy to promote natural healing. This is a photochemical effect, similar to photosynthesis in plants. When cells get stressed, due to disease, injury or aging, they produce nitric oxide (NO) which displaces Oxygenin in the cells; with the application of the correct wavelength and density of light delivered to the target tissues for an appropriate period of time the NO is dissociated, allowing the oxygen back in and the metabolism to return to normal so the patient recovers more quickly.

There are two basic styles of treatment using LLLT, pinpoint treatment (laser puncture), similar to acupuncture, to trigger a reaction from the body to treat a variety of ailments including depression, migraines, insomnia, menopause neurosis and travel sickness. The other style of treatment which we primarily use in our office is broad coverage of a damaged area for accelerating healing, reducing inflammation and relieving pain.  LLLT is a complementary treatment in that it can be used alongside conventional chiropractic treatments.

Low Level Laser Therapy has been proven completely safe and very effective in over 3,000 worldwide studies. There are normally no adverse effects from LLLT, however, a small number of patients occasionally experience mild discomfort after treatment which normally settles down after about 24 hours.

Among users of Low Level Laser Therapy are Manchester United Football Club, Blue Jays Baseball team and many others professional sports organizations.  To read more about laser therapy, click here.

Sudden Back Pain: Why does it happen and what can be done to prevent it?

As a chiropractor, I often get patients who come in with startling, out-of-the blue onset of intense back pain which is a surprisingly common experience for many back pain sufferers. If you’re lucky enough to not have experienced it yourself, you probably know someone who has. You’re going about your normal business and suddenly your back spasms up, seemingly for no apparent reason, and you just can’t move.

It’s a curious phenomenon, and one that holds a key to understanding why many types of back pain arise and what you can do about it. Of course, there are times when back pain has clear causes, originating from an accident, overuse or sports injury. But just as often, back pain strikes like lightning, for no apparent reason. And if it has happened to you once or twice, the more likely it is to happen again.

While it may seem to be something that strikes from out of the blue, it’s really just the straw that breaks the camel’s back. The movement or sneeze that triggers the back pain incident is preceded by a whole syndrome of muscular imbalances.

For many people, some muscles are chronically way too tight. It can be due to their daily habits or due to structural imbalances, or both. Correspondingly, some muscle groups will be too weak. If these muscular imbalances persist over time, it sets you up for the situation where one little thing is enough to trigger back pain. It doesn’t take much to cause the muscle spasm to start, because for months or years those muscles have been forced to do something that they are not really designed to do.

As the muscles get increasingly worn out, they will be more likely to go into spasm. But in cases like that, there is a generally a long-standing pattern of muscular imbalances behind it, and then one little incident is enough to trigger a muscle spasm.

The point is that back problems are years and often decades in development. Regular chiropractic check ups and Active Release Therapy improve the overall health of the back, so it’s just common sense prevention.