We have all experienced some sort of muscle pain at one point or another in our lives.  The difference between random pain and chronic pain is the long term effects it has on the rest of the body, even employment and social ramifications due to a constant ache. Chronic muscle pain or an injury with a long recovery process impacts the rest of the body by causing undue strain on surrounding muscles which consequently has a trickledown effect throughout the rest of the body. Unlike traditional therapies which generally require a great amount of time and a combination of anti-inflammatory medications, painful physical therapy, at home exercises and sometimes behavior modification education training, low level laser treatments are a simple remedy. The problem with the traditional approach is that because of it being both a painful and lengthy process, many participants quit somewhere along the way before being completely healed. With low level laser treatments, patients can begin seeing results almost immediately and have the comfort of knowing the treatment is an entirely painless process with substantiated positive results.

Although low level laser treatment (LLT) has been tested and FDA approved, the exact mechanics of why it reduces muscle pain is still debatable and there are various theories. However, what goes without question, and what is more significant, has been the overwhelming positive results felt by its users.

Low level laser therapy usually requires several appointments but the good news is that in various studies, patients have reported noticing an immediate decrease in their pain symptoms. Moreover, others have claimed a reduction in pain levels in the 24 hour period after their treatment. In both of these instances the patients have reported that the reduction in pain remained long after an individual treatment session.

Why it Works:

Long gone are the days of assuming lasers are hot, these low level lasers emit light beams at a low temperature. Although commonly called cold lasers, it should be noted that the term “cold” merely means not hot. The lower temperature means the lasers are capable of leaving surrounding cells and skin cells unharmed. The laser’s wavelengths are capable of going through a number of tissue layers to reach the damaged cells with the optimal cold laser wavelength being of 635 nanometers in intensity. The ability to positively impact damaged cells while leaving healthy surrounding cells unaffected is precisely what makes this a non-invasive, outside of the body, painless procedure.

Just as in the use of low level lasers for scar reduction, when healing muscle pain, the lasers go to the core of a cell to jump start its natural healing process. Cold lasers can be thought of as similar to putting a heating pad onto an injured muscle to increase circulation to the area with the hopes of accelerating the muscle’s healing process, because of how the lasers affect a cell’s mitochondria organelles. Specifically, the use of cold lasers is the manipulation of the mitochondria organelles’ natural reaction to light sources which promotes a production of fuel (ATP) and consequently an increase in blood flow to the region. Once there is an influx in ATP production, the body is essentially put into a sort of healing overdrive mode.

Aside from increasing blood flow to the injured area, low level laser therapy is believed to have an analgesic effect and been known to reduce swelling, nerve reaction to painful stimulation, and muscle fatigue. The combination of these effects is known to not only to cause a reduction in muscle pain, but also allow for an increase in overall range of motion and muscle strength.

Who Benefits From This Procedure?

Everyone. The great thing about low level laser therapy is that it is a painless, drug-free, non-invasive procedure which does not require any sort of medication. Clinical trials have indicated a reduction in pain associated with such conditions as osteoarthritis, cervical or thoracic spine strain, liposuction, lower back pain, bowel spasms and general muscle spasms.  Doctors are hoping that cold lasers can be used to help treat carpal tunnel syndrome, however trials have not been completed yet.

Cold level laser treatments are a viable solution for people suffering from various sorts of muscle pain. LLT allows for a natural solution that will get you back into the swing of things quicker than through traditional approach to healing sore and injured muscles.