Cold Laser Therapy (Low Level Laser Therapy) For Knees
Knee Pain
To explain how and why we use Cold Laser Therapy for Knees, we will begin by discussing knee pain. Living with knee pain can feel like a crippling experience!
Let’s face it, your knees aren’t as young as they used to be and playing with the kids or grandkids isn’t any easier either. Maybe your knee pain keeps you from walking short distances or playing golf like you used to.
Nothing’s worse than feeling great mentally, but physically feeling held back from life because your knee hurts and the pain just won’t go away!
Most patients conclude that prescription drugs and shots provide temporary relief, at best. For many people, knee surgery is out of the question, especially with the risk of infections or blood clots.
Dr. Roth Provides a Thorough X-ray Analysis for Every Patient
Treatments like cortisone injections, the most common drug injected into painful knee joints, first started being provided to patients back in 1951. The pitfall is that cortisone injections are known to cause problems like ruptured soft tissue, infections, nerve or muscle injury, or cartilage deterioration. The relief is usually temporary, while the damaging effects get more pronounced with each successive injection and the pain relief diminishes.
But there is hope! A new breakthrough in medical technology may completely eliminate your pain and help restore normal function in your knees.
Cold Laser Therapy for Knees
Non-Invasive Knee Treatment in Hot Springs, Arkansas - No Drugs, Shots, or Surgery!
New research in a treatment call low level laser therapy, or cold laser, is having a profound effect on patients suffering with knee pain. The cold laser penetrates the surface of the skin with no heating effect or damage.
Sounds too good to be true? There have been over 2000 papers published on the subject for 40 years, and they all have shown that cold laser boosts the immune system, relieves pain, decreases inflammation, and aids in damaged tissue regeneration. Some have even shown that it can stimulate the formation of collagen, which is the main component of healthy cartilage.
Additionally, there was a study conducted in 2015 to determine if cold laser could successfully postpone the need for knee joint replacement. They took 100 elderly patients with symptomatic osteoarthritis and divided them into two groups.
One group received protocol A which consisted of conventional physical therapy. The second group received protocol B which included the same physical therapy as in the protocol A group, but with the addition of cold laser. After 6 years, only one patient from protocol B needed joint replacement surgery, whereas nine from protocol A needed surgery.
There have proven to be no side effects, and it does not require drugs, shots, or surgery.
What is Cold Laser Therapy?
(Also known as Low-Level Laser Therapy)
Cold Laser Therapy, also known as low-level laser therapy, is a breakthrough therapeutic approach which utilizes the principle of PhotoBioSimulation to stimulate tissue repair. Although Cold Laser Therapy has been clinically used in Europe for over thirty years, it has been rapidly gaining traction in the United States. It is gaining acceptance among healthcare practitioners as more studies confirm its effectiveness in treating numerous ailments.
Watch Video About Cold Laser Therapy
How Does Cold Laser Work?
Cold Laser Therapy - Skin Depth Penetration
Cold lasers emit compressed, amplified light in the cold, red part of the electromagnetic spectrum. It is monochromatic (one precise color in a specific wavelength), coherent (travels in a straight line) and polarized (concentrates its beam in a defined location or spot). All of these properties together allow cold laser to penetrate the skin and soft tissue layers with no heating effect as observed with a surgical laser.
Whereas surgical lasers have burning, cutting, and damaging effects, cold laser stimulates tissue repair. The photonic light energy is directed to the body’s cells. These body cells immediately convert the light energy to chemical energy in cellular structures called chromophores.
Studies have shown that cells in our bodies communicate with each other by emitting low level infrared light called biophotons. This inter-cellular communication occurs when two exact biophotons cross each other causing what is called a soliton wave. Soliton waves carry information and energy and move through the body rapidly and easily. Low level lasers utilize this principle to simulate a profound anti-inflammatory and healing effect.
Cold Laser Therapy For Knees - What Does It Do?
As mentioned earlier, cold laser therapy has been shown to aid in damaged tissue regeneration, decrease inflammation, relieve pain, and boost the immune system. We apply the cold laser to eight points around the knee joint, which ensures that all of the degenerated cartilage surfaces throughout the knee joint get optimal laser exposure and a maximum healing effect. Our treatment system, combined with laser therapy, has helped hundreds of knee pain sufferers avoid invasive and painful surgery.
Studies on Cold Laser Therapy
GM Study:
In 2002, one of the first cold lasers cleared by the FDA was utilized in a landmark double blind study conducted with General Motors. At the time, General Motors had serious challenges with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome among its workers. GM decided to conduct the study to see if non-invasive Cold Laser Therapy would help.
Among the afflicted workers who entered the program, those treated with Cold Laser Therapy demonstrated significant improvement in grip strength and range of motion compared to other workers who were treated with placebo lasers. A similar double-blind study was conducted in 1998 at a prominent medical school in Houston. The researchers concluded that there was a 70% improvement among patients receiving Cold Laser Therapy.
Knee Pain Study:
Several studies have confirmed the value of Cold Laser Therapy in treating knee pain. In a 2015 study, researchers were trying to determine if the application of Cold Laser Therapy could successfully postpone the need for knee joint replacement. They took 100 elderly patients with symptomatic osteoarthritis and divided them into two groups.
One group received protocol A which consisted of conventional physical therapy. The second group received protocol B which included the same physical therapy as in the protocol A group, but with the addition of Cold Laser Therapy. During a follow-up 6 years after the treatment, patients who received protocol B clearly benefited from the addition of Cold Laser Therapy, as only one knee needed joint replacement surgery. However, nine of the patients in the protocol A group that didn’t receive Cold Laser Therapy needed replacement surgery.
Cold Laser Therapy Available at Health 1st Wellness & Physical Medicine
Dr. Roth and Cold Laser Therapy
After the study was completed with GM in 2002 and the FDA cleared the laser for clinical use, Dr. Randall Roth received training in its proper use and application. At the time, he was practicing in Plano, Texas. In 2009, he decided to bring the laser technology and his experience to the Hot Springs area. Since he obtained his first cold laser in 2002, Dr. Roth has provided thousands of treatments to patients for a variety of conditions.
Cold Laser Therapy is highly effective for many other musculoskeletal conditions, including shoulder, hip, back, and neck pain to mention a few. At Health 1st Wellness & Physical Medicine, Dr. Roth developed a proprietary knee pain protocol utilizing Cold Laser Therapy as a central component of the program. This unique knee treatment program has helped hundreds of patients get out of pain and avoid knee replacement.
Application Of Cold Laser Therapy On A Knee
How Do I Know If I Am A Candidate For Treatment?
If you have any of the following conditions, you may be a candidate for treatment:
- Arthritis
- Knee pain
- Cartilage damage
- “Bone-on-bone”
- Bursitis
- Tendonitis
- Crunching and popping sounds
Cold laser therapy stands as a great opportunity for knee pain relief, and a return to a more active, healthy lifestyle. You’ve tried everything to this point. What have you got to lose?
The Next Steps:
Call our office for a New Patient Special Offer!
Get in touch today to schedule your Free Knee Pain Consultation (Regularly valued at $120). You will receive the opportunity to discuss your knee condition with Dr. Roth, D.C. and ask any questions you may have. There is no-obligation for further care after the Free Consultation.
Call Now: (501) 881-4407