Written by Dr. Jemal Khan
- Last Updated on Wednesday, 03 February 2010 22:50
Laser Therapy Effective for Reducing Neck Pain - Reduces acute pain immediately, chronic pain up to 22 weeks following treatment, concludes literature review.
Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) reduces acute neck pain immediately after treatment and for up to 22 weeks after completing treatment in patients with chronic neck pain, researchers report in the December 2009, issue of The Lancet.
Treating injuries that cause pain is a specialty of Dr. Jemal Khan D.C., a local chiropractor who is a Diplomate of the American Academy of Pain Management. Over the last month, Dr. Khan has been using this revolutionary new laser therapy to treat conditions such as arthritis, and injuries of the muscles, nerves, and joints.
The Lancet reported that chronic neck pain affects up to one in four people, and that this form of low-level laser treatment can help these people.
“This is an amazing treatment, and such a wonderful addition to chiropractic practice,” said Dr. Khan. Chiropractic care is all about using natural, safe, non-invasive treatments to help people heal. So, naturally chiropractors have been drawn to using low-level laser in their practice. Now with this study, there is further evidence not only on the effectiveness of laser therapy, but that it is as or more effective than any drug therapy available.
The researchers were led by Roberta Chow of the Brain and Mind Research Institute at Australia’s University of Sydney. They carried out an overview of 16 randomized trials that put this increasing popular procedure to the test.
Dr. Khan remarked that one of the satisfying aspects of this report was that the researchers only considered those studies that were randomized - one of the hallmarks of a good study. This means that patients and the researchers do not know who received the real treatment, and who received a placebo (fake) treatment until the trail was over.
In their trials, patients who received LLLT were around four times likelier to have reduced pain compared to those who received the placebo treatment, the paper found. The LLLT patients reported reductions of chronic pain by around 20 points on a scale of 100 points. The pain reduction continued for up to 22 weeks.
"The length of time of pain relief is one of the exciting parts of this study", continued Khan. “Imagine a treatment that made you feel better for half a year –-remarkable!”
Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) is so called because it entails using a laser’s light, but not its fiercely concentrated heat, to stimulate tissue repair and ease pain. The paper also reports that pharmacological (drugs) therapies for neck pain are widely used but have “not show any conclusive evidence of benefit”. The researchers found the side-effects of LLLT are mild.
Dr. Khan reported that his clinical findings back up the results of the Lancet study. He has been adding laser therapy to an arsenal of treatment methods with results that have left him very pleased. “Initially Dr. Elder and I were using the laser on just simple tendinitis injuries, but the results were so favorable that it wasn’t long before we added low-level laser treatment to our neck, shoulder, and back pain patients. This study is a wonderful affirmation of our clinical findings and actions,” concluded Dr. Khan.
Dr. Richard Elder, DC, who practices with Dr. Khan, also utilizes LLLT in his practice and backs-up Khan’s findings on the wide ranging benefits of laser treatment. “Just today I had a runner in who had an inflamed popliteal cyst (back of knee swelling), the LLLT provided noticeable improvement” added Dr. Elder.
Acute neck pain is never easy to treat, Dr. Khan explained. There are times such as a whiplash victim when the patient is in so much pain that they cannot stand even the lightest touch. Such a patient can be very frustrating to help. “Now with low-level laser treatment we can offer a totally painless and very effective treatment. This has really added a new level of excitement to the practice for all of us,” said Dr. Khan.
"To say that the treatment is painless is a huge understatement. The low-level laser looks like a funny looking flashlight, and the sensation of it feels like a flashlight being shined on the skin - an almost imperceptible warmth. Some people end up feeling tired after the treatment, but not in pain"
While the effects of low-level laser continue to be demonstrated, the actual method of action remains under some debate. In a commentary that accompanied the Lancet article, Dr. Jaime Guzman, MD, of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver B.C., said the “… existing evidence on low-level laser therapy still leaves many questions unanswered, especially on the mechanism of action. Nevertheless, he remarked how this therapy is better therapy than many current medical treatments.
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