Are you experiencing pain? Perhaps you have arthritis in your joints, or TMJ pain?
Don’t worry, there are many ways that you can treat it. For instance, you can take painkillers. There’s also the option of anti-inflammatory drugs, which will help to reduce pain and swelling.
With that said, there’s always a risk of side effects when you’re taking medications. Don’t want to deal with that? Then you might want to consider alternative treatment options.
Take cold laser therapy, for instance—it can be effective for treating pain and inflammation. FDA-approved, it’s used for a variety of conditions from acne to back pain!
Want to learn more about how it works? If so, you’ll want to keep reading—we’ll be going over everything that you need to know about the cold laser therapy below!
What Is Cold Laser Therapy?
Cold laser therapy is a form of treatment that uses low levels of light to stimulate tissue regeneration. Despite its name, the laser itself is not cold; it is only called that because the light has no thermal effect.
Non-invasive, the procedure is completely painless. You will not feel any vibrations or heat. What’s more, is that each treatment will only take a few minutes.
How Does Cold Laser Therapy Work?
Cold lasers are handheld devices that resemble small flashlights. Held over the skin, they will emit photons of light that will penetrate through the skin.
Once it reaches the target area, the light will interact with certain elements in the cell. Eventually, the cell will absorb the energy, which will initiate a chain of events that will lead to the healing of injured tissue.
At the same time, there will be a reduction in pain.
What Is It Used for?
Cold laser therapy is often used in sports medicine to treat minor injuries. For instance, it can help with muscle sprains, knee pain, or muscle spasms. Not only does it promote healing of the soft tissue, but it can also reduce inflammation.
In addition to that, it can help with certain conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, carpal tunnel syndrome, and TMJ. Dermatologists also use it to treat skin issues such as acne, vitiligo, and psoriasis.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Cold laser therapy is non-invasive. In other words, there is no surgical incision; you won’t have to wait for anything to recover. Side effects are also rare, assuming that it’s used properly by a doctor.
That’s not to say that it doesn’t have any disadvantages, though. One drawback is that this type of treatment takes time. Chances are, you’ll need to go for several sessions before you can gauge its effectiveness.
Opting for Cold Laser Therapy
Hopefully, that gives you a better idea as to how cold laser therapy works. Why live with pain when you can do something about it?
Looking for these services in the Phoenix Valley area? Call the Head Pain Institute® at 480-945-3629 to set up an appointment with AZ TMJ today!