Do you have knee pain? If so, you’re probably well-aware of how difficult it is to go up and down stairs. Maybe you’re taking medications that barely touch the pain and maybe the pain in your knees wake you up at night. If your knee pain is bad enough, chances are that it’s keeping you from doing the things that you want to do. Let’s face it; knee pain is the worst!
If you’ve had it with constant knee pain, there’s good news! At BodaHealth, we’re excited to offer cold laser therapy to our patients who are suffering from knee pain. Cold laser therapy uses the light emitted from a low-intensity laser to penetrate deeply into the tissue within your knee. This triggers biochemical changes at the cellular level that helps repair the damaged tissue and prompts the affected cells to heal and regenerate.
And cold laser therapy is the real deal! A number of research studies have documented the beneficial effects of cold laser therapy, especially osteoarthritis of the knee. One of the most common causes of knee pain, osteoarthritis occurs because the cartilage that protects the bones within the knee deteriorates with age and wear and tear. This causes swelling, inflammation and pain. Over the course of several studies, however, researchers have concluded that cold laser therapy can:
- Decrease nighttime pain
- Relieve pain while walking and using the stairs
- Decrease swelling
- Alleviate pain, both during rest and movement
- Decrease inflammation
- Relieve pain specifically associated with osteoarthritis
- Help with the regeneration of new cartilage
While all of these benefits may sound too good to be true, there’s more. Cold laser therapy works to repair tissue deep below the surface, at the cellular level. Unlike high-powered lasers that are used for surgery and ablative procedures, cold laser therapy is gentle, doesn’t burn and works at a much deeper level. Scientists have studied the mechanism by which cold laser therapy works, and they’ve found that:
- It boosts your immune system, bumping up the production of white blood cells that help reduce inflammation.
- It speeds up the healing process. Cold laser therapy restores cellular balance and promotes better metabolism in the cells, helping repair and regenerate new tissue.
- Cold laser therapy actually increases vascularity in the treated area through the generation of microscopic blood vessels. This increased circulation brings more oxygen and nutrients to the area to promote healing.
- It also triggers an increase in fibroblasts, which are cells that secrete collagen, a key component of connective tissue, such as cartilage.
If you opt for cold laser therapy, treatment sessions are simple. Each session lasts between 15 and 45 minutes. The number of sessions you’ll need depends on the nature of your pain. For chronic conditions, such as osteoarthritis, you may need 10 to 20 sessions. For more acute issues, such as an accident or sports injury, you’ll likely need 6 to 10 sessions.
In case you’re not sure if cold laser therapy is right for you, here are a few more things to consider:
- For treating joint pain, cold laser therapy is an effective alternative to prescription pain medications
- Cold laser therapy is non-invasive—it’s doesn’t hurt, damage or burn your skin or the underlying tissue while it promotes healing deep within your knee joint
- Because the treatments are so gentle, there’s no down time afterward
- The benefits can be long lasting
- Cold laser therapy is safe
- It triggers your body to heal itself
- It’s performed by a team of well-trained and experienced practitioners
Cold laser therapy can be paired with other therapies offered at BodaHealth to enhance your healing. For example, scientists have found that when paired with exercise therapy, cold laser treatments can be even more effective. At BodaHealth, our exercise therapists and Pilates instructors are ready to help you combine therapeutic exercise with your laser treatments. Our staff also includes acupuncturists, naturopathic physicians, osteopaths and massage therapists—each of which are ready to help you with a variety of treatments and expertise.
When it comes to cold laser therapy, the beauty is that it’s an effective way to relieve your pain and restore the function to your knee—all with no side effects. If you’d like to find out more about how cold laser therapy can help you, call us today to set up a free consultation. Your knees will thank you!
Click here for a free 15-minute consultation!
