According to research, approximately 1.3 billion people worldwide have musculoskeletal disorders. Low back pain is most frequently reported at 36.8%, followed by osteoarthritis and neck pain at 19.3% and 18.8%, respectively, indicating an increasing need for a low-level laser device in addition to chiropractic care to provide patients with additional relief for persistent injuries.
Another 2021 study examined the effects of low-level laser therapy on knee osteoarthritis patients. Researchers concluded that a low-level laser device improved muscle performance in individuals with this type of arthritis, as indicated by changes in maximum muscle contraction and contraction duration in the quadriceps following the therapeutic intervention.
Inflammation and a low-level laser device
According to The Committee on Identifying Disabling Medical Conditions Likely to Improve with Treatment of the Health and Medicine Division of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis are also among the most treatable.
Recent studies suggest that a low-level laser device may aid in the reduction of inflammation that exists within muscle and bone. While exercise, movement-based approaches, and even psychological therapies have shown promising results, these studies also suggest that a low-level laser device may aid in the reduction of inflammation that exists within muscle and bone.
According to a 2019 study involving patients with temporomandibular disorder (TENS), low-level laser therapy relieves pain and tenderness more effectively than therapeutic ultrasound or transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation.
One article describes how low-level laser therapy inhibits peripheral desensitization. This therapy decreases the threshold for nerve activation and the release of pro-inflammatory neuropeptides.
In July 2021, the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies published one such study. There were sixty-five participants with acute low back pain. Some participated in drug therapy, laser therapy of varying doses, and a combination of drug therapy and laser therapy. In all intervention groups, pain scores improved after four weeks of treatment. However, the group that received both medication and laser therapy showed the most significant improvement in terms of both back pain and disability.
Laser therapy as a supplement to chiropractic treatment
Combining chiropractic care with low-level laser therapy can help patients achieve more significant levels of improvement. In 2020, the journal Healthcare reported that patients with chronic low back pain who received a combination of manual therapy (in the form of Mulligan Mobilization) and low-level laser therapy had the most remarkable improvement in pain, function, and range of motion.
The Journal of Healthcare Engineering published one of the most recent studies in February 2022. In this study, 110 patients with acute low back pain and unilateral discogenic lumbar radiculopathy participated.
Some participants were treated with a combination of a low-level laser device and physical therapy consisting of back extension exercises and stretches, heat packs, and sciatic nerve mobilizations. Others were only given physical therapy. After 18 treatment sessions, the combination of laser and physical therapy demonstrated more significant improvement in trunk mobility, pain intensity, and functional disability than physical therapy alone.
Who might benefit from low-level laser therapy?
According to a published article in the MedCrave Online Journal of Orthopaedics & Rheumatology, patients with both acute and chronic orthopedic conditions can benefit.
- Sprains and strains
- Whiplash injuries
- Cervical and lumbar radiculopathy
- Muscular back pain
- Tendinitis
- Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
- Frozen shoulder
- Plantar Fasciitis
- Fibromyalgia
Low-level laser therapy is beneficial for patients who have various musculoskeletal disorders. Combining chiropractic care with low-level laser therapy can help patients achieve increased levels of improvement.