21/07/2017
Laser Therapy U
3 hrs ·
Q: If a patient has 2 areas that need to be treated: i.e. shoulder and low back, would you treat both areas and if so, your recommendations and length of time for each area?
A: I rarely treat two areas simultaneously. Clinically, I have found much better results while focusing on one area at a time (have treated many cases of bilateral CTS, Tendinitis, and acute traumas). However, my suggestion is based 100% of clinical observations, since there have not been many (if any) studies on laser therapy in cases of multiple diagnoses. However, there have been success with treatment of local tender points for fibromyalgia patients with very small doses. My suggestion would be take it on a case by case basis, evaluate the patient and their ability to “comply” with a little longer treatment…sometimes it’s just not an option.
Q: What is meant by “local first, then scan”?
A: This the order to treat any type of radiating pain syndromes. Start centrally, at the root, concentrate the energy at that level, then scan along the affected nerve or area.
Q: Can laser therapy be performed over metal implants?
A: Yes, LOW LEVEL laser therapy and LED Light therapy can be performed over just about any implant.
Q: How many times a day can i give laser therapy in one or more areas?
A: Treatments can be performed anywhere from 1-4 times daily, depending on the condition and the goals of the treatment. When pain relief is your primary goal, treatments can be done every few hours to help modulate pain. You should start to notice that smaller and smaller doses are usually required to produce the same analgesic effect as the cumulative dose builds within the tissue.
Q: Can I just scan all areas?
A: In some instances, especially when dealing with pain issues, it can be a good idea to scan the area. However a few words of caution here, scanning decreases the delivered dose (increase in area, less light concentration to the target) therefore you will need to increase the time.
Q: How many minutes can give the best results in giving laser?
A: Dose varies depending on the desired outcomes and in reality, individual reaction. For pain relief we tend to use a longer duration 3-5 minutes per area and for healing only about 1-2 minutes. However, adjustments need to be made to make sure you are getting the treatment responses you are seeking, adjustments of 1 minute increments (up or down) should be made at successive treatments.