Low Level Laser Therapy
Experiencing a painful injury can greatly affect our work life, home life, and the ability to do anything comfortably throughout the day. If you’re facing a new and existing injury and want to get the best results in the shortest time, low-level laser therapy may be able to help.
As a team of podiatrists that deals with foot and leg injuries and pains daily, we understand the desire to get back on your feet and feel great as quickly as possible. Equally, you want treatment solutions that can help you achieve this, are easy to use, effective, safe, and proven to work. This is precisely what low-level laser therapy offers.
What Is Low-Level Laser Therapy?
Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) is a treatment in which a machine emits specific wavelengths of light to specific areas of the body. The wavelengths produce specific effects when interacting with the tissues in our body, helping to accelerate the healing process. LLLT can help reduce or eliminate pain, swelling, and spasms and increase a person’s overall functionality.
The specific LLLT device we use is called the Nu-Tek, and it uses a focused, precise type of laser light that helps improve blood flow in small vessels, encourages the growth of new blood vessels, increases the activity of certain enzymes, and changes the levels of chemicals and hormones in the body. The Nu-Tek can operate in two modes: a steady, continuous light or a pulsing light, depending on what’s needed for your treatment.
How Does Low-Level Laser Work?
One of the brilliant things about the human body is that our cells are designed to heal and repair effectively (to support our survival and longevity) and will do this well when they can. However, facing an injury and pain can mean that our cells are not functioning at their best, and their cellular processes can be interrupted. This can interfere with healing, prolong inflammation, and lead to staying in pain for longer. This is where laser therapy comes in.
The Nu-Tek laser works by emitting a specific type of light that penetrates deep into your tissues to reach the cells, stimulating various processes that help your body heal and reduce pain. This light is specially designed to be monochromatic (one colour), coherent (all light waves are aligned), and polarised (meaning that all the waves move in the same direction).
Firstly, the blood flow in tiny blood vessels in the targeted area is improved. Better blood flow brings more oxygen and nutrients to the damaged tissues, which speeds up the healing process. Additionally, the laser light encourages the growth of new blood vessels, a process known as angiogenesis. This means that your body can form new pathways for blood to flow, which can further aid in healing and reduce inflammation.
Secondly, the Nu-Tek laser boosts the activity of certain enzymes and changes the levels of chemicals and hormones in your body. These changes help to reduce pain and inflammation, and promote faster healing of the tissues. The laser can be used in a steady mode or in pulses, depending on what is needed for your specific condition – this is something that your podiatrist will discuss with you. This flexibility makes it a versatile tool for treating various lower limb pain and injuries, helping you feel better and get back to comfortable movement faster.
Which Conditions Can Laser Therapy Help With?
One thing we love about the laser is how versatile it is in the range of conditions and pains it can help with. We are seeing beneficial effects of the laser in a range of conditions, including:
- Plantar fasciitis heel pain
- Achilles tendonitis
- Arthritic pain
- Various sports injuries
- Bursitis
- Knee injuries
- Joint pain
- Musculoskeletal pains
- Ankle sprains
- Neuromas
- Post-surgical recovery
- Fractures
- Other muscle and ligament injuries
- Chronic pain conditions
- Wound healing
- Nerve and neuropathic pain
As low-level lasers can help treat a range of conditions, we recommend consulting with our podiatry team at our Remuera clinic to see if the laser may be able to help your specific injury, concern, or condition. If the laser is not the best fit to help you meet your goals, we may also suggest other alternatives, such as shockwave therapy.
What Does A Laser Treatment Appointment Look Like?
Your appointment with our experienced podiatrists starts with getting to know you and your goals, assessing your injury or circumstances, performing any required testing, forming a clinical diagnosis, and presenting and discussing your treatment options so that we can map out the best treatment plan for you. If laser is a suitable and beneficial treatment option for you, we’ll let you know, along with any considerations around the treatment. If you would like to go ahead with this treatment, we are often able to get started at your first appointment, alongside implementing any other aspects of your treatment plan either then or at subsequent appointments.
For the actual laser process, the target treatment area will be prepared, which might include cleaning the skin or marking specific points for laser application. You will be comfortably positioned, either sitting or lying down, depending on the location of the treatment area. The Nu-Tek laser device will be applied to the skin over the affected area. Your podiatrist will adjust the settings using continuous or pulsed light modes based on your treatment needs. Don’t worry – the treatment is entirely painless.
Each session typically lasts between 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the size and severity of the area being treated. Your podiatrist carries out the entire procedure, and so is there to guide you through any questions.
Benefits Of Low-Level Laser Therapy
- Pain relief: the Nu-Tek laser helps reduce pain by using light to calm nerve cells. When these nerve cells are less active, you feel less pain.
- Reduced inflammation: the laser light reduces swelling and redness in tissues. This is because it helps improve blood flow and reduces the buildup of inflammatory substances in the affected area. This benefit is great for conditions like plantar fasciitis and (Achilles) tendinitis.
- Faster healing: the light energy from the laser stimulates cells to grow and repair faster, which helps wounds and injuries heal more quickly.
- It’s safe: Nu-Tek laser has an excellent safety profile (meaning it’s very safe!) and has minimal side effects. It’s a great option for those looking to avoid the risks associated with medications or invasive procedures. As the laser is cold, there is no risk of burns.
- Improved circulation: laser therapy helps to improve blood, which means more oxygen and nutrients reach the damaged tissues, supporting faster and more effective healing. This is an important mechanism by which we’re able to see the results that we do using the laser.
- It’s painless and noninvasive, meaning there are no needles or surgeries involved. This makes it a comfortable option for people who may be sensitive to other treatment methods.
- Better cell function: the laser light boosts the activity of certain enzymes and changes the levels of chemicals and hormones in the body. This increased activity helps reduce pain and inflammation and promotes faster tissue healing.
- It’s also versatile: we love that the Nu-Tek laser can be used for various conditions, from muscle and joint pain to recovery after surgery.
How Quickly Will I See Results With Laser Therapy?
The laser starts working almost immediately after your first treatment, but the timeline for noticeable effects can vary depending on the condition being treated, its severity, and the individual circumstances.
Immediate Effects
- Many patients report reduced pain during or immediately after the first session. This is because the laser helps calm the nerve cells and reduce the inflammatory substances, leading to quick pain relief.
Short-Term Effects
- You may notice a decrease in swelling and inflammation within a few hours to a few days. Improved blood flow and reduced inflammatory markers help alleviate these symptoms, reducing your pain and improving your comfort.
- As inflammation and pain decrease, you might experience improved movement and flexibility in the treated area within the first few days (HiTech Therapy Online).
Long-Term Effects
- For conditions like chronic tendonitis or plantar fasciitis, it may take several sessions over a few weeks to see significant improvements in tissue healing and overall function. The laser stimulates cell growth and repair, which takes some time to manifest fully.
- Regular sessions can also lead to cumulative benefits, meaning the effects build up over time, resulting in more substantial and lasting relief from pain and inflammation.
To sum it up, while some relief can be felt almost immediately, the full benefits of the Nu-Tek laser therapy typically require a series of treatments over a few weeks to achieve the best results. Don’t worry – your podiatrist will explain all this at your appointment, including what you can expect, and what we aim to achieve using laser therapy.
FAQs
Who will carry out my laser treatment?
Our experienced, registered podiatrists carry out all of our assessments and treatments. This means you get a wealth of podiatric knowledge and care at every appointment. Remember, laser is almost always just one part of an overall treatment plan to help you get the best outcomes – and to help prevent your pain or injury from recurring in the future.
Does laser treatment cause some discomfort or pain?
No, not at all. It’s a cold laser, meaning there are no painful risks associated with using heat (such as burns). Most people report little to no sensation during the treatment and no pain. Many actually find it relaxing!
How long does the treatment take?
Treatment with a low level laser takes up to 15-20 minutes depending on what needs to be treated and this can be included as part of your overall appointment. The treatment session should be carried out once weekly (or fortnight), for at least 5-6 sessions. You may require a review treatment 2-3 months later.
How long until I notice a difference?
Most people feel a difference, often a reduction in pain or swelling, within hours or days, if not immediately. We also expect that your results will keep getting better with each week/session. If this isn’t happening, it’s a clear sign that something else is limiting your progress and recovery.
Is laser used together with other treatments?
Yes. Laser will be one part of a wider treatment plan that aims to not only reduce your pain and support healing, but also address the contributing factors to your symptoms and help prevent these from recurring in the future.
What if I have screws or implants in my body?
As the laser has no heating action, it can be safely used on implants and metal. In fact, many patients who have surgery to insert implants into their bodies come to see us to help with their post-operative healing.
Does laser have any contraindications?
The only circumstances where laser shouldn’t be used include areas of active analgesia (lack of feeling) that may mask other symptoms of note, in those that have cancer, close to the uterus in pregnant women, near the thyroid gland (which does not apply to podiatry anyway), areas that are infected, and areas that have had recent steroid injections. Special consideration should also be given to those sensitive to light (or on medications that make them more sensitive to light) as it increases the risk of a skin reaction.
Why did you decide to offer laser therapy in your podiatry clinic?
The simple answer? Devices like these have been made to be more “accessible” over recent years, and there are many thousands of people worldwide who are benefitting from the results. We’ve always wanted to do our best to help our patients get the best outcomes for their foot and leg pain or injuries, and laser seemed like the logical next step – especially with very few clinics offering it around Auckland (there’s a notable investment cost into any new technologies and devices). Lasers have also come a long way in terms of their safety profiles and mechanisms of action, which are now being comprehensively studied and evaluated with published research. This means we felt confident with the device and the difference it could make in the lives of our patients.
