Laser

LasClass 3B and 4 laser options.

Improved nerve function and pain, tendon and soft tissue strain, sprain and overuse injuries

The comination of Class 3B AND Class 4 laser can address the acute/superficial and deep/chronic aspects of neuralgia.  Several factors can impact injured nerves ability to heal.  Slow recovery of function to damaged nerve tissue may result in numbness, impaired sensation to the limbs, pain (neuralgia) or paraesthesias ( abnormal sensations).  Laser therapy accelerates nerve cell regeneration via increased axonal sprouting and nerve cell regeneration.  Several studies have shown that laser’s positive effects on nerve cell repair can have a dramatic effect on pain relief also.

Due to the sensitively of nerve pain (neuralgia), the non-thermic effect of the Class 3B (cold or LLLT – Low level light therapy) laser is optimal for the regenerative and analgesic benefits without the potential aggravation of the nerve or nerve sheath.  Class 4 laser can be added for depth and phase-based recovery and sensitivity.

Class 4 Laser Therapy and Class 3B laser: the best of both technologies.

1. Both Class 3B and 4 Laser therapy reduces pain and inflammation without side-effects.
Laser treatment uses a procedure called “photobiomodulation” which is the process of photon particles (light) entering affected tissue and triggering a sequence of events that increases cellular metabolism. This subsequently decreases pain and inflammation in the injured area.

2. Both Class 3B and 4 Laser therapy can be used for acute and chronic conditions.
Laser therapy is effective at treating acute conditions, particularly if treatment occurs as soon as possible following the injury. The sooner inflammation can be reduced, the faster the healing process can begin. In the case of chronic conditions, laser treatment is used to alleviate persistent pain and inflammation.

3. Both Class 3B and 4 laser treatments are comfortable.
Depending on the laser, treatment can consist of little to no sensation, or it can create a gentle, soothing warmth. Many patients find the experience enjoyable – and when receiving treatment with a higher-powered laser (Class 4) or a lower power laser (Class 3B), report a rapid decrease in pain.

4. Treatments are relatively fast.
Class 4 Laser treatments are usually only 5-15 minutes in duration, depending on the size, depth and acuteness of the condition.  Class 3B Laser treatments are 15-30 minutes in duration due to their lower power and different targets.

Class 4 Laser

Recently approved by Health Canada (as well as the FDA), Dr. Case now uses Class 4 Laser* to treat deeper, more chronic and painful/inflammed injuries including tendinopathies (tendonitis), fascial, nerve as well arthritic (OA and rheumatoid management) conditions.

No extra charge…

to an initial or follow-up treatment. ‘Chiropractic’ for extended health.

Typically takes 3-6 treatments (depending on depth of injury) within a 2-3 week period.

This Class IV Laser is 30x more powerful…

*This Class IV laser is 30x more powerful than the typically clinical cold or low-level laser (class 3b laser). Therefore, this laser is NOT a ‘cold’ or ‘low level’ laser simply due to its higher power and potential healing depth/effect.

For a short VIDEO of the ‘Photobiomodulation’ that occurs with Class IV Laser, please go to (and scroll down just a short way) to a video: Class 4 Laser

Research/Articles

• Laser therapy has over 6000 publications with over 1200 human clinical research studies

1. Laser for chronic neck pain (RCT study)
2. Laser for chronic low back pain
3. Laser and low back pain (wavelength comparison)
4. Laser and myofascial pain
5. Laser for tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis)
6. Laser therapy for neuropathic pain
7. Laser therapy regenerative healing cascade mechanism
8. Laser and ACL injury
9. Laser and knee pain

Clinical Success

The FDA in the United States approved three main indications for use of high-powered therapeutic lasers:

1) mediation of chemical inflammation
2) an improvement in disc related healing (the disc is largely avascular and slow to heal)
3) an analgesic and healing effect to soft tissues (muscle/tendon/nerve/fascia/cartilage)

Recently Health Canada has approved a Class IV Laser in Canada.

The Class IV laser successfully treats a spectrum of conditions. The most common applications include myofascial pain syndromes and arthritic joints. It is effective in treating both soft-tissue injuries and chronic debilitating conditions. Of importance, and as mentioned above, deep-seated stubborn soft tissue that is hard to treat with many common modalities can be successfully healed using a powerful, deep-reaching Class IV laser.

The stimulating healing effects of the laser are felt almost immediately. Results are cumulative. Because the Class IV laser delivers more power and greater depth of penetration, each treatment session is shorter and fewer treatments may be required, overall, when compared to lower-powered therapy lasers.

Profile of laser therapy

Higher wattage has been shown to reach a deeper target. This is because a sufficient number of photons produces the desired primary effects of photobiomodulation. For example, two watts would be used for lateral epicondylitis, five watts for cervical pain, or seven watts for lumbar pain.3 It’s important to understand which dose is the most effective for the condition being treated. But what is preferable is having a therapeutic laser that is equipped with customization features to make your treatments optimally efficient and safe.

By implementing proper use and safety precautions, the Class IV laser can be used safely and effectively, mitigating such risks as injury to the eyes. There is every reason for Class IV laser treatments to be delivered without side-effect or harm.

Depth of Penetration – Therapeutic lasers deliver photons (packets of light). These photons travel into and through soft tissue. When laser photons hit the skin’s surface, they will reflect, absorb, transmit or scatter.

As they move further in from the skin surface, the photons are also absorbed by hemoglobin, melanin and water. Some photons eventually reach the mitochondria and cell membranes of low-lying cells, where the energy is absorbed by chromophores and is converted to chemical kinetic energy within the cell. Results are photochemical and biostimulation.

Photon density decreases as it travels through tissue, to the point that it is so low that no biological effect of the light can be measured. The ideal effective depth of an infrared therapy laser for primary photon-tissue interaction is conservatively four centimetres.

The Class IV laser is designed to deliver photons within this ideal depth for maximum healing effect.

Wavelength is a direct factor in determining how deep laser light can penetrate soft tissue. Chromophores absorb laser photons with wavelengths between 400 and 1100 nanometres, with those in the 800 nm range being the deepest penetrating. With a Class IV infrared laser, the scattered photons create an egg-shaped volume of treated tissue. The effective depth of penetration is roughly four centimetres. This means the primary interaction of photons with the target cells(s) will occur through that depth