Light Therapy Treats Injuries and Provides Pain Relief
Lakes Regional Healthcare’s (LRH) physical therapy department recently started providing light therapy as one of its new procedures. Light therapy is a procedure used to treat pain and inflammation from a variety of musculoskeletal ailments. Although light therapy has been used throughout the world for almost 30 years, the FDA only recently approved of this technology.
Light therapy is a noninvasive procedure in which a cold infrared laser is applied for 30 to 40 seconds to several points around the area involved. The patient feels slight warmth, but not a hot or burning sensation. According to LRH Physical Therapist Dave Halland, patients typically require eight to 10 treatments at a rate of two to three treatments per week.
Halland is excited about the benefits of light therapy. He said, “So far we’ve had great success with it. It has reduced inflammation and pain and stimulated tissue healing in several of our patients.”
According to Halland, it typically takes a few treatments before the reduction in pain and inflammation can be seen or felt. Several people can benefit from physical therapy services, including those with arthritis, bursitis, carpal tunnel, tennis elbow, TMJ, and neck pain.
LRH currently provides light therapy services at their Community Health Center in Milford. A physician’s referral is needed to receive light therapy services. Those with questions can contact their physician or Lakes Regional Healthcare’s Physical Therapy department at the Community Health Center at 712-338-9120.
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