Research has shown that back pain, especially lower back pain, can have a devastating effect on one’s quality of life. Worse, over time acute back pain triggers a deterioration in your cognitive function. You may experience memory loss, and other neurological issues. The science behind the inflammation that causes back pain is still not 100% clear, but one thing that is clear: if you suffer from lower back pain, you deserve relief.
Why is Back Pain Such a Problem?
Research has shown that back pain, especially lower back pain, can have a devastating effect on one’s quality of life. Worse, over time acute back pain triggers a deterioration in your cognitive function. You may experience memory loss, and other neurological issues. The science behind the inflammation that causes back pain is still not 100% clear, but one thing that is clear: if you suffer from lower back pain, you deserve pain relief.
Pain in the lower back is an epidemic. At least 80% of Americans have, at some point in their lives, experienced the suffering that comes from lower back pain. Muscle injuries, such as sprains or strains, are extremely common. We spend far too many hours at desks, or standing still, during work hours. Then, we go out and try to live “active” lives, biking, hiking, running, working out. But, our core strength is not there, and before long we experience back pain.
Chronic back pain is still somewhat of a mystery to the medical community. Anyone suffering for more than a few months is considered to have a chronic problem. Chronic back pain has a significantly negative impact on quality of life. How you sit, stand, walk, cook, clean, sleep…virtually every aspect of life can become difficult. While fewer individuals suffer from this type of chronic pain, it’s still costing the US somewhere between $261 to $300 billion in health care costs and loss of work productivity. Beyond medical expenses, what back pain costs in terms of enjoyment of life’s activities can’t be counted.
A number of scientific studies have uncovered possible body chemical mediators present in people with chronic back pain. What is unclear is what comes first, the back pain, or the chemical reaction. It’s possible that the two feed each other in a terrible cycle of pain, chemical imbalance, and more pain. In the meantime, how do you get relief? More importantly, how do you get relief that does not involve a lifetime of dependence on medications?
Common Solutions for Treating Back Pain
Unlike other health issues, the exact root causes of chronic, extreme lower back pain isn’t clear. There are a number of chemicals in the body that have been pinpointed as possible culprits. They include:
- Prostaglandin
- Cytokines, such as interleukin
- Somatostatin
- Nitric oxide
Research is ongoing. But, in the meantime, what is being done for those who suffer? Like many other conditions that the medical community has yet to figure out, when suffering from lower back pain most MDs prescribe some form of anti-inflammatory and/or pain killers. Chiropractors will show you stretches that can be impossible, or excruciating. These “treatments” address the symptoms, not the root causes of back pain. These are temporary fixes at best, and may introduce additional issues, such as dependence on painkillers. Or, chiropractic care that isn’t administered or managed properly, and there could be additional injury.
Of the people who suffer from chronic lower back pain, well over half present additional conditions, some of them related to mental health. Depression, insomnia, and an increase in feelings of anxiety, are common. The real problem, however, is that these are often commonly the result of back pain, not a cause! Why is it taking so long for the medical community to catch up to this epidemic of back pain? It’s because many medical doctors secretly believe that chronic pain is psychological, and should be treated by therapists and psychiatrists. To someone who suffers from lower back pain every single day, this is highly offensive. When you cannot go about life, working, sleeping, getting to work, doing simple chores, or doing what you enjoy, of course you become depressed! It’s time to put an end to the downward spiral of lower back pain.
What Our Clients Say About Laser Therapy And Back Pain
Why Low Level Laser Therapy?
With so many people reporting success with Low Laser Therapy for acute and chronic back pain, it’s puzzling why there isn’t more discussion taking place about how this therapy can be used as a natural and non-invasive treatment option. It would relieve the suffering of so many people.
Science has proven that health issues that involve constant pain impacts more than just your area of injury. When tissue is inflamed, the entire body is programmed to react. The nerve centers continually send messages to the brain (pain) that there is something that needs to be addressed. The brain, in turn, releases bodily chemicals alerting all systems that there is a problem. The body goes on high alert reacting to the stress, and all systems begin to adjust so the body can heal itself. You may experience increased blood pressure, stiffness in surrounding joints, waves of pain, and a reduction in cognitive function, as the brain focuses on running the “operation” of healing.
While it’s wonderful that the body is designed to heal itself, it can be a slow process. If healing takes too long, systems become fatigued. This depletes the body’s energy and puts a strain on the immune system, which can produce a downward spiral. While it’s complicated, there is evidence that laser therapy can address back pain more quickly, which in turn, improves conditions related to chronic pain, such as depression, mood swings, sleep issues, and an inability to resume normal activity. Life returns to normal so much faster.
How Does Low Laser Therapy (LLLT) Work?
Laser therapy is the application of light deep into tissue that is inflamed, whether due to a health condition or injury. It works to activate and accelerate, on a cellular level, the repair process. Multiple physical and biochemical activities have been noted by researchers studying the effects of laser therapy. A decrease in inflammation, pain reduction and accelerated healing of tissue are a few of the benefits people report experiencing.
Laser therapy is considered a medical treatment. It uses a specific kind of infrared light to stimulate something called photobiomodulation (PBM). PBM is a process where photons enter body tissue and interact with the cytochrome c complex. A cascade of events is triggered, events which speed up cellular metabolism. A therapeutic dose of laser therapy works on impaired, inflamed or torn tissue, and triggers healing at a cellular level. This, in turn, reduces pain, stiffness, nerve irritation, and slows the release of chemicals that are designed to react to bodily stress, but can also cause additional damage.
Laser therapy is natural and completely safe, unlike prescription medications. As the light is emitted deep into the tissue in the damaged area, the cells react by repairing themselves quickly. As the cells repair and renew, the rest of the body starts to recover.
An area of injury works like a domino effect. Your entire body is designed to modify it’s function to concentrate on fixing the area of trouble. When a condition goes on for a long time, the systems begin to wear out. Laser therapy works quickly to start the healing process, so the rest of your body can calm and rebalance itself, providing almost immediate relief.
While the specifics are complicated, here is a list of reactions the human body has to laser stimulation:
- The enhancement of ATP synthesis
- Stimulation and stabilization of cell membranes
- The stimulation of vasodilation, which increases histamine, nitrous oxide and serotonin production, all proven to reduce inflammation and improve cognitive function and mood.
- An acceleration of leukocyte function and reduction of interleukin-1 levels.
- An increase in superoxide dismutase
- A decrease in C reactive proteins
Laser therapy reduces swelling, calms nerve irritation, improves circulation, and stimulates healthy cell activity.
Schedule An Appointment Today
Laser therapy in the hands of a trained professional is one of the safest and most effective treatment options for back pain. Look for a practitioner highly trained in biology, and musculoskeletal structure. They should also understand pain management, and biochemical releases related to inflammation, pain and injury and how to treat the by-products of long term inflammation, such as depression, heightened anxiety, a lack of energy, and reduced cognitive function.
Therapist Malti Gupta is certified in Low Laser Light Therapy (https://www.safelasertherapy.com/) with over twenty years of experience. Call (203) 601-7772 to schedule an appointment, and find relief for your back pain once and for all.