Back pain is among the most common of chronic conditions, with as many as 1 in 8 Canadians reporting that they have a chronic back problem.1 The condition’s influence reaches beyond simple pain, affecting patient mobility with 31% of Canadians reporting activity limitations due to back pain.2 The economy is also unduly affected; 15% of low back pain sufferers are absent for work for over a month.3
No matter what type of pain causes the discomfort, over time chronic back pain can cause patients to limit their interactions with others to avoid discomfort or embarrassment. This can bring on depressed emotional states, as anxiety, fear, anger, fatigue and stress all combine in the body to work against the body’s natural painkillers, creating a vicious cycle of pain.
Today we have no shortage of pharmaceutical options for dealing with chronic pain. However, pain medication can bring a number of unpleasant side effects including nausea, vomiting, changes in appetite, constipation, and many other side-effects depending on the type of medication prescribed.
Research conducted over the past fifteen years shows that Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) produces anti-inflammatory effects which contribute to pain relief.4 This makes is an attractive option for patients who are seeking modalities which are non-invasive and carry no side effects. The bio-modulative mechanisms of LLLT address all three known cellular pathways, which means that when the dosage is properly adjusted it can mitigate all types of chronic pain. Theralase LLLT systems are a unique, drug-free, non-invasive and non-immunosuppressive therapeutic modality which reduces pain and inflammation right at the source.
To find out more about how Theralase laser therapy can help your patients suffering with chronic pain, join our free informational webinar, Pain Management with Non-Thermal Laser Therapy, July 22 at 12pm EST. Dr. Enrico Dolcecore will explore how laser therapy can help with back pain and a number of other chronic pain conditions. For more information or to register, visit www.theralase.com/webinars.
For patients wanting to find out more about how Theralase non-thermal laser therapy can help, visit www.theralase.com/clinic-locator to find a practitioner near you.
- Statistics Canada. (2008). Canadian Community Health Survey indicator profile by age group and sex, Canada, provinces, territories, health regions (2007) and peer groups, annual. Retrieved 15 April 2009 from http://cansim2.statcan.gc.ca/cgi-win/cnsmcgi.exe?Lang=E&
- Ibid
- Henriks Bekkering et. al., “Dutch Physiotherapy Guidelines for Low Back Pain,” Physiotherapy, 89(2), 82-96
- Efficacy of low-level laser therapy in the management of neck pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised placebo or active-treatment controlled trials. (2009). http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2809%2961522-1/abstract