Low level laser therapy for neck and back pain
Neck and Back Pain Treatment
Neck and back pain is very common and extremely debilitating. There are many treatment modalities depending on what kind of pain you have. Exercise is a commonly prescribed treatment to ease chronic pain.
Low level lasers are a useful tool in the pain management toolbox. When used in conjunction with exercise, low level laser therapy (LLLT) can help manage pain, increase mobility and allow patients to manage their own pain.
In patients with long-term low back pain, combining LLLT with exercise has been found to be more beneficial in reducing pain than exercise alone.
Treatment Method
Using the Handy Pulse Laser device: For neck and back pain, select either variable or 50Hz program mode, as directed by your health practitioner. Hold the laser in a stationary position, firmly touching the skin directly at source of pain (as shown). If the treatment area is wider, the laser device may be moved slowly, in a scanning motion, around the treatment area.
In the news: 'No more pain' The effect of cold laser treatment for pain
Further reading
- 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 The Lancet (2009) Vol 374 Issue 9705; Chow RT, Johnson MI, Lopes-Martins RAB, Bjordal JM
- In chronic low back pain, low level laser therapy combined with exercise is more beneficial than exercise alone in the long term: a randomised trial. Australian Journal of Physiotherapy (2007) 52: 155–160; Djavid GE, Mehrdad R, Ghasemi M, Hasan-Zadeh H, Sotoodeh-Manesh A, Pouryaghoub G
- Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) for discogenic back pain British Journal of Sports Medicine (2011) Vol 45, Issue 2; Malliaropoulos N, Akritidou A, Tsifountoudis I, Tsitas K
Important note for patients: This is intended as general information about neck and back pain treatment, and a quick summary of some of the research. Please always consult your health professional to determine if the Handy Pulse Laser will be beneficial for you.
