Sports injuries are frequently a topic in the news media, especially in the coverage of professional players. Occasionally we may see a news report covering a cutting edge treatment in sports medicine that is being used by elite athletes.
During the last six years a new medical technology has appeared in various reports, both in radio, television and the internet; cold laser therapy as a treatment protocol in sports medicine. Tiger Woods, as well as the New England Patriots had some help from the Erchonia cold laser applications for their athletic injuries and performance enhancement.
The use of cold laser therapy has many benefits in accelerating the healing response time for soft tissue injuries in a wide range of situations. Lumbar and cervical pain, temporomandibular (TMJ) joint pain, tendonitis in both upper and lower extremities, spinal never root pain, and would healing have all improved with cold laser treatment.
The premise for the positive results in speeding up neurological and neuromuscular rehabilitation actually starts at the cellular level in the body. Nerve cells, muscle cells, cartilage and or ligament cells all responding to the effects of the laser in a way that is beneficial for healing. The technology of the cold laser also has profound ability to reduce inflammation and improve range of motion, thereby acceleration recovery for a sports injury.
Several sports medicine researches in the profession have seen dramatic results with the use of the cold laser. Dr. Jeff Spencer, who is the team chiropractor for Lance Armstong over the years including the 2009 Tour de France, has used the Erchonia cold laser in his protocol for treating injuries. He stated that the cold laser cuts healing time in half when treating abrasions, road rash, tendonitis sprains and strains. Our office has sent he same results since 2004 working with all levels of athletes.
Re-estabiling pain free range of motion, muscle flexibility and strength after an athletic injury is an important part of active rehabilitation in getting the player or athlete quickly back into the game. When used early in rehabilitation, cold laser can dramatically facilitated the integration or injured joint and muscle back into complex locomotion and movement patterns.
Both professional and amateur athletes need to have exposure to the best of traditional and complementary medicine and associated technology. Cold laser therapy has now established as an effective technology, and effectiveness in sports medicine around the world.