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Doctors using laser treatment to help COVID-19 patients with breathing issues

The coronavirus has been devastating for millions of Americans and many of those fortunate enough to survive are dealing with chronic health problems. Breathing is one of those health problems. There is a new treatment that seems to be helping. Doctors have been using lasers to treat lots of ailments, in many cases, inflammation. COVID can used inflammation of the lungs, and those who have been treated with laser therapy say it’s really helped.

“I had COVID in May, Mother’s Day to be exact,” said Rhonda Wojtas. Rhonda Wojtas is a nurse. She was out of work for over eight weeks due to the virus. “I had a lot of shortness of breath. Every time I had a conversation I would start coughing and wheezing,” Wojtas said. She was given inhalers with steroids, but it didn’t help. At the same time, she was getting laser treatments to reduce inflammation from a shoulder injury. Her doctor suggested that same therapy for her lungs. “I would say definitely after the second treatment, I was not only coughing as much at all and after the past two treatments, my shortness of breath has reduced tremendously,” Wojtas said. When asked about the treatment itself, she said, “it’s not painful at all. All I do is lay down, and they put the laser on my lung field right here and for 19 and a half minutes.”

“In Europe and other counties, laser is very much adopted,” said Dr. Scott Sigman, Ortholazer Orthopedic Laser Centers.

Dr. Scott Sigman is the Chief Medical Officer at Ortholazer in Massachusetts where he’s using laser therapy to help those with COVID-related breathing problems. Lasers are powerful anti-inflammatories used on shoulders and several parts of the body. Dr. Sigman is the first to treat lung tissue. “The beautiful thing about the laser is that it’s completely non-toxic. It’s a cold laser, it doesn’t generate heat energy. It’s a robot and clinically scans and doesn’t actually touch the patient,” Dr. Sigman said. Wojtas is no longer using inhalers and is feeling better. “There are treatments that might be able to help other people. It’s made a definite difference in my life in just a few weeks that I have been doing it,” Wojtas said.

Insurance doesn’t cover this treatment and COVID-19 patients normally need about four sessions. It costs $70 for each treatment.

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