According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there were 70,630 drug overdose deaths in the U.S. during the year 2019, and of those more than 49,000 were caused by an overdose of opioids. These statistics make it clear that there is a critical need for therapies that can handle both acute and chronic pain, while not allowing patients to become addicted.
One of the best of these solutions is laser therapy, which is also referred to as photobiomodulation. This is a non-invasive form of treatment that actually addresses pain and discomfort in several different ways. The treatment works by placing a light source close to the skin and delivering a dose of photonic energy to tissue that has been injured. That light source is generally a laser, which will trigger biochemical stimulation of cells in the body, leading to a reduction of inflammation, a decrease in pain, and acceleration of tissue healing.
The effectiveness of laser therapy.
A recent study reported in the Annals of Cardiac Anesthesia shows just how effective laser therapy can be, specifically in treating post-surgical pain following open-heart surgery. This type of surgery requires a painful incision to be made, and oral opioids are necessary so that patients can manage the discomfort afterward. There were 100 patients involved in the study, and within 24 hours of being treated, 60 of them felt no pain whatsoever from the incision.
By the time of the third day after surgery, there were zero patients who felt any kind of pain after having been treated with laser therapy. There were no patients who even needed a third session of laser therapy, and no opioids were administered to any of the groups. This study has been hailed as a landmark of its type, because it clearly demonstrated the effectiveness of using labor therapy, while also bypassing any need for opioids to manage pain. The reason this is so important is that when patients are obliged to use opioids for even a few days, it becomes possible to develop a long-lasting dependence on them.
Another study which was recently conducted showed that of 1.3 million patients who used opioids for a single day, 6% were still taking the medication as much as an entire year later. Patients who used opioids for as many as six days, caused the dependence figure to rise to 12%, and patients who needed a 12-day supply of opioids, caused the dependence percentage to rise to a full 24%.
There is no question that some system of pain management is necessary for a great many individuals, but when the avenue chosen is opioids, there is a powerful tendency for dependence or addiction to develop. When patients are treated with laser therapy, there is no form of dependence or addiction that develops whatsoever, and patients achieve long-lasting pain relief after just a few sessions.
Proven effective pain relief.
No one wants to become addicted or dependent on opioid drugs for the management of pain and discomfort. A far better choice would be to take advantage of the world’s most advanced laser therapy system, offered by OrthoLazer, which provides treatment that has been approved by the FDA for effectively managing pain and discomfort.
OrthoLazer Orthopedic Laser Centers offer patients and their doctors an innovative and effective alternative pain management option to treat acute and chronic orthopedic conditions. Founded by Dr. Scott Sigman – the original opioid-sparing surgeon – OrthoLazer Centers further his mission of providing his patients non-operative and non-opioid treatment options. If you’d like more information about OrthoLazer, please visit our website at ortholazer.com.
