PBM Laser Therapy offers treatment for back pain
Back pain continues to be a leading reason for hospital and doctor visits in the U.S. and beyond. However, there is good news. Targeted laser therapy may offer back pain sufferers another alternative to drug-based treatments.
A study from Lasers in Surgery and Medicine found that 70 percent of back pain patients who received Photobiomodulation ( PBM) Therapy maintained pain relief at their one month followup compared to only 28 percent of back pain patients who received a Lidocaine injection.
“This is good news for people who have suffered for years and have not yet found a solution that works for them,” said Dr. Gerald Flores, D.C., of Renuva Back Pain Centers in Oklahoma City. “It offers us as medical professionals an alternative to prescribing medications for pain. This is not only important for the people suffering from pain, but also the community as a whole as the pain epidemic in our country is closely related to another concerning epidemic: the opioid crisis.”
Furthermore, the effectiveness of medication alone in treating pain has been called into question. One study by the American College of Physicians found that pain medication and steroids were limited in improving pain outcomes or treating low back pain.
“For patients with chronic low back pain, ACP recommends that physicians and patients initially select non-drug therapies like multidisciplinary rehabilitation, Photobiomodulation therapy and spinal manipulation — all of which are included in Renuva’s five-phase CoreCare treatment protocol,” Flores said.
“We see many patients who have tried pain medication or various types of injections with limited to no relief. We agree with the ACP’s recommendation and we see the difference with 96 percent of our patients saying they would refer family and friends to Renuva,” Flores added.
Phot ob io modulation is essentially a light therapy using lasers or LEDs to improve tissue repair, reduce pain and inflammation wherever the beam is applied. Light stimulates cell function helping to address the underlying issues causing the pain. Usually applied by a doctor, therapist or technician, treatments take about 10 minutes and should be applied two or more times a week.
Phot ob io modulation is not necessarily something new. It has been used for many years on sports injuries, arthritic joints, neuropathic pain syndromes, back and neck pain. Over 300 randomized clinical trials have been published on P hot ob io modulation, half of which are on pain.
However, in recent years — backed up by years of positive patient outcomes — the medical community has come to embrace this technology as a viable alternative to traditional treatment modalities.
“P hot ob io modulation continues to be an exciting area of medicine,” said Dr. Michael Riley, D.C., founder and medical director at Renuva. “The potential of treatment areas increasingly expands and recent study outcomes lead to improved protocols as well as optimized and consistent clinical outcomes.”
The therapy is one option among a variety of treatment approaches that can potentially provide pain relief or pain reduction, especially for patients seeking a treatment without the use of surgery or drugs.
“Laser therapy essentially accelerates the body’s natural healing process through photobiomodulation, offering tangible benefits to patients,” he said.
Benefits of the treatment are broad. Apart from it offering nonpharmacologic pain relief, it has shown to be effective for complex pain conditions, offers fast treatment times and is relatively comfortable and non-invasive, Riley said.
“We have seen this work for so many patients, and truly believe that it can make a huge difference for some who have not found a solution to their pain yet,” Flores added.
Flores said that people who deal with chronic pain often have grown frustrated with their options, but he urges patients to not give up as therapies evolve — and sometimes you just have to find the right fit. He added that the Renuva Center in Oklahoma City offers its treatment protocol at a low price in order to make it accessible to all patients. Renuva offers private consultation at $59 through July 21 as opposed to the normal price of $257.
“The $59 fee covers the cost of a thorough exam, consultation with the doctor, and two treatments so you can experience CoreCare firsthand. If we need digital X-rays to get a clear idea of what’s causing your pain, those are included at no extra charge,” Flores said.
Renuva’s goal is to understand exactly where you hurt and what is causing your pain so they can develop a treatment plan to get you back to living life again, he said.
“Photobiomodulation may be part of this solution.”
The Renuva Back & Pain Center in Oklahoma City is located at 5601 NW 72nd Street, Suite 312 in Warr Acres. Call 316-746-6656 for more information.