Here at our Powder Springs, GA podiatry practice, Dr. Alvin Cowans offers Class IV laser therapy to patients who are seeking pain relief from a variety of painful conditions. But what exactly is this type of laser? How does it work, and what conditions can we use it to treat? Here’s what you need to know:
What is a Class IV Laser?
The Class IV laser therapy uses both red and near-infrared light wavelengths to stimulate your body’s healing processes. Basically, the laser’s wavelengths get your body to produce ATP (adenosine triphosphate). When that happens, these internal messengers get your body to kickstart cellular healing.
Now, this class of laser works differently than some others, because it produces warm instead of cold waves. As a result, the waves can penetrate deeper beneath the skin’s surface, allowing us to treat ligament, tendon and muscle pain, all during a treatment session that lasts right around 6 minutes.
7 Conditions to Treat with Class IV Laser Therapy ![class iv laser treament]()
This laser can provide relief to patients with a wide variety of painful conditions, along with acute injuries and more. We currently recommend Class IV laser therapy to patients who have:
1. Plantar fasciitis, or inflammation in your plantar fascia, a common cause of heel pain.
2. Achilles tendonitis, or inflammation in your Achilles tendon. Untreated, this can lead to chronic pain or even an Achilles tendon rupture.
3. Peroneal tendonitis, or inflammation in the tendons that run along the outside of your foot and ankle. Left untreated, this condition lead to a tendon tear.
4. Neuroma pain, resulting from an inflamed nerve.
5. Posterior tibial tendonitis, an injury to the tendon that sits at the inner back portion if your ankle. If untreated, you may find it difficult to run, jump or even turn your toes inward.
6. Ankle sprains
7. Tendonitis, or inflammation in a tendon, anywhere else in your foot or ankle.
Now, there are many ways to treat each of these concerns. However, laser therapy has one clear advantage over all of them: it’s a great way to get pain relief without the need for oral medications or invasive procedures. And that makes laser treatment an ideal option for people who already take prescription medications, and therefore need to worry about drug interactions or additional side effects
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Another reason to choose this treatment option? Our Class IV Laser therapy delivers relief with a virtually pain-free treatment, and has not been linked to any known side effects. Immediately after treatment, you can return to your regular activities, without restrictions or down time.
Of course, getting through your day will be much easier after therapy, since most patients notice obvious pain reduction after just one or two treatments. And, while the full course of treatment will depend on your unique condition and the current state of your heath, it’s good to know that you’ll start to feel better very quickly.
5 Other Benefits of Laser Therapy
Clearly, this treatment option is a great way to find pain relief. However, that’s not the only reason we love treating our patients with laser therapy. Here are some of the other benefits you can enjoy from a Class IV laser treatment:
1. Reduce Swelling at the Site of Treatment
Coming back from an ankle injury? Not only will laser treatment reduce your pain, but it will also direct more blood flow to the treatment site, keeping fluid from pooling in the area and thereby reducing swelling, too.
2. Helps Form New Blood Vessels
Thanks to the unique warm light waves coming from our Class IV laser, each treatment session helps support angiogenesis (the medical term for new blood vessel formation).
3. Supports Nerve Regeneration
Our laser therapy also helps speed up your body’s ability to regenerate nerves, again speeding up the time it takes to heal after an injury.
4. Results in Better Bone Healing.
Studies suggest that treatment with the Class IV can improve help your body heal damage to existing bones while helping create new bone tissue, as well.
5. Helps Heal Muscle Tissue
Because the wavelengths emitted by this laser support many kinds of cellular growth—including collagen and muscle cells—choosing to target a sprained foot or ankle with laser therapy could dramatically reduce your healing time, helping you get back on your feet at a far faster pace.
By now, you can see that there are probably even more than seven conditions that you can treat with our in-office laser therapy. And you should also know that, when you choose a Class Iv Laser treatment package, you’ll get the benefits of pain relief, reduced healing time and stronger bone and muscle tissue once we complete the full course of your treatment!
Choosing Laser Therapy in Powder Springs, GA
Ready to say good-bye to chronic foot, heel or Achilles tendon pain? Been struggling to come back from an ankle sprain and need that extra boost of support to get back to your favorite activities? Have you just suffered a tendon sprain or strain, and you can’t handle the thought of weeks of downtime? Well, now you don’t have to: with the support of our in-office Class IV Laser, you can heal quickly and comfortably!
When you come in to see Dr. Cowans for a laser therapy consult, he’ll review your specific concern or injury in order to identify your ideal treatment plan. Because every patient is unique, we customize every plan, carefully determining how many treatment sessions you’ll need, and how far apart we’ll need to space each session.
Now, that’s the part of your laser therapy that varies by patient. But here’s what won’t change: regardless of the full recommended laser treatment course, we know you will feel relief early on, likely after one or two sessions. So, why spend another day in pain? Reach out to our office for an immediate appointment—pain relief is available, much sooner than you think!
