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Neuropathy Laser Treatment

Neuropathy laser treatment directs light energy to the cells in your body to offer pain relief for a wide variety of conditions. It's typically for people who haven't had success with any other treatment. The therapy is so precise that cells aren't damaged or injured. According to American Diabetes Association, low-intensity laser therapy is an advocated treatment for chronic pain disorders like diabetic sensorimotor polyneuropathy (DSP).

  1. Neuropathy

    • Peripheral Neuropathy is one of the most common diseases, but many people have never heard of it. It's caused by the deterioration of the peripheral nerves, disrupting your body's ability to send messages to your organs, muscles and tissues. Neuropathy causes your body's wiring system to freak out, creating burning, tingling, crawling or itchy sensations. You may also feel dizzy and clumsy. Neuropathy is often ignored and can lead to numbness or excruciating pain.

    Function

    • Laser light penetrates the skin, going deep enough to optimize the immune response in your blood. This causes an immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory effect. Oxygen and energy is released in the body. The energized light promotes the healing of your nerves and reduces your pain, discomfort and misery caused by neuropathy.

    Studies

    • The Foot Pain Center did a study of more than 4,000 people who had suffered from chronic painful conditions. More than 80 percent of them experienced relief from their symptoms, thanks to a low-level blast. In another study, more than 90 percent of the patients with chronic neuropathies reported more than 50 percent relief following laser treatment. The American Diabetes Association studied the treatment's effect on DSP or diabetic sensorimotor polyneuropathy, and found patients had an encouraging decrease in their pain scores. However, the treatment didn't affect their sympathetic skin response, nerve condition or sensory testing. Thus, the ADA did not find enough evidence to recommend laser treatment for people with DSP.

    Benefits

    • Laser therapy can benefit people in a number of ways. It reduces chronic and acute pain, increases your blood supply and encourages your nerve function. It also gets your immune system working better, repairs tissue, increases metabolic activity and helps in the healing of wounds.

    Considerations

    • Neuropathy laser treatment is usually only performed on people who have been non-responsive to other treatments. The procedure is painless and doesn't involve surgery. Patients typically experience relief in a few sessions.

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