Can Laser Therapy Help Back Pain?

Back pain has a way of affecting much more than your back.

It can change how you sleep, how long you can sit, whether you exercise, how much you enjoy traveling, and even whether you think twice before doing something as simple as working in the yard.

So it isn't surprising that one of the questions I hear is:

Can K-Laser Therapy help with back pain?

For some types of back pain, laser therapy may be a treatment option worth considering. But the first thing to understand is that back pain isn't a diagnosis.

What's Causing the Back Pain?

Two people can point to almost the same spot on their backs and have pain for very different reasons.

Muscles and other soft tissues may be involved. There may be inflammation or irritation around joints. An old injury may have flared up again. Sometimes pain begins after surgery. In other cases, there may be a spinal or nerve-related problem that needs medical evaluation.

That's why I want to know more than simply, “Where does it hurt?”

I want to know when it started, what makes it worse, what makes it better, and what you've already tried.

That information helps determine whether K-Laser Therapy makes sense for you.

How Does K-Laser Therapy Work?

K-Laser Therapy uses red and near-infrared wavelengths of light in a process known as photobiomodulation.

The light interacts with tissue and influences biological processes associated with pain, inflammation, circulation, and tissue recovery.

At Laser Therapy of Oregon, I use a professional Class IV K-Laser. Treatment settings can be adjusted depending on the area being treated and the condition we're working with.

This isn't the same as simply shining a red light on your back.

As I've discussed in an earlier blog, the wavelength, power, dose, and way the light is delivered all matter.

What Does a Back Treatment Feel Like?

K-Laser Therapy is non-invasive.

During treatment, I move the laser handpiece over the area we're treating. Most people feel a comfortable warmth.

There are no needles or injections, and the laser treatment itself doesn't require downtime.

Treatments generally take 5 - 10 minutes, although treatment time can vary depending on the area and what we're addressing.

How Do We Know If It's Working?

I don't judge progress only by asking you to give your pain a number from 1 to 10.

I also want to know what you're able to do.

Can you get out of a chair more easily?

Can you walk farther?

Are you sleeping better?

Can you work in the yard without paying for it the rest of the day?

Are you getting through your workday more comfortably?

Those changes can be just as important as the number on a pain scale.

Some people notice improvement fairly quickly. Others need several treatments before we know how well they're responding.

What I'm looking for is a trend in the right direction.

What If Laser Therapy Isn't Helping?

Then we need to pay attention to that too.

If you're not making reasonable progress, I don't believe the answer is automatically more laser treatments.

I may change the way I'm treating the area. In other situations, physical therapy, further medical evaluation, imaging, shockwave therapy, or another type of care may be more appropriate.

My goal isn't to keep you coming in indefinitely.

My goal is to help you make progress.

Is K-Laser Therapy Right for Your Back Pain?

There isn't one treatment that's right for every person with back pain, and K-Laser Therapy is no exception.

But if you're looking for a non-invasive option and wondering whether laser therapy might be appropriate for what you're experiencing, it's worth having that conversation.

Because ultimately, reducing pain is only part of the goal.

Maybe you want to hike again, garden, golf, travel, play with your grandchildren, exercise, or simply get through an ordinary day without your back determining what you can and can't do.

The goal isn't just less pain. It's getting back to doing what you love.