Learn tips about Class IV laser therapy and other health related topics on the LightForce Therapy Lasers blog! Check back weekly for updated posts.
Contributed by: Perry Nickelston, DC, NKT, FMS, SFMA
What is a trigger point? In simple terms it is a muscle knot that can wreak havoc on your body by referring pain, weakening muscles, and causing dysfunctional movement patterns. Trigger points are hyper-irritable spots located in a taut band of skeletal muscle and often accompany chronic musculoskeletal disorders. Acute trauma such as slips and falls or repetitive micro-trauma from poor posture may lead to the formation of trigger points.
Why does movement matter? When you don’t move well, your body begins to compensate trying to correct itself so you don’t get hurt. Unfortunately, it does so at your body’s expense in the long run. Muscles weaken, while others tighten and get stiff, joints lock up becoming less mobile and you lose stability (body control). This is the start of the so called chain of pain!
Trigger points are very elusive. They are rarely if ever located at the site of pain! The SITE of pain is not the same as the SOURCE of pain. He who chases the site of pain is forever lost! Learning common pain patterns from trigger points will become a vital part of your understanding of how to conquering them.
There are different types of trigger points, however they all cause problems. You might not ever discover what sets off a trigger point. It can be anything. And it’s usually the simplest of actions that can fire them up; ‘I don’t know what happened, I just turned and then I had pain!’ ‘I was bending over to tie my shoe and my back went out.’ ‘All of a sudden my shoulder started to hurt when I was lifting.’ Common stories that happen every day to real people.
So what are the types of points?
ACTIVE…they are actively and currently causing pain.
LATENT…these are the dormant sleepers causing dysfunction to muscle, joint and movement, but have not yet fired up their pain zones. You don’t know they are there until you find the spot and apply pressure….PAIN.
SATELLITE…these points form in reaction to other points. These develop in the pain referral zone of the active or latent points. It’s the classic domino effect.
Trigger points are often treated with acupressure, dry needling, trigger point injections via medication and modalities like ultrasound or muscle stimulation. Deep tissue laser therapy is another effective modality in reducing the pain associated with myofascial trigger points. Laser therapy stimulates a cascade of pain relieving chemical regeneration properties in the area affected by the trigger point. Just a few minutes of laser therapy applied to a trigger point may cause immediate reduction in pain. Laser therapy excites the kinetic energy within cells by transmitting healing energy known as photons. The skin absorbs these photons via a photo-chemical effect, not photo-thermal; therefore it does not cause heat damage to the tissues. As such, laser can be safely used on patients who have metal joint replacements without the risk of injury. Laser light does not excite or interact with the molecules in metal or plastic.
Once photons reach the cells of the body, they promote a cascade of cellular activities. They can ignite the production of enzymes, stimulate mitochondria, increase vasodilatation and lymphatic drainage, synthesize ATP and elevate collagen formation substances to prevent scar formation. This is a critical step in reducing long-term disabling chronic myofascial pain syndromes and joint restrictions.
Example of deep tissue laser therapy on a trigger point for elbow pain. Tennis elbow (lateral elbow pain) can be very painful and is often difficult to treat. However, a primary trigger point that often refers pain to the elbow mimicking this condition is the supraspinatus rotator cuff muscle of the shoulder. It is often overlooked as a symptom contributor to the elbow pain. Applying 3-4 sessions of laser therapy over the supraspinatus as well as the elbow may lead to a reduction elbow pain.
Picture Courtesy of Travell and Simons Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction
Search for information via the internet on trigger points and you will find many resources and pictures of the referral zones. Seek out a healthcare professional utilizing LiteCure Deep Tissue Laser therapy and discover the difference for yourself.
Laser therapy is an effective treatment for the relief of pain and inflammation. Class IV laser therapy has become a preferred treatment method due to its non-invasive nature. Off contact treatment methods are ideal for conditions that are painful to the touch.
However, many overlook that laser therapy treatments can (and should) also be delivered on contact – providing the enhanced ability to manipulate tissue and displace superficial absorbers. It is important to note that “on contact” means the treatment delivery attachment is making direct contact with the skin (no space between the lens delivering the light and the skin’s surface). This on contact method reduces scatter and loss of valuable photons on the surface of the skin.
Depending on the condition making laser therapy a contact sport can provide improved results. Patients like the feel of the laser treatment in conjunction with the deep tissue massage. Additionally, many practitioners feel that the massage ball becomes an extension of their hands, providing a more comprehensive treatment. The ability to compress tissue provides a deeper penetration of the therapeutic dose to target tissues.
There are many other considerations when calculating a therapeutic dose for each patient’s specific condition – to learn more about additional Class IV laser therapy treatment delivery tips watch this free on-demand webinar.
Why do professional golfers like Padraig Harrington, Henrik Stenson, Francesco Molinari, and David Howell use Class IV therapy lasers? Because when they experience an injury they have to get back in the game – fast.
Epicondylitis is a common injury among golfers. Class IV laser therapy is an effective treatment option because of its ability to reduce pain and inflammation, which means it not only addresses the symptoms of the condition, but also the cause. Which laser is best to treat this common golf injury?
The recommended dose for epicondylitis (for a person of average build and medium skin tone) is 3600 J. The time required to achieve this dose depends on the power of the laser being used. So, for a laser operating at 10 watts, this dosage would take 6 minutes to deliver. However, for a laser that operates at 1 watt, this same dosage would take 1 hour to deliver.
Also take into consideration that treating areas other than the elbow, such as the wrist, forearm, and bicep help provide a more comprehensive treatment. This is where relevant treatment times come into play. If treatments are roughly 6 minutes each, this is easy to do, but when treatments are around an hour, treating multiple areas, or larger areas, is impractical.
Golfers, whether they’re professional or amateur, want to spend as much time on the course and as little time recovering from injuries as possible. Higher-powered lasers can help achieve amazing results in record times, and get golfers back out onto the green sooner.
