ACL Knee Injury & Laser Therapy
This was brought to my attention by Familyguy so I researched it and found this info on it....
Knee injuries are one of the most common football injuries. Often when a player sustains a knee injury he is out of the game for the whole season and this is something no dedicated player wants to hear.
The bones of the knee, the femur and the tibia, meet to form a hinge joint. The joint is protected in front by the patella (kneecap). The knee joint is cushioned by articular cartilage that covers the ends of the tibia and femur, as well as the underside of the patella. The lateral meniscus and medial meniscus are pads of cartilage that further cushion the joint, acting as shock absorbers between the bones. Ligaments help to stabilize the knee. The collateral ligaments run along the sides of the knee and limit sideways motion. The anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, connects the tibia to the femur at the center of the knee. Its function is to limit rotation and forward motion of the tibia. (A damaged ACL is replaced in a procedure known as an ACL Reconstruction.) The posterior cruciate ligament, or PCL (located just behind the ACL) limits backward motion of the tibia.
These components of your knee, along with the muscles of your leg, work together to manage the stress your knee receives as you walk, run and jump.
Laser Therapy and Knee Recovery
What is Laser Therapy?
Cold laser therapy, sometimes also referred to as low-level laser therapy is quickly becoming the first line of attack in pain control and tissue healing in rehabilitative medicine. Cold laser therapy is safe, painless, non-invasive and the results are often immediate and sustainable. NASA has been using light therapy for over 30 years to accelerate the healing process for their astronauts while in space.
How Does it Work?
All light has an effect on the cells of the human body. What that effect is shall be determined by the wavelengths of light applied. The cold laser produces a beam of light that has a specific wavelength and frequency. When the light of the Laser is applied around the knee joint the electromagnetic energy is converted to chemical energy within each cell which sets in motion a chain of chemical reactions allowing the healing process to begin. This chemical reaction in the cell allows several things to occur:
Stimulates Healing and Repair of Tissue
Increases Tissue Strength
Reduces Pain
Reduces Swelling/Inflammation
Promotes faster wound healing
Stimulates nerve function
Promotes Cellular Oxygenation/Detoxification
Is Cold Laser Safe?
Cold Lasers have been used internationally for over three decades. In all this time there have been no long term side-effects from its use. There are over 2,500 published papers and 120 randomized, controlled trials that speak to the effectiveness of this therapy. Both NASA and the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency have engaged in phototherapy research over the last decade, with noteworthy success. Many rehabilitation facilities, hospitals, and clinics have used cold lasers for years. Olympic Athletes and Professional Sports Players use cold lasers to get them pain free and back in the game quicker.
Therapeutic Benefits of Laser Therapy:
Anti- inflammatory Action: Reduces swelling, leading to decreased pain, more mobility and faster return to normal joint and muscle function.
Rapid Cell Growth: Laser light accelerates cellular reproduction and growth.
Faster Healing: Laser light stimulates fibroblast development and accelerates collagen synthesis in damaged tissue.
Less Formation of Scar Tissue, leading to more complete healing.
Increased blood flow to the injured area.
Stimulated Nerve Function: Laser speeds nerve cell processes which decrease pain associated with nerve-related conditions.
Used by Professional Athletes
Cold laser therapy is done without drugs, as the laser provides accelerated healing without burning or cutting. The process has been used in Europe for many years, but only received FDA approval in the U.S. in 2002.
Since then, it has been earning the praise of physicians and patients alike. Professional athletes such as Tiger Woods, Lance Armstrong, New Your Jets, Miami Heat and team members of the New England Patriots rely upon the therapy to treat their sports-related injuries. In fact, it was widely reported that 10 members of the Patriots sought cold laser therapy treatments to treat minor injuries the week before they won the Super Bowl in 2004.
Laser Therapy #1 Choice
Cost Effective: Average cost of ACL repair surgery is 8 to 10 thousand dollars. Average cost of laser is $300.00 to $1000.00 dollars.
Speeds Healing Time: Most injuries heal 75% faster with laser therapy with no scar tissue buildup or chance of staph infection from surgery.
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by just1more
Bookmarks