A herniated disc is a common spinal disorder or condition that occurs when the disc’s nucleus pushes through a hole or crack and presses the surrounding nerve. A herniated disc’s symptoms appear when the disc compresses the surrounding nerve in your lumbar spine.
Common symptoms are lower back pain, numbness, tingling in your spinal structures, muscle weakness, and sciatic pain. It can also cause a lot of irritation in your lumbar spine, affecting your day-to-day life and limiting your range of motion.
Treatment options for a herniated disc include over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, opioids, acupuncture, physical therapy exercises, steroidal injections, and surgery, including open-back and minimally invasive surgery, such as microdiscectomy.
However, surgery can lead to a wide range of complications, such as incisions, blood loss, muscle damage, infections, etc. On the other hand, laser therapy is an effective treatment option for lumbar disc herniation. Here is everything you need to know. Read on!
Laser Therapy for Lumbar Disc Herniation
A growing body of research evidence shows that a Class IV laser can effectively treat disc herniation in your lumbar spine and relieve pain and discomfort. Not only does laser therapy speed up the healing time, but it is also a non-invasive and drug-free treatment, allowing you to reduce pain and heal your damaged discs faster.
For instance, when you undergo five to ten treatment sessions, you can achieve excellent outcomes. Laser therapy involves passing low-level laser beams through your spinal structures, such as the lumbar spine discs.
These low-level wavelengths of light penetrate deep into the cells and trigger mitochondrial mechanisms to produce more energy. The supply of nutrient-rich blood to the affected area speeds up the repair process and fixes the herniation.
Bear in mind that cellular normalization is the core aspect of laser therapy, supplying more energy and nutrients to the affected cells, leading to reduced inflammation, swelling, numbness, and pain in the lumbar spine. The wavelengths stimulate your cells and trigger biochemical reactions to promote healing.
What is the Success Rate of Laser Therapy for Disc Herniation?
Laser therapy involves flooding your lumbar spine disc herniation with photons that energize the cells and increase blood circulation to the area that causes pain. The purpose is to trigger a cascade of healing responses in your lumbar spine to reduce inflammation and pain.
Research shows that laser therapy has an average success rate of 70%. However, the success rate depends on various factors, such as the type of laser used, the health professional’s experience and skills, and the status of your lumbar disc herniation. Some studies highlight that when patients undergo 5-10 treatment sessions, they can achieve a success rate of 96.20%.
Final Words
Laser therapy is a non-invasive, drug-free, and pain-free treatment option for people with lumbar disc herniation. It uses low-level light or photons that penetrate your skin and go deep into the damaged cells in your lower spine. As a result, it triggers biochemical reactions in your cells to start the healing process.