Let’s set this straight from the start: This is not an article about performing surgery with a laser.
What we want to discuss here instead is the potential of using Multiwave Locked System (MLS) laser therapy as a way of making the experience of surgery better—either by improving or accelerating post-surgical recovery, or in some cases eliminating the need for surgery altogether.
At Sunshein Podiatry, we want to ensure that you can step into your best life with the most advanced treatment options available in the greater Dayton area. While laser therapy isn’t recommended for every situation, there are many circumstances in which it can make a considerable difference.
How Does MLS Laser Therapy Help With Healing?
Laser therapy is a form of regenerative medicine that relies on stimulating the body’s own natural responses to benefit a patient. It does not involve drugs or invasive procedures.
In this case, MLS uses two specific wavelengths of laser energy to cause certain reactions within the site of an injury that can relieve pain, reduce swelling, and quicken recovery:
- Cellular activity (metabolism) is “kick-started,” meaning processes such as repairs are performed faster and/or more frequently.
- Blood flow to the target site is increased, providing more nutrients, growth factors, and other necessities for cells to perform their jobs. Increased blood flow can also carry away more excess fluid, helping to reduce swelling.
- Pain transmission is interfered with, resulting in increased comfort.
The best results of laser therapy aren't instant. The positive effects accrue over successive laser therapy sessions, typically scheduled over several weeks, with a patient frequently experiencing better and better results over time.
Can Laser Therapy Shorten Post-Surgical Recovery?
MLS laser therapy can also help accelerate wound healing. This can be highly important when reducing the infection risks of diabetic wounds, but the same effects can also benefit post-operative healing.
Surgical incisions, while highly controlled, are still technically a form of wound to the body. MLS laser therapy can help these areas heal more quickly and comfortably. Not only does this help reduce potential complications, but it also shortens the time you need until you're cleared for increased activity. In addition to the surface incision, any internal tissues impacted by the surgery can also potentially benefit from pain relief and increased cellular repair.
Regardless of whether laser therapy or other forms of regenerative medicine are incorporated into a post-surgical recovery plan, it still remains extremely important to follow all instructions and guidelines as closely as possible. Laser therapy isn't a ticket to invincibility, and it would certainly not do anyone any good if all the progress of recovery were undone by acts that cause infection or additional damage.
Does Laser Therapy Help You Avoid the Need for Surgery?
A procedure is usually only reserved for foot and ankle conditions that don’t respond well to more conservative methods of treatment and haven't led to the increases in comfort and/or mobility you hoped to gain. This includes non-invasive methods such as stretching, orthotics, changes in footwear, or other therapeutic approaches.
Why might we expect MLS laser therapy to make a difference, then? Because it can work in ways that other treatments can’t. For example:
- In some cases, especially those often involving lasting pain, trouble persists because the body has essentially “given up” on the healing process. Perhaps the cells don’t have enough of the resources they need to make progress, or the trouble has lasted so long that the healing response has essentially stalled.
- The “kickstart” of metabolism we discussed earlier may effectively restart the healing process in situations such as these, and provide a boost to blood flow that makes it more effective as well.
If we can heal your injury and relieve your symptoms without subjecting you to surgery and the necessary recovery period afterward, we'll certainly consider that route first. These choices greatly depend on various factors, however, including your age, medical history, lifestyle, activity levels, and personal goals.
What's Your Best Path to Lasting Relief? Here's What Our Centerville Podiatrists Recommend
When you come to Sunshein Podiatry for help with a foot or ankle condition, we'll always take the time to thoroughly evaluate the circumstances, both through a physical examination and talking with you to better understand how your symptoms are affecting your life. Only after we have all this information in hand will we make our recommendations for a treatment plan that best suits your needs.
Whether that plan includes MLS laser therapy, other methods, or even surgery, you can trust that you're not settling for a one-size-fits-all solution that fails to address your unique needs. You'll always have the opportunity to discuss your options with our experienced medical team and get thorough answers to all your questions. We'll only start a treatment plan when you have all the knowledge you need to comfortably move forward with it.