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With such a beautiful river valley just down the street from our office, it’s no surprise that so many of our clients are outdoor enthusiasts. I mean, just look around! In the summertime, the Millcreek Ravine’s bike paths, walking trails and dog parks are (pardon the pun) “littered” with active Edmontonians. In the winter, they’re replaced with cross-country skiers, sledders, and joggers! Unfortunately, there’s often a toll Edmontonians pay for having such active lifestyles.
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We see a lot of our neighbours from the Bonnie Doon and Whyte Avenue areas who have concerns about joint and muscle pain—some of which comes at the cost of outdoor fun. Inflammation of the joints, arthritis, and TMJ dysfunction are as common around here as headaches and neck pain. Fortunately, cold laser therapy is often the perfect treatment for your joint or muscle pain.
Cold laser therapy is an innovative and noninvasive pain relief treatment. Also known as low-level laser therapy, the technique uses highly focused infrared light. The light addresses problems within your muscles, joints and connective tissue by stimulating cell growth to help relieve pain and stiffness, and speed up healing time.
Neck pain is an incredibly common concern from our clients. Your neck constantly holds the weight of your entire head and is prone to muscle strain, vertebral joint restrictions or misalignment. Cold laser therapy is great for those who suffer from neck pain and can be combined with traditional manual chiropractic methods, as the laser treatments reduce inflammation in both the neck muscles and ligaments. This can be beneficial for both short and long-term neck pain.
Many of our clients use cold laser therapy for common arthritis pain, such as osteoarthritis. It’s also effective for less common forms of arthritis, such as rheumatoid. Low-level cold laser therapy may reduce inflammation and swelling which leads to pain relief, easier movement and decreased stiffness overall.
Millions of Canadians suffer from fibromyalgia, a chronic condition that involves pain in the muscles and connective tissue—it affects 5% of women and around 2% of men. While all of the causes of fibromyalgia aren’t clear, inflammation is a key component. Cold laser therapy can be applied almost anywhere on your body so wherever your fibromyalgia symptoms are located, they can be addressed with this innovative treatment.
Plantar Fasciitis is a severe pain in your soles or the sides of your feet. It’s caused by inflammation of your foot’s connective tissue and can get worse when you walk or stand. Some of our clients even feel Plantar Fasciitis pain while sitting or trying to sleep. Cold laser therapy may help stimulate healing and reduce inflammation in your feet and other treatments, such as radial shockwave and orthotic therapy, are also known to be effective and may be a part of your individualized treatment plan.
Your temporomandibular joint (TMJ or jaw) is a magnet for pain and alignment issues. Bad habits like grinding your teeth in your sleep can cause TMJ dysfunction, but even if you’re not a “grinder,” regular chewing and speaking can cause your jaw to be misaligned or irritated.
TMJ difficulties are often painful and they can discourage you from opening your mouth to eat or speak. Again, low-level cold laser treatments can speed healing and reduce pain in TMJ dysfunction cases, which is a great relief when pain is interfering with your daily activities.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is usually caused by repetitive use of the wrists and hands. It is a very common problem often seen in clients who spend a large part of their days typing. Of course, carpal tunnel syndrome can affect almost anyone, including people who do manual labour, enjoy gardening, or anyone else who works with their hands. That’s right, even during your downtime, joints and muscles are in motion—sitting or typing for extended periods can cause inflammation or joint and muscle pain.
Pain, numbness or tingling in the hands, wrists, or fingers are all common symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. With advanced chiropractic techniques (including shockwave and cold laser therapy), we can help reduce swelling and pressure without surgery. Modern science—isn’t it wonderful?!
Our knees help with our balance, flexibility, and movement but they also take on a huge burden, bearing almost our entire body weight. If you’re an athlete, running and jumping can put even more strain on your knees. It’s no wonder knee problems such as arthritis, locking and stiffness are so common on our intake forms.
Before you undergo major knee surgery, consider the benefits of cold laser therapy, shockwave therapy and other chiropractic treatments such as myofascial & movement-based muscle release. There are practically no side effects or hospital visits required with cold laser therapy and while low-level laser therapy won’t fully resolve every knee problem, it helps many conditions with almost no risks.
It may be surprising to know that cold laser therapy can speed the healing of minor bruises and cuts, too! Since the laser is able to stimulate cells several centimeters below the skin, these treatments aid in the healing of minor injuries. Thus, a painful contusion can be more quickly resolved or an unsightly cut healed faster.
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At Whyte Avenue Chiropractic & Wellness Centre we use class 4 lasers to penetrate deeply. These lasers are generally painless as they can only generate up to 4 watts of energy, compared to surgical lasers which produce many more times that amount.
Low-level laser therapy has virtually no side effects. It will not burn your skin and is not painful. Some patients experience a mild tingling, but the sensation ceases once your session is complete. The treatment also won’t scar or mark your skin. Many of our clients see immediate results but repeat treatments may be required. We’ll assess your needs when we see you.
Almost every area of your body can benefit from cold laser therapy treatments, but some are more responsive than others. Call us at (780) 466-7111 or email us at info@whytechiro.com to schedule an appointment today.