Therapeutic laser for pain relief and tissue healing has become a ‘go-to’ alternative treatment modality for chronic pain syndromes in our chiropractic clinic in Lakewood.

In fact, it’s hard to imagine practicing without it. I’ve used it with great success for the treatment of acute injuries such as recently sprained ankles, as well as chronic conditions like low back disc herniations and carpal tunnel syndrome.

As a chiropractor and complimentary and alternative practitioner, I’m always to willing to research and? explore new natural healing methods. Nothing is stopping medical doctors from doing the same but it’s peculiar how many just don’t.

So, while most of mainstream medicine remains on the sidelines, there are some practitioners of sports medicine, who are highly motivated to find new ways to heal soft-tissue injuries by using such treatments as laser therapy.

Here’s an interesting story I found that flew under the radar regarding sports injuries and laser therapy…

In the week before the Super Bowl, Boston based registered nurse Ellen Spicuzza treated more than 10 Patriot players with laser therapy for soft tissue injuries.

“A couple of days prior to the Super Bowl weekend, I treated Patriot wide receiver David Givens, who had a ‘locked-up’ hamstring,” she said. She applied laser therapy over?the “belly” of his hamstring muscle for about five minutes, she said.

“The laser released it.” Spicuzza, an independent nurse/physical therapist in Boston, usually treats Patriot players’ injuries with medical massage. For the Super Bowl, she, for the first time, used low level laser therapy on the athletes’ most troublesome pain spots.

Spicuzza was skeptical before being introduced to laser therapy, “I am not into gimmicks,” she said.?“I didn’t think it would help.” She changed her mind after seeing how fast the laser therapy expedited healing of some of the players’ pain and soreness. “I don’t think the improved ?recoveries were a coincidence,” Spicuzza said. “It did help. I used it on a flared-up sciatic nerve, and the player had relief soon after treatment.”

What will really catch on, whether it’s in the NFL or the local PTA, is the fact that therapeutic laser not only relieves pain but speeds up healing time in a number of tough to treat conditions…naturally.

Being a Colorado sports chiropractor is the best. It’s a year-round affair.

Colorado is perpetually regarded as one of the healthiest states in the union. One of the biggest reasons, I believe, is due to the high participatory level of outdoor activities and sports. (Which is why I chose to make Colorado my home)

A few years ago I was given the honor of being Colorado’s Sports Chiropractor of the Year by the Colorado Chiropractic Association and CEPA’s (The chiropractic association for the Care of Elite and Professional Athlete’s) National Chiropractor of the Year. (blush, blush)

Because it’s just what I do, I understand it.

But you may not even be aware that a sports chiropractor can play an important role in the management and treatment of not only your injuries but your ability to perform and excel in your sport- whether it’s on a team or for you individually.

Here are some of the top athletes in the world explaining why they include chiropractic care in their sports medicine routine.

In the video below, you’ll see my good friend and mentor Nick Athens taking care of the San Francisco 49ers. (This is where I worked before moving my sports injury clinic to Colorado.)

Above is Joe Montana after his treatment here in Denver at Mile High Stadium.

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DO NOT LEAVE ICE ON TOO LONG after an injury!

Listen to this story…

Researchers at the Dept. of Accident and Emergency Medicine at Southern General Hospital in Glasgow and Accident and Emergency Crosshouse Hospital in Kilmarnock, Scotland, made news of a case of a P.E. teacher who used a bag of frozen potatoes to get rid of pain in her foot. She let the bag sit on her foot for at least 40 minutes and the pain actually went away… temporarily! The report says the foot became discolored and the pain returned- with a vengeance. The woman lost feeling in a few of her toes. She was diagnosed with frostbite, then underwent surgery to treat the permanent nerve damage in two of her toes.

Maybe you’ve heard that after an acute injury, it’s best to ice the area for at least 20 minutes at a time. Maybe you did it for the same reasons as her.  It’s possible you’ve also heard that icing reduces inflammation.

It can.

But do you know why?

Don’t take my word for it, let’s  investigate the “20 minutes concept.” I want you to do a little experiment.

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