One lesser-known but valuable tool for multiple painful conditions is the low-level laser.  The laser is a source of extremely pure, organized light, as opposed to something like a regular light bulb, which emits a scattered, disorganized light.  We can liken organized light to the sound of a flute playing a single note, and disorganized light to the sound of a stone rolling around in a tin can.  The laser is a non-painful treatment option that affects the local (near the area being treated) immune system, blood circulation, and the release of different chemicals that affect how we experience pain.

While it isn’t clear exactly how the laser helps a variety of painful conditions, there are two proposed means by which the laser improves pain:

1. The light energy (called photons) is absorbed in the injured area and stimulates the production of Cytochrome C.  Cytochrome C is a protein involved in cell metabolism and energy.  When Cytochrome C is stimulated, it revs up the cell’s metabolism, and gives the cells more energy to heal the injured area.
2. The light energy from the laser leads to the production of small amounts of singlet oxygen.  Singlet oxygen is a reactive form of oxygen, which means that it is very easy for this type of oxygen to take part in chemical reactions.  At high doses, singlet oxygen can be destructive, and has been used in cancer treatment to destroy cancerous cells.  At very low doses, singlet oxygen can increase the number of cells.  This may be one way the laser helps promote tissue repair.

The laser in a non-invasive, non-painful treatment option that can, in some cases, produce results immediately.  For pain that has been around for a long time, more than one treatment session is usually needed for best results.

We generally don’t think of muscles as a cause of pain. Sure, we know that after exercise or playing ball we can have muscle soreness, but when pain persists we often think it is coming from nerves, joints or the spine.  Believe it or not, muscles (and other soft tissue) are the most common reason for pains such as lower back pain, neck pain and shoulder pain.  The brain gets information from the body about pain from specialized nerves called nociceptors that respond to tissue damage. Trauma, overwork, and over-exercising cause low oxygen and too much acidity in the muscle. These changes, along with other chemicals that are produced when the muscle is damaged in any way, stimulate the nociceptor.  When a stimulus as strong enough it causes the nerve cell to produce an electrical impulse that is sent into the spinal cord and then up to the cortex, the part of the brain where we perceive pain.

There are actually more nociceptors in the muscle attachment sites (the ends of the muscle where it attaches to the tendon and the tendon attaches to the bone) than in the muscle tissue. That is why if you have pain originating in muscles you may be more aware of the pain close to a bone than in the middle of the muscle.

Any kind of injury releases substances from damaged muscle and surrounding tissue that stimulates the nociceptor. If the nociceptor gets enough stimulation it creates an electrical discharge which travels down the nerve and ends up in the spinal cord. Muscle nerves that have been stimulated repeatedly become more sensitive to additional stimulation. They are called sensitized nerves and they will more easily produce electrical activity with even non painful events such as any contraction to move the muscle. That is why when an injured muscle is used it may cause pain.  That is why if you have strained muscles for any reason you may feel pain from every day movement.  Nociceptors are key structures in the perception of pain.