At Timber Land Chiropractic our Doctors and Chiropractic Assistants are dedicated to providing individualized care to meet each patient's health goals. We care for and advise our patients as we would our own family members in a warm, caring, compassionate environment that is conducive to enhancing your healing process. Every member of the Timber Land Chiropractic team strives to provide the highest quality of care and genuine customer service.
Care and treatment begin with a thorough, careful and thoughtful evaluation of each patient. This includes a comprehensive health and lifestyle history, a thorough neurologic, orthopedic, postural and spinal examination and any x-rays necessary for your care. This is followed by a conversation with you where we provide individualized care recommendations and answer any questions you may have. We want to have a care plan that meets your needs, desires, and expectations.
There are so many things we could go through, but the main three things that make us unique are:
We take a holistic view of health for each of our patients. Your body is very complex and everything is connected. If one area is out of place it can impact multiple areas of the body. We start with your spine because it is the foundation and the information highway for your body, but we do not stop there. It is our mission to help you become the best version of yourself and that does not stop at the spine.
We give each of our clients the time that they need. We are not the type of clinic that pushes their clients out the door because their 15 minutes are up. We take the time to get to know each of our patients and over time they become part of the Timber Land Chiropractic family.
We have a very warm and friendly atmosphere. Many times you walk into a medical facility and it feels cold and sterile. Not at Timber Land Chiropractic!!! We pride ourselves on having a welcoming atmosphere that is great for young families and aging adults alike.
Our doctors are trained in many adjusting techniques that we use to help you with spine, neck, arm, or leg problems. We tailor our treatment to the age of our patient and always make sure you feel comfortable with our approach.
The human body uses light-induced photochemical reactions on a daily basis. From the photosensitive cells in our eyes to the light-reliant vitamin D synthesis process in our skin, our bodies rely on and can use light in numerous ways. It stands to reason, then, that many cells in the human body may react to light. So how does light affect cells in the body, and how can it be used for the benefit of human health? That is the question behind the treatment method known as low-level laser therapy or photobiomodulation.
Low-level laser therapy is known by several names. Most commonly, it is known as photobiomodulation therapy, low-power laser therapy, cold laser therapy or simply by the acronyms LLLT or PBMT.
Low-level laser therapy is a term that describes the therapeutic application of light to the body. First developed in 1967 by Endre Mester in Hungary, low-level laser therapy involves placing a light source near to or on the skin, allowing the photons to move through the tissue and interact with cells in the body. Mester first developed this method after finding that it improved hair growth and stimulated wound healing in mice. Shortly after his initial development of the treatment method, Mester explored the therapy’s ability to aid in the healing of skin ulcers in 1972.
Low-level laser treatment doesn’t involve the use of the high-powered lasers that most people are familiar with. Instead, low-level lasers, LEDs and broadband lights are used to emit red and near infra-red light with wavelengths of 632 nm to 1064 nm at 1 to 1000 mW. These low-power light sources do not generate heat, so they do not burn the skin during the therapeutic process.
Since the development of the process, the benefits of applying laser therapy treatments have been explored at length. The photochemical changes that occur in cells as a reaction to the application of light can help accelerate wound healing and tissue regeneration, increase circulation, reduce inflammation and even help manage pain.
While the benefits of photobiomodulation have been observed in medical studies, the mechanisms that lead to these results are still being studied. Though we still have plenty to learn about the effects of light energy on different types of cells, the general consensus is that light therapy works primarily by affecting the mitochondria inside human cells.
The primary idea behind photobiology is that when light hits certain molecules, called chromophores, the energy of the photon causes electrons in those molecules to be excited and jump into higher-energy orbits, effectively storing energy within the molecule. The mitochondria of the cell are thought to contain such chromophores, allowing them to store more energy to be used in the biochemical processes that mitochondria complete. Mitochondria then use this energy to increase the production of essential substances in the body. The most important of these are the following:
Several other mechanisms are likely improved through the use of laser therapy. For example, NO improves the production of cyclic guanine monophosphate, which is involved in other signaling pathways in the body. Laser therapy also improves the synthesis of DNA and RNA, which in turn promotes the production of proteins and growth factors in the body.
The biological processes promoted by laser therapy result in various health benefits to users, each of which has been studied at length. A few of the benefits of laser therapy are discussed in detail below:
1. Pain Reduction
Pain is the most common reason that people see doctors in the United States, with one in three Americans affected by chronic pain each year. Low-level laser treatment has been explored in various studies as a method of decreasing several types of pain, including the following:
Laser therapy treatment has also been effective in managing pain for athletes recovering from training or injuries It is thought that the reason low-level laser therapy is so effective is that it stimulates the nerve endings of nociceptors, or pain receptors, that lie close to the skin.
2. Fat Reduction
Multiple studies have been conducted to determine whether low-level laser treatment can be used for fat reduction with positive results overall. One review found that laser therapy is effective at reducing fat and cellulite and improving blood lipid profiles with little to no side effects. The current theory as to why laser therapy is so effective in this area is that laser therapy helps induce adipocyte apoptosis, releasing stored fat from the body.
3. Inflammation Management
Laser therapy treatment has been widely regarded as an effective way to manage and reduce inflammation in a variety of applications. Athletic programs commonly use low-light laser therapy to help reduce inflammation and promote muscle recovery for training or injured athletes. Additionally, medical practices have used laser therapy as a way to manage inflammation for patients recovering from various injuries. One study showed that low-level light therapy effectively reduced post-surgery inflammation for patients recovering from total hip arthroplasty surgeries.
The primary mechanism by which light therapy helps reduce inflammation is vasodilation. In vasodilation, small arteries and lymph vessels increase in size, allowing inflammation, swelling and edema to move away from injury sites. Not only does this mechanism reduce inflammation, but it also improves the healing process overall.
Low-Level Laser Application Areas
While laser therapy has numerous potential benefits that are still being researched, several practical applications are already on the market. Below are a few of the more common laser applications in which Erchonia Corporation lasers specializes:
1. Chronic Low Back Pain
About 80% of adults experience low back pain at some point in their lives. Of those adults, approximately 60% are treated with opioids, despite the potential for addiction and the minimal value of opioids in long-term applications. Erchonia’s FX 635 laser showed a 72% success rate in their clinical trial, which received FDA market clearance in May 2018. The FX 635 treatment of chronic low back pain is groundbreaking in the pain management field and gives patients a safer, more effective treatment option.
Throughout the years, cold or low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has become a hot topic in the medical community. As more research on cold laser technology is conducted, organizations and agencies across the world are beginning to recognize the many benefits that LLLT can offer patients.
Erchonia’s commitment to scientific and clinical research in the advancement of LLLT has made the company a recognized world leader in LLLT technology. The following is an explanation of Erchonia’s cold low-level lasers and their benefits in the medical community.
LLLT, also called cold laser therapy or photobiomodulation therapy, is a type of phototherapy designed to repair tissue, reduce pain and inflammation, target fat and provide other benefits for patients in both medical and veterinary treatments. The capabilities of low-level lasers have been used in fat loss and pain relief for over 50 years.
During a treatment regimen, a small device emitting laser beam or visible nonthermal lasers is placed over the target area. The low levels of light penetrate the tissue without heating or damaging the skin.
Unlike traditional lasers, which use around 300 watts, cold lasers use between five and 500 milliwatts. True to their name, they don’t burn the skin or produce pain, and the FDA gives them NHN (non-heating instruments) classification. In contrast, a laser used for surgeries cuts through the skin and can lead to severe scarring and pain.
Cold lasers can stimulate all types of cells, including muscle, ligaments, nerves and cartilage. This stimulation of light energy works similar to photosynthesis in plants, as it is absorbed and interacts with light-sensitive components in the body’s cells. The treatment promotes the body’s natural healing — which may have been impeded through the tissue damage — by stimulating mitochondria and encouraging the cells to produce more ATP.
As a non-invasive procedure, LLLT can be performed at an outpatient clinic, providing a distinct advantage over traditional laser surgery. There is no recovery time and no side effects, which makes LLLT an attractive treatment option for a variety of conditions, including:
Since 1967, more than 2,500 studies have been conducted on the safety and effectiveness of LLLT in providing relief from pain and other symptoms. Many of these studies attest to its reliability in treating these conditions and recommend the treatment as a preferred non-invasive technique.
With 15 FDA market clearances, Erchonia laser products have been proven to safely assist patients in pain management and fat loss. Erchonia’s FX-635 laser, for example, boasted a 72 percent success rate during clinical trials. With a focus on safety and innovation, many industry professionals turn to Erchonia’s lasers to safely and effectively treat patient conditions. Contact us if you want to learn more.
