MLS, or Multiwave Locked System, Laser Therapy is a noninvasive option for patients dealing with foot complications who want to explore treatment options other than surgery. MLS Laser Therapy helps relieve the pain that comes with having strains, sprains, and issues with inflammation. This therapy has been found especially useful for those who experience chronic complications.
Some foot conditions MLS Laser Therapy can treat include Achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, heel pain, bursitis, diabetic neuropathy, and different forms of arthritic conditions. Those who are experiencing pain due to sporting injuries or wounds may also find relief with this kind of therapy.
MLS Laser Therapy is a painless treatment that typically requires a short amount of time to complete, depending on the condition. It not only increases the speed of recovery, but helps improve blood flow and alleviate pain. Improved immune function, as well as improved vascular and metabolic activity, are just some of the benefits of choosing MLS Laser Therapy as a treatment option.
If you’d like more information about MLS Laser Therapy, consult with a podiatrist to determine if you’d be a good candidate.
MLS Laser Therapy
Reduce pain. Relieve inflammation. Restore mobility. MLS Laser Therapy uses specific wavelengths of light that have a strong anti-inflammatory, pain reducing effect on tissues that are exposed to the laser. Painful conditions accompanied by swelling or inflammation benefit from this technology.
At Agoura – Los Robles Podiatry Centers we safely and effectively get rid of pain fast. Whether your ankle is bothering you from an old football injury or your heel has suddenly started hurting, we have the tools and experience to get you out of pain.
We currently use the M6 MLS Class IV Laser Therapy Unit, which utilizes both hot and cold laser technology painlessly, to deliver efficient and maximum pain relief.
What is MLS Laser Therapy?
Photons of laser energy penetrate deeply into tissue and accelerate cellular reproduction and growth. As a result of exposure to the MLS Laser, the cells of tendons, ligaments and muscles repair themselves faster. As inflammation is reduced, pain subsides quickly. In simple terms, laser energy kick-starts the healing process, thereby speeding recovery.
Unlike some pharmacological treatments, there are no known negative side effects. Laser therapy is cleared by the FDA and is safe and effective. MLS Laser Therapy is painless. Most patients report no sensation at all while receiving laser therapy. Treatments average 10 minutes.
MLS Laser Therapy effectively treats:
- Heel pain (plantar fasciitis)
- Tendon and ligament injuries
- Soft tissue injuries
- Muscle strains and tears
- Sore muscles and joints
- Neurological pain including neuropathy
- Chronic and non-healing wounds
- Quicker post-surgical recovery
10 Benefits of MLS Laser Therapy
- Anti-Inflammatory: MLS Laser Therapy has an anti-edema effect as it causes vasodilation and activates the lymphatic drainage system swollen areas; leading to a reduction of swelling.
- Analgesic: MLS Laser Therapy has a beneficial effect on nerve cells. It blocks pain transmitted by these cells to the brain which decreases nerve sensitivity.
- Accelerated Tissue Repair and Cell Growth: Photons of light increases the energy available to the cell so that the cell can take on nutrients faster and get rid of waste products. As a result of exposure to laser light, damaged cells repair faster.
- Improved Vascular Activity: Laser light will significantly increase the formation of new capillaries in damaged tissue which speeds up the healing process, closes wounds quickly, and reduces scar tissue. Additional benefits include acceleration or angiogenesis, which causes temporary vasolidatation and increases the diameter of blood vessels.
- Increases Metabolic Activity: MLS Laser Therapy creates higher outputs of enzymes, oxygen, and food particle loads for blood cells.
- Trigger Points and Acupuncture Points: MLS Laser Therapy stimulates muscle trigger points and acupuncture points on a non-invasive basis providing musculoskeletal pain relief.
- Reduced Fibrous Tissue Formation: MLS Laser Therapy reduces the formation of scar tissue damage from cuts, scratches, burns, or surgery.
- Improved Nerve Function: Slow recovery of nerve functions in damaged tissue can result in numbness and impaired limbs. Laser light speeds up the process of nerve cell reconnection and increases the amplitude of action potentials to optimize muscle healing.
- Immunoregulation: Laser light has a direct effect on immunity status by stimulating immunoglobulins and lymphocytes. Laser emissions are absorbed by chromophores (molecule enzymes) that react to laser light. Upon exposure to the laser, the enzyme flavomononucleotide is activated and starts the production of ATP (adenosine-triphosphate), which is the major carrier of cell energy and the energy source for all chemical reactions in the cells.
- Faster Wound Healing: Laser light stimulates fibroblast development in damaged tissue. Fibroblasts are the building blocks of collagen, which is the essential protein required to replace old tissue or to repair tissue injuries.
Frequently Asked Questions About Laser Therapy
What is MLS Laser Therapy and how does it work?
The patented MLS or “Multi-Wave Locked System” delivers two specific, synchronized wavelengths of laser light. One laser emission acts on inflammation; the other has an analgesic, or pain-relieving effect. Photons of laser energy penetrate deeply into tissue and accelerate cellular reproduction and growth. As a result of exposure to the MLS Laser, the cells of tendons, ligaments and muscles repair themselves faster. As inflammation is reduced, pain subsides very quickly.
In simple terms, MLS therapy is a medical procedure to treat pain and inflammation and works on your cells to kick-start the healing process It works equally well, whether the condition is acute or chronic.
Is it safe?
Laser therapy is cleared by the FDA. Over a million patient treatments have been performed with no reported side effects. Laser Therapy can be found in every medical discipline. It is frequently used to treat professional athletes in the NFL, NBA, and MLB.
How can MLS Laser Therapy help my chronic condition?
The effects of MLS Laser Therapy are cumulative; therefore, expect to see improvement as you proceed through your Treatment Plan. Healing will occur as you proceed through your care due to the effect of the light laser on the mitochondria, (factory), of your damaged tissue.
What can I expect during a treatment?
MLS Laser Therapy is painless. Most patients report no sensation at all while receiving laser therapy. Treatments average 10 minutes. MLS Laser Therapy is fast-acting; many patients experience relief after the first treatment.
How many Laser Treatments does it typically take?
A treatment plan is based on your condition. Injuries such as tennis elbow or knee sprain can be treated in as few as 6 sessions. More chronic conditions require 10 to 15 sessions to achieve maximum results. We may also have nutritional recommendations as well as exercise recommendations.
Does insurance cover Laser Therapy?
MLS Laser Therapy is cleared for clinical use by the FDA, however insurance reimbursement is limited at best, therefore, we do not participate with any insurance plans at this time. You may submit your paid receipt to your insurance company for consideration. The good news is that MLS Laser Therapy is very affordable.
What is the cost of Treatment?
A customized treatment plan will be determined upon completion of a comprehensive evaluation and diagnosis. At this time the patient will be given full disclosure of all costs. An average treatment cost is as low as $60 per session.
Will I need to continue Treatments indefinitely?
No, our goal is to identify the source of your problem and correct it. We will use MLS Therapy to accelerate healing so that the condition resolves at a faster rate. Results have proven to be long-term, if not permanent, for the majority of conditions we treat.
How do cells benefit from MLS Laser Therapy?
A healthy cell functions much like a well run factory performing its job. This includes making connective tissue, hormones, building blood vessels, and the like. When a cell is injured by trauma or inflammation, its mitochondrial “battery” overworks to exhaustion. This causes the cell to become dormant, essentially going into hibernation. Mitochondria in our cells respond to frequencies of light like plants react to ultraviolet from the sun. MLS Laser penetrates over 2 inches, stimulating the cell’s photoreceptors, restoring energy and function to speed up the healing process.
What are the results of laser therapy?
The cellular “factory” returns to work resulting in:
- Healing of recent and old injuries
- Reduced swelling
- Improved vascular and lymphatic circulation
- Increased range of motion
- Easing of pain
What are the benefits of MLS Laser Therapy?
- Rapid relief of pain
- Strong anti-inflammatory effect
- Timely healing of sprains & strains
- Rapid recovery of the structural integrity of injured region
- Rapid resolution of swollen areas
- Immediate improvement of local blood circulation
- Avoiding the need for expensive drugs and surgeries
Types of Lasers
There are many types of lasers. Each laser has different characteristics which produce a different effect. These characteristics include:
- Energy: measured in joules
- Time: Defined as the duration of irradiance of target tissue and is measured in seconds. It is also known as Impulse Duration or called “impulse width”.
- Wavelength: Penetration depth is directed by the laser emission wavelength and the type of tissue (chromophores).
- Frequency: Defined as the number of impulses emitted during the unit of time (1 second) and should reflect the condition treated.
- Power: the rate at which energy is delivered and is measured in watts.
- Fluence: Energy Density or Dose
- Emission Mode:Irradiance (Also known as Power Density): Power delivered per unit area
- Continuous Wave (CW) or Pulsed Wave (PW)
- Impulse Duration: Duration of laser emission, also called “impulse width”.
Laser therapy uses light to favor and accelerate the body’s natural healing processes. The laser beam is moved over the skin so that the light energy (photons) penetrates the tissue where it interacts with various molecules (chromophores) that cause different biological effects. It produces a photochemical, photothermal and photomechanical effect.
Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) Class 3B
These lasers use very low power, are limited to surface biostimulation, and often require many treatment sessions and long treatment times. Results are only achieved at the end of the treatment cycle, and results are limited because of the use of only one or two wavelengths that are not synchronized.
High Power (HP) Class IV
These lasers were developed with the expectation that greater power corresponded to better efficiency. On the contrary, unless suitably controlled, high power can thermally damage the treated tissue. Therefore, the majority of high power lasers cannot operate at their maximum power without causing damage.
Multiwave Locked System (MLS) Class IV
MLS Laser Therapy is a patented emission system created to achieve an efficient and simultaneous effect on pain, contracture, inflammation, and edema within a short period of time. The patented control system that generates the MLS pulse synchronizes the emissions to achieve optimum results. Due to this characteristic synchronization, the various therapeutic effects not only take place at the same time, but reciprocally reinforce each other, without the risk of thermal damage.
PRIMARY BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
The energy from laser light interacts with tissue, generating biological effects:
Photochemical Effect
Direct transfer of energy to the biological sublayers (endogenous or exogenic chromophores).
Direct transfer of energy to the biological sublayers (endogenous or exogenic chromophores).
- Enzymatic activation
- Increase in ATP production
- Modulation of cellular metabolism
- Effect on pain perception threshold
Photothermal Effect
Photothermic interaction is based on the conversion of option radiation into thermal energy which, at a microscopic level, occurs through the inelastic encounter between excited molecules following the absorption of photons.
- Increase in circulation
- Increased supply of oxygen and nutrients
Photomechanical Effect
The absorption of energy involves the formation of mechanical waves.
- Production of an extracellular matrix (important in tissue repair & regeneration)
- Acceleration of lymphatic peristalsis
- Re-absorption of edemas
- Reactivation of microcirculation
- SECONDARY BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
Effects on Cells
- Increase in ATP synthesis
- Increase in the production of RNA
- Increase in cellular proliferation
- Induction of differentiation processes
- Release of growth factors (fibroblasts) and other substances
- Increase in the production of molecules of the extracellular matrix (fibroblasts & condrocytes)
Effects on Cells
- Modulation of the inflammatory processes
- Remodeling of the extracellular matrix
- Induction of lymphatic and vascular regeneration
- Stimulation of the endothelial function
- Reduction of the edema re-absorption times
- Prevention against the formation of scar tissue and hyperkeratosic lesions
Systemic Effects
Analgesic effect:
- Blocking of pain stimulus conduction
- Hyperemia and “wash out” of the algogenic substances
- Increase in endorphin synthesis
- Pain threshold modulation
Anti-inflammatory and anti-edema effect:
- Increase in the caliber and modulation of lymphatic and capillary vessel permeability
- Hyperemia and “wash out” of the pro-inflammatory molecules
Biostimulating effect:
- Increase in the supply of nutrients, oxygen and growth factors
- Cellular function activation
- Modulation of cell proliferation and differentiation (e.g., nerve regeneration)
- Increase of matrix protein synthesis
- Reduction of scar tissue formation
Information from www.celasers.com
Patient Testimonial
MM is a 71-year-old gentleman who had severe pain of a “7-9”in his right foot even after doctors at another HMO facility did an open plantar fascia surgery with heel spur excision. The pain that I found, however, was not at the location of the plantar fascia but was higher toward his ankle. I diagnosed posterior tibial deficiency. MM took this diagnosis back to his HMO doctor who recommended a surgery for posterior tibial deficiency. MM remembered that I told him about our MLS Laser that has two different wavelengths of light, one to stop pain and another to cause injured tissues to heal. He went ahead and paid for 15 sessions. He is delighted to report that he is 70% better, can walk and exercise with minimal pain and has eliminated, for now, the need for a surgery. His last laser session was more than a month prior to his recent visit with me so the laser treatments seem to be more than a “flash in the pan”. He is contemplating going back for a few more sessions to see if he can get the pain down lower than his current “2-3”. He understands that he can go back for more sessions whenever he feels he needs them. He understands that unlike cortisone injections or anti-inflammatory pills, there is no reason why he cannot have repeat sessions of the laser, if needed. He is currently at 15 sessions and plans to do 3 more. While most people are good with the first 12 sessions, some need a few more. We find that the MLS laser therapy works well in a lot of cases where surgery is contemplated but not wanted. If you have a musculoskeletal ache or pain that is not responding to regular therapy, why not consider trying the new and powerful MLS Laser Therapy. With out physical therapists the MLS can be used for backs, shoulders, hips and knees.
Published articles about Low – Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) / MLS Laser Therapy
Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) Facilitates Superficial Wound Healing
Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) as a treatment for chronic pain
