MLS LASER THERAPY
At Rainier Foot & Ankle Associates, we’re always looking for effective, evidenced-backed treatments to help our patients recover quickly and fully from painful injuries and conditions. One of the most exciting tools to come around in the last few years is the Multiwave Locked System, more commonly known as MLS laser therapy.
If you’re suffering from almost any kind of chronic foot or ankle pain, there’s a great chance that MLS laser therapy for feet can rapidly accelerate the healing process and get you back on your feet sooner than you ever thought possible!
What Is MLS Laser Therapy and How Does It Work?
This is an advanced, FDA-cleared therapy that stimulates natural cellular activity using laser energy. It triggers a cascade of positive biological and biochemical effects, including reduced pain and swelling, increased cellular metabolism, increased oxygen and nutrient flow to the painful area, and more.
Therapeutic lasers have actually been around for a few decades, but older technologies had to make trade-offs between safety and effectiveness. By contrast, the advanced MLS laser system uses a pair of synchronized lasers-one primarily for pain relief, and the other primarily to accelerate tissue regeneration. These beams reinforce one another and magnify the effects, so you get rapid pain relief and faster healing, all without any risk of thermal damage to healthy tissues.
What Conditions Can Be Treated with MLS Laser Therapy?
MLS laser therapy for feet is recommended for a wide variety of chronically painful foot and ankle conditions, particularly (but not exclusively) those related to soft tissue damage. They include:
- Plantar fasciitis
- Achilles tendinitis
- Many foot and ankle sports injuries (including sprains, muscle tears, etc.)
- Arthritis
- Neuropathic pain
MLS laser therapy for feet has also proven effective for accelerating wound healing, and may be used to help reduce swelling, pain, and scarring after a foot or ankle surgery.
What Should I Expect from Treatment?
Each individual MLS laser therapy treatment session typically takes less than 30 minutes, and sometimes as little as 10-15. The number of sessions you will ultimately need will depend on the severity of your condition, but a typical treatment course might consist of 6-10 sessions on average, spaced out over several weeks (2-3 times per week).
There is no pain or discomfort whatsoever during the procedure. You may feel a mild warming sensation at the very most. No injections, incisions, anesthetic, or medications are required.
Because the therapy sessions are actually accelerating your body’s natural healing mechanisms, the effects of the sessions increase with time and are not temporary. Some people notice a marked improvement after just one session. Others may not feel a benefit until after 2-3 sessions. But because each treatment builds on all the sessions before it, the results will get better and better throughout the treatment course.
A Few Common Questions
Does it really work?
For the vast majority of patients, the answer is a resounding yes! Although it’s important to understand that no treatment is ever 100 percent effective for all people, MLS laser therapy has about a 90 percent success rate, with patients reporting significant and lasting improvement in their symptoms by the end of the treatment course.
Is it safe?
It is very safe. Actually, it’s one of the safest procedures we offer, period. There are no known side effects even after years of testing and clinical use, and very few contraindications. There are no anesthetics, medicines, or other chemicals to put in your body—just light energy that powers natural cellular processes. It is completely natural and safe for all ages.
How long will the treatment last?
The laser doesn’t just “mask” symptoms, like a painkiller or a cortisone shot. It actually gives the cells the power they need to repair themselves. That means the relief in many cases is permanent. That being said, if the underlying cause of the pain is still present (such as a biomechanical flaw in your foot shape) we will want to address that with you as well to avoid re-injury.
Can it be used with other kinds of treatment or therapy?
While we don’t want to make a blanket statement, the answer is almost certainly yes. As we said, laser therapy has very few contraindications and is frequently recommended alongside more traditional forms of laser therapy, orthotics, shoe modifications, etc.
Is MLS Laser Therapy Right For Me?
Schedule an MLS Laser Therapy appointment in Enumclaw, WA
MLS laser therapy is incredibly safe and highly effective for many different forms of foot and ankle pain. In many cases, it can help you avoid surgery, finally recover after months of struggling with chronic pain, and shorten recovery timetables by 40% or more.
Athletes, active individuals, and people who work on their feet are demographic groups that tend to greatly benefit from MLS laser therapy. However, we’ve treated patients of all ages and activity levels with this method.
To determine if this form of treatment is right for your foot pain—or if a different kind of treatment plan would be more ideal for your situation—give our office a call at (360) 761-1285 to request an appointment or click the button below.