what is Class IV Laser Therapy ?
Class IV Laser Therapy delivers concentrated light energy deep into inflamed tissues, calming irritated nerves and stimulating cells to repair themselves more efficiently. The treatment is fast, comfortable, and highly effective at reducing swelling and pain in the early stages of care.
At DISC, we often describe laser as our “firefighter” tool—it rushes in to calm the flames of inflammation before we move patients into decompression or other elements of the protocol. This makes it invaluable for very sensitive or irritable cases, where the priority is to settle symptoms quickly and create a safe foundation for progress. In more mechanical cases, laser accelerates healing in end‑point irritation such as tendinopathy or ligament strain. For those who want the science, we cover laser therapy in detail in our [Laser Therapy Blog], but here it is enough to note that it remains one of our most versatile and effective supportive tools in disc injury care.
Laser Therapy’s Photon energy has been shown to stimulate:
Its applications are literally limitless.
Muscles
Joints
Ligaments
Nerves
Bones
Tendons
Cartilage
Scar Tissue
The latest class 4 Lasers
The DISC Chiropractors have the latest Class 4 version of this technology, known as a ‘K-Laser’ which is the industry leading brand.
The treatment itself is completely painless, just like having a warm torch shone on you, yet its results can be quite miraculous.
K-Laser Treatments penetrate deep into soft tissues, joints and bones and provides energy to the cells thereby helping to enhance the natural healing process. Moreover it takes only 5-10 minutes to perform a laser treatment on a single area.
How does laser therapy help inflamed discs
Being Disc Injury and Sciatica specialists, we are confronted by cases that under normal circumstances are too hot to handle. Any movement at all causes pain making the clinic’s multitude of mobility-based treatments difficult to perform.
This is where the combination of conservative treatment protocols such as Laser Therapy and Instrument-Assisted Adjusting has proven key to unlocking tough cases.
Patients with spasms, often can’t handle some of the more traditional techniques available without having a painful reaction, having a plan B capable of reducing pain patterns before using treatments such as spinal decompression therapy is invaluable.
Conditions K-laser can benefit:
Acute Muscle Spasm
General Back and Neck Pain
Sports Injuries
Disc Herniations
Degenerative Disc Disease
Osteoarthritic Conditions
Muscle Sprains & Strains
Repetitive Strain Injuries
Tendinopathies
Ligament Injuries
Post-Surgical Rehabilitation
Musculoskeletal Conditions
k – laser: Sporting Gold
Laser therapy has a vast amount of research behind it and even is recommended by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence for various conditions.
Probably more importantly its value is reflected in the world of sport… I’d doubt there is a single premiership rugby or football team whose physio teams don’t use laser therapy… we’ve certainly spoken to a few in the early years passing on our recommendations.
In the clinic laser therapy is a cure-all when it comes to sports or repetitive strain injuries. Its influence on multiple tissue types means that even hard-to-understand conditions will likely respond through the umbrella nature of its healing.
How does laser therapy help arthritic cases?
Laser Therapy advances the healing capacity of more or less any tissue in the body, making it especially beneficial in patients who struggle to heal. This group include geriatric patients as Osteoarthritis can create a cascade of inflammatory responses that create swelling and pain.
Laser therapy is a painless way of treating swollen arthritic joints without the need for manipulation which can be contraindicated in cases of advanced arthritis. K Laser has even been shown to help in the event of osteoporotic spinal compression fractures.
Combined with Instrument-Assisted Adjusting’s gentle mobilisation work we have a protocol of care capable of achieving great results whilst only using conservative risk-free methods.
Additionally, laser therapy is extensively used in patients with diabetes, the poor nerve function in advanced diabetic patients makes healing almost impossible, and using the huge energy output of Laser therapy can turn the tide in serious conditions like Diabetic Neuropathy.