How MLS Laser Therapy Can Help Defeat Sports Injuries Faster

If you love any sport or activity, the last thing you want is anything that keeps you from doing it. That runs double if there’s a best season (like the summer!) for what you do, and a relatively limited window to best enjoy it.

So when a sports injury hits your feet or ankles, it can be extremely discouraging. Some people even try to downplay or ignore the pain they’re in and try to “work through it.” Don’t do that! You run a high risk of injuring yourself further and making the condition even more challenging to treat.

We completely understand how frustrating sports injuries can be, but they also must be treated properly to prevent additional trouble. At Advanced Foot & Ankle Centers, our commitment is to treat patients’ sports injuries as quickly and safely as possible. We want you to not only get back in action, but stay there, too.

And that’s why we provide MLS laser therapy, an advanced treatment option available at our offices in Joliet, Orland Park, Kenosha, and Schaumburg. Not only can it help relieve the pain of soft tissue injuries, but it may also lessen the time you need to fully heal.

It’s been used at a professional athletics level for some time, and you can benefit from it too!

How MLS Laser Therapy Works

MLS stands for “multiwave locked system.” It sends very particular wavelengths of light energy into the site of an injury, which can often stimulate positive natural responses within the body. Such responses include:

Increasing cell metabolism, meaning they set to their processes faster—the big one in this case being repair.
Increasing blood flow to the area, which increases the flow of growth factors and nutrients your cells need to get those repairs done. In some cases, the body even creates new capillaries to make it even easier for blood to reach the cells in need!
Increasing the rate at which excess fluid is carried away, helping to reduce swelling.
Reducing pain by blocking signals transmitted by nerve cells, as well as triggering production of natural pain-killing chemicals.

The therapy is typically conducted over a series of sessions, spaced over a number of weeks. Each session lasts about 15 minutes, and the positive effects stack with each successive treatment. Many patients report feeling some improvement after the very first session, and much greater effects moving forward.

The treatment also does not hurt or burn. Most patients say they feel a sensation of warmth in the area being treated.

MLS Laser Therapy Defeating Sports Injuries Faster Graphic

Why MLS Laser Therapy Can Be Great for Active People

You certainly don’t have to be a star athlete or even regularly active to benefit from MLS laser therapy. But for patients who have concerns about their physical performance and getting back to the sports and routines they love as soon as possible, this form of treatment can have some major pluses.

The potential to reduce recovery time is of course the highlight. Being able to get back to action sooner—and with much less risk of reinjury—is a win for anyone.

But there are additional benefits as well. Laser therapy is non-invasive, meaning that we don’t need to make any cuts or use any implants during the process. While surgical action may be necessary in some cases, it always runs the possibility that the muscles, tendons, and other tissues involved will not come back as strong as they once were. Laser therapy does not involve this. In some cases (certainly not all, though), it can even be used as an alternative to surgery.

What Kinds of Sports Injuries Can MLS Laser Therapy Treat?

Laser therapy is mainly effective on soft tissue injuries, which are common in the feet and ankles. Some examples of sports injuries that laser therapy can be effective against include:

It is important to note, however, that MLS will not necessarily be our first recommendation for every sports injury for which it might be effective. There may be some cases where we believe a different form of treatment may be better for the specific situation, or that MLS laser therapy should be part of an overall course of treatment involving other methods as well. This highly depends on the specifics of each patient and case, but we are happy to fully discuss all of the options with you.

Don’t Wait on Treatment for Sports Injuries

Whether laser therapy would be an ideal route for your sports injury treatment, or other methods such as physical therapy, EPAT, or custom orthotics are part of the picture, do not ignore persistent pain and hope it goes away on its own. Not only are you risking further injury, but you could be spending that time working toward a much better solution!

Contact any of our area offices to schedule an appointment or, if you prefer to reach us electronically, fill out the online form on our website. We’ll be happy to connect with you either way.