Can Laser Treatments Relieve My Neuropathy?

Millions of people suffer from peripheral neuropathy, a condition affecting the nerves outside the central nervous system. While most peripheral neuropathy symptoms affect the legs, feet, and (less often) hands, they can occur anywhere outside the spine or brain.

Like many other chronic medical problems, peripheral neuropathy becomes more common with age, causing symptoms like numbness, pain, tingling, and loss of coordination and strength. Without treatment, peripheral neuropathy symptoms can worsen, increasing the risk of falls, fractures, and serious infections that can lead to amputation.

At Forward Foot & Ankle, our team offers various treatment options for peripheral neuropathy, including laser treatments using low-level energy (a treatment called low-level laser therapy or LLLT). In this post, learn five ways lasers work to treat neuropathy, relieve its symptoms, and restore your health and wellness.

1. Improves circulation

Special low-energy medical lasers emit controlled beams of focused energy that penetrate your skin painlessly during laser therapy. As these energy waves reach areas of nerve damage, they stimulate microcirculation, increasing blood flow to the area. 

As circulation improves, nerves and surrounding tissues receive more oxygen-rich blood and essential nutrients for optimal healing. Increased circulation works the other way, too, carrying off toxins that develop as part of the tissue injury process.

2. Promotes nerve repair and regeneration

LLLT optimizes nerve cell function by stimulating tiny structures called mitochondria. These structures produce energy for cells, improving nerve repair and regeneration. when stimulated

At the same time, LLLT triggers the release of special proteins called growth factors that help maintain nerve cell structure and function. These tiny proteins also help damaged nerves find new pathways to communicate with each other, improving function overall.

Finally, LLLT helps reduce or eliminate scar tissue that forms around damaged nerves. Scar tissue can interfere with nerve communication and constrict or squeeze nerves, increasing symptoms. 

3. Reduces inflammation

Nerve damage is frequently associated with inflammation and swelling, effects that make neuropathy’s symptoms even more painful and difficult to manage. LLLT helps reduce inflammation in part by improving circulation to the area. Better blood flow means your body can carry off excess fluids that collect as part of the inflammatory process, reducing swelling that presses on nerves.

In addition, LLLT helps balance the levels of cytokines, molecules that play roles in inflammation. Specifically, LLLT helps reduce the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines while increasing the levels of anti-inflammatory molecules.

4. Decreases pain

Pain is a significant symptom for many people with neuropathy. LLLT helps mitigate pain by reducing swelling and improving nerve health and regeneration, but it offers other benefits, too.

LLLT stimulates the production and release of natural pain-relieving chemicals called endorphins to reduce symptoms and make it easier to cope with pain. It also helps block pain signals from reaching the brain so your sensations are blunted.

5. Boosts immunity

LLLT supports a healthy immune system, which helps slow the progression of neuropathy while relieving symptoms. As your tissues absorb laser energy, it triggers immune cells to target and eliminate germs and toxins contributing to neuropathy and inflammation. Better immune health also aids in nerve cell repair and regeneration.

Peripheral neuropathy can happen for different reasons. LLLT provides multiple benefits that help restore normal nerve function regardless of the underlying cause.

If you have peripheral neuropathy, LLLT is worth exploring. To learn more, request an appointment online or over the phone with the Forward Foot & Ankle team in Midtown Manhattan and Staten Island, New York, today.