For TMJ/TMD Pain Relief in New Jersey & New York
Dr. Mike Pilar, DDS continues to be on the forefront when it comes to treating Temporomandibular Disorder (TMD), as well as headache pain, even migraines, via cold laser therapy and cold laser treatments. Specifically, he uses the most powerful non-invasive FDA-cleared, Class IV cold laser, which is authorized for professional use only.
Why are they called “cold” lasers? They do not cause a temperature change in bodily tissues. This contrasts with “hot” lasers with shorter wavelengths, used to deliberately destroy tissue in surgical procedures and cauterization. The former, also low-level and low intensity is known as healing precision and the latter as surgical precision.
The healing effects of cold laser treatment have been substantiated in thousands of scientific studies with no negative side effects indicated. It is the perfect healing tool, especially effective for TMD because there is negligible pain, inflammation is reduced and no medication is involved. It is especially effective in the head, neck and shoulder areas.
Cold laser is most effective on the cell membrane of the tissue involved, allowing at a cellular level the osmotic transfer back and forth of vital life components. Relying on pure infrared energy, cold laser therapy works with rapid treatment intervals of one to two minutes in duration. Phenomenal results can be achieved when used with Microcurrent Point Stimulation and the deprogramming muscle orthotic.
How does Cold Laser Therapy work?
A beam of light is applied over the injured area in this painless treatment. Living tissue absorbs the light, triggering biological reactions in the cells. The blood and lymphatic flow carry away released chemical substances. The healing effects not only occur in the targeted area but system-wide, with a reduction in pain and inflammation, thanks to endorphins, natural painkillers. Overall healing and increased circulation have also been documented.
Now that we’ve described the benefits of cold laser therapy, including its effectiveness, safety, reduced need for surgery and lack of side effects and toxicity, let’s see how it works with TMD.
Treating TMJ/TMD with Cold Laser Therapy
Using the regenerative properties of light, the process of photobiostimulation is key to effective cold laser treatment of TMJ/TMD. It penetrates deeply and works in a short span of time with adequate photobiostimulation.
For laser energy to achieve optimum results in the treatment of TMJ/TMD, the patient must receive the appropriate measures of treatment time, power or laser energy delivered, and wavelength or depth of penetration.
It is most effective, according to Dr. Pilar, “when the practitioner uses his or her medical intuition in conjunction with scientific calculation.”
The results may differ from patient to patient, which may require varying levels of laser energy in the treatment and thresholds for energy absorption also vary in individual patients. Once that threshold is reached, cellular activity hits a plateau and apparently negates any chance of overdosing on cold laser energy.
Because pain is the chief symptom of TMD, and cold laser therapy is clearly an amazing conqueror of pain, it has proved a blessing for many of its sufferers. This treatment, also known as low intensity laser therapy (LILT), is not a quick cure, though it accelerates the healing process and pain relief. It should be entered into as a systematic treatment protocol.
“It is an invaluable treatment tool that facilitates healthy biochemical change with the purpose of expedited healing and pain relief,” Dr.Pilar reports.