Treatment of injuries to athletes is extremely important. The speed and effectiveness of the therapy determine the results achieved throughout a season or even a sports career. Laser therapy is a solution that enables athletes to make a lasting return to full fitness after injuries. Many studies indicate that Laser therapy speeds up treatment and rehabilitation of athletes, which is of great importance to their careers. It is worth remembering, however, that although the article focuses on athletes, the benefits of a non-surgical form of treatment such as laser therapy apply to all physically active people.
Laser therapy in the treatment of injuries of athletes and physically active people
Professional athletes are subjected to tremendous physical stress. The large number of training sessions, matches and sporting events per season combined with little time for recovery leads to fatigue and a higher risk of injury. In such a situation, in many cases the use of classical rehabilitation treatments may not be sufficient.
However, it turns out that the way to deal with high physical strain in athletes is to laser therapy. It can help maintain health and improve sports performance throughout the season. After the season is over, on the other hand, it can be used to reduce pain (which occurs as a result of muscle strain during the season) And full tissue regeneration.
Studies show that laser therapy is effective, if only in faster muscle recovery.
This is evidenced by improvements in biomarkers related to inflammation or oxidative stress after laser therapy. In turn, other studies show that the use of laser therapy before a training session can contribute to performing more repetitions in an exercise And improve maximal strength and aerobic capacity.
Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) also makes it possible to return to full fitness and manage chronic pain even after a sports career has ended.
Athletes notice and feel after laser treatments greater range of motion In a given limb, pain reduction and lower voltage In individual muscle groups.
Laser therapy is therefore not only a way to treat injuries among athletes and a method of getting rid of pain, but also an opportunity to improve health in physically active people.
Can laser therapy affect athletes' mental health?
Kontuzje u sportowców oddziałują nie tylko na sferę fizyczną, ale również na psychiczną. Injuries and chronic ailments prevent regular training and participation in sporting events. This, in turn, can translate into a reduction in athletic level (e.g., through lack of training) and image losses (e.g., non-participation in important tournaments or matches makes it more difficult to build one's position in the sport and attract sponsors).
The consequences of the above situations can be loss of position in the club (e.g., in the case of football or basketball players, „dropping out” of the starting lineup), missed opportunities to perform in a major sporting event (e.g., in the case of athletes, failure to participate in the Olympic Games), or failure to realize athletic potential (e.g., many athletes never reached their maximum level through repeated injuries).
All the cases described undoubtedly do not have the best effect on the mental condition of athletes.
So if we consider that laser therapy is effective in treating and preventing injuries, we can conclude that laser therapy also indirectly improves and protects mental health.
Application of laser therapy in selected sports disciplines
The health-promoting properties of laser therapy are undeniable - Both in athletes and in physically active people. However, each sport has its own rules, including in terms of rehabilitation and injury prevention. Let's see, how laser therapy is used in athletes of particular sports disciplines using basketball, baseball and soccer players as examples. The facts presented below can be used by both professional and amateur athletes to protect their health and enhance their athletic potential in any sport.
Laser therapy in basketball players
The NBA is considered the best basketball league in the world, with 82 games in the regular season. There are still play-offs waiting for the best teams, involving the playing of several or more games. Basketball places very high demands not only on NBA players, but also on players in other leagues. It is worth recalling that the effort of playing for a club should also be added to the effort of playing for a national team, associated with international competitions (e.g., the Olympic Games, World Championships).
Laser therapy is often used in basketball - and with success.
A prime example is the U.S. national team, which used laser therapy at the 2012 London Olympics, where it won the gold medal. With the proper use of this form of therapy The players avoided serious injuries during both training and matches.
According to the information gathered, laser therapy was able to deal with any type of injury. In addition, the therapy was useful in alleviating the painful sequelae of acute injuries and had a positive impact on the rate of injury healing.
Laser therapy in baseball players
Baseball is characterized by an intense schedule of games. Teams must be ready for duels taking place almost every day from March at least until the end of September. Such a pattern of games involves intensity - not only of training, but also of life (e.g., traveling from place to place). So players are looking for ways to play without pain and in full health.
As a result, there are situations in which Laser therapy is given to the thrower arm. This warms up the shoulder joint, which prevents stiffness and thus optimizes performance on the field. Laser therapy is also used for acute conditions of certain injuries to reduce swelling, improve blood circulation and facilitate lymph drainage.
Treating baseball players' injuries with laser therapy
For what ailments and cases is laser therapy used in baseball?
- Shin splints (tight fascial compartment syndrome of the lower leg muscle area) - mild improvement is seen after the first treatment, while significant improvement is observed after 3, 4 sessions of laser therapy.
- Tendonitis in the shoulder - treatments help warm up the athlete before the throw and, compared to other treatments, reduce soreness and fatigue after the throw.
- Rotator cone strain - anti-inflammatory effect of laser therapy reduces soreness, and increases range of motion in the early stages of rehabilitation, which speeds up the return to exercise.
- Partial medial meniscectomy - Baseball players who have undergone laser therapy the day after surgery achieve full passive range of motion by the third day, and pain significantly decreases or disappears completely (without laser therapy, such a result was achieved no sooner than a week later).
- Arthroscopy - Laser treatments reduce wound healing time and allow sutures to be removed in as little as 8 days (without laser therapy, sutures are usually removed after 10-14 days).
- Reconstruction of the ulnar collateral ligament - The use of the laser reduces scar tissue and increases blood vessel activity in the area.
- Zapalenie powięzi podeszwowej - For 70-80% patients, symptoms resolve after 12-16 laser treatments, which should be spread over 4-6 weeks (3 treatments per week).
- Achilles tendonitis – w około 75% przypadków laseroterapia okazała się skutecznym sposobem leczenia tego urazu wśród sportowców; do osiągnięcia takich rezultatów potrzeba około 20 zabiegów (w ciężkich przypadkach nawet 30).
- Morton's neuroma - 8 to 10 treatments guarantee a treatment success rate of about 85%.
Although the above data comes from the baseball community, laser therapy can be used in the listed injuries, trauma and ailments regardless of the physical activity practiced.
Toronto Blue Jays
Laser therapy is used in Toronto Blue Jays - a professional club that plays in the MLB (Major League Basketball). According to the information gathered Laser treatments have reduced the intensity of pain for a variety of injuries. The therapy has also helped shorten the period during which a player is out of the game due to injury. Thus, the treatments make the team has more healthy players at its disposal.
Laser therapy in football players
Laseroterapia jest skuteczna w leczeniu tendinopatii ścięgna podkolanowego, which is relatively common in soccer players. A study on athletes aged 18-36 years showed that high-power laser therapy reduced the pain scale by more than 60% while increasing isokinetic peak torque (ang. isokinetic peak torque - IPT) by 13,18%.
Tendinopathy of the popliteal tendon can also occur in long-distance runners, sprinters and hockey players. Although treatment and rehabilitation should be selected on an individual basis, laser therapy can be used to treat tendinopathy regardless of sport or physical activity.
Laser therapy is not only used to treat injuries in athletes, but is also used to improve muscle performance.
One study of healthy male soccer players found that high-power laser therapy can improve IPT, as well as functional test scores.
In contrast, another study, also performed on football players, observed a Increased aerobic capacity and reduced muscle inflammation after laser therapy before an intense running test on a treadmill. Levels of creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase in the blood and the inflammatory marker IL-6, among others, were also reduced.
A way to good health and better sports performance
Laser therapy provides athletes and professional teams with a guarantee that treatment of the injury will proceed effectively, quickly and efficiently.
Not surprisingly, more and more individuals and sports organizations are opting for this form of non-surgical treatment. After all, the undeniable benefits make it possible to achieve Better sports results, while maintaining good health and full performance.
However, it is worth remembering that professional athletes are not the only beneficiaries of laser therapy. Indeed, all people who suffer from a variety of musculoskeletal ailments will benefit from this method. After therapy, patients experience less pain and experience faster and more lasting results in the treatment of their injuries.In sports medicine, where they relieve pain, reduce inflammation and speed up recovery to full health. Among the advantages of laser therapy are not only high efficacy, but also non-invasive nature, which encourages many people to take advantage of this type of treatment.
Bibliography
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