Ballet practices, jazz lessons, even weekend hip-hop get downs – no matter what your favorite genre of dancing is, your feet and ankles face the risk of a unique set of injuries due to the high physical demands they endure while you are out there busting your moves.
And unfortunately, when it comes to pain, we often tend to think along the lines of “if I wait long enough, it will go away.” But ignoring the problem isn’t always the most effective course of action. In fact, it’s almost never the most effective way to deal with pain. Doing so can lead to further damage and more discomfort. What’s worse, by the time you actually seek medical attention, you may need more intensive treatment to address the problem.
Though our bodies have awesome healing capabilities, sometimes we need to help them get the job done. This is especially true if your feet and ankles endure abnormal stresses and strains that continue to injure the tissues that your body is trying to repair. All the twists, turns, and jumps will undo the healing work your body has done, or even make it worse than it was before.
But there is good news: When your body needs that extra help healing foot or ankle injuries, you can turn to laser therapy for pain relief. Whether you have just started feeling discomfort or if you have been pushing through the pain for a long time, laser therapy may be able to find you relief.
Even better: You can find this type of treatment at our Massapequa Podiatry Associates office!
Our foot and ankle experts are trained to understand the complex movements that dancers perform, and specialize on identifying and treating common dance-related injuries. So, if you are suffering from a dance related injury, you should contact our office right away and schedule a consultation to discuss if laser therapy is right for you.
But first, let’s talk a little more about common foot and ankle injuries for dancers and how laser therapy can help.
Common Dance Injuries
Typically, dance injuries are caused by overuse. Repetitive movements, muscle tension, strains, and improper technique can all contribute to the development of many painful conditions, from sprains to fractures and everything in between.
Some of these include:
- Muscle or ligament tears
- Muscle spams
- Achilles tendinitis
- Plantar fasciitis
- Dislocations
- Shin splints
- Neuromas
The list can go on forever. But for as many conditions your dancing feet may face, there are just as many treatment options available to help you find the relief you need to keep dancing. And one of them is the K-laser therapy method.
What is Laser Therapy?
Now, you are probably thinking “how can a laser help me get rid of foot or ankle problems?”
Well, laser therapy aims to provide relief from pain caused by underlying issues, like Achilles tendinitis and plantar fasciitis. This form of treatment combines heat and light energy that penetrates to the origin of pain with very specific wavelengths. They stimulate and help the body’s own natural healing processes (that extra boost we were talking about earlier).
Laser therapy will:
- Increase metabolic activity within cells. The light energy stimulates cells to produce more of their own energy and increase their activity. The functions of cells, performing at a higher rate, help repair the injured area and provide pain relief faster.
- Increase circulation to needed areas. As the laser stimulates functions of cells, it will also increase blood flow to and around the injured area. This will allow the necessary amount of oxygen, water and nutrients to be delivered to the injured area for repair and reduction of swelling.
In essence, laser therapy can significantly reduce – or even altogether eliminate – pain by boosting the functions of the body’s cells so that they can heal injuries faster. In many cases, laser therapy may be used in conjunction with other treatment methods, like custom orthotics and physical therapy, to directly address the underlying cause and prevent it from reoccurring.
Does Laser Therapy Hurt?
The short answer is: No – laser therapy doesn’t hurt at all!
Though some patients have reported experiencing minor warmth or tingling in the area being treated, that is about as “painful” as it gets. In fact, you will likely start feeling significant pain relief after your very first session (although in some cases, it can take two or three sessions before the initial pain relief is felt). And, over the course of consecutive treatment sessions, you can expect to feel increasingly better.
But wait, it gets better. Usually a session will only last about 10 minutes – or even less! Not to mention that there is no need for medication before, during, or after treatment. You can just get on your feet, walk right out the door and go on about your daily business.
So Let Us Help You!
If your feet are hurting, don’t ignore their cries for help! Our foot and ankle experts at Massapequa Podiatry Associates can help you achieve peak performance so you can rock your moves throughout the stage or on the dance floor!
