Laser Surgery for CTS: Facts & Options
Some practitioners are now promoting a new “low-level laser therapy” or so called “cold laser therapy” as another conservative alternative to invasive Carpal Tunnel Surgery. People are now hearing a lot about lasers use in medical applications and are often confused by the technological complexity.
By The Carpal Solution Medical Team Over 300 years combined medical experience
Laser Surgery for CTS: Facts & Options
Some practitioners are now promoting a new “low-level laser therapy” or so called “cold laser therapy” as another conservative alternative to invasive Carpal Tunnel Surgery. People are now hearing a lot about lasers use in medical applications and are often confused by the technological complexity.
By The Carpal Solution Medical Team Over 300 years combined medical experience
Carpal Tunnel Laser Surgery
The pain and numbness associated with carpal tunnel syndrome can be cruel and debilitating. Whether you are a computer professional who has been sidelined from work by aggravated CTS, a hairstylist who is limited in doing their magic with clients, a professional driver or a day laborer who can’t lift heavy objects or operate machinery without pain, most are looking for alternatives to invasive high risk surgery with all its complications and downtime.
Yet many CTS sufferers run the gauntlet of conventional medical therapies without much success. Some practitioners are now promoting a new “low-level laser therapy” or so called “cold laser therapy” as another conservative alternative to invasive Carpal Tunnel Surgery. People are now hearing a lot about lasers use in medical applications and are often confused by the technological complexity.
At MyCarpalTunnel.com we give you reliable information and compelling video interviews with doctors and users of the Carpal Solution Therapy in user friendly layman’s terms to serve as a framework for making your decisions on how to manage your hand condition.
On this page focused on “Laser Surgery”, you will find a brief summary of laser use in medical applications, the different levels of power that can be applied, and some no-nonsense recommendations to help you in your decision process. As one person recently requested: “Just the facts, Please!”
Lasers are finding wide use for cosmetic medical applications such as removing tattoos, scars, stretch marks, sunspots, wrinkles, birthmarks, or unwanted hair removal. Success is readily determined visually after the procedure and often depends on the skill and the experience of the practitioner and the degree of tissue damage of the skin which is being attempted to be repaired.
More serious medical applications include more invasive surgical procedures where the advantages of lasers result from tissue that can be severed and cauterized simultaneously from the intense energy being deployed by the sharp laser light and directed at a small isolated target with precision.
Again the skill of the surgeon is key to success here and after the procedure one clearly knows whether it was successful or not. A good example of this type of surgery is Lasik, or laser vision correction surgery. When it is done right a skilled surgeon can eliminate the need to wear corrective lenses in many people with vision issues freeing them to do things without wearing glasses everywhere.
“Carpal Tunnel Laser Surgery” is talked about a lot by people, but the reality is, this is a misnomer. No one actually does “Surgery severing the Transverse Carpal Ligament with a Laser”. That would not be a good application of Laser Scalpels. What is done for the treatment of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome with a laser is low level laser therapy to stimulate blood circulation and disperse inflammation. This can be a helpful therapy for relieving the symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. But it does get to be expensive and time consuming for temporary relief of the symptoms. Cold Laser Therapy is a complimentary treatment to long term relief with the Carpal Solution Treatment System.
What is Cold Laser Therapy and Does it Work to Treat Carpal Tunnel?
Low-level lasers, also known as “cold lasers” or non-thermal lasers, are used as a repetitive therapy for pain and soft tissue injuries. It refers to the use of a “red-beam” that is similar to infrared lasers with a wavelength between 600 and 1000 nanometers and powered by wattage ranging from 5 to 500 milli-watts.
To give a rough idea of the relative power being used in low level laser therapy. The power behind a laser used in surgical procedures is typically around 300 Watts or at least 600 times more powerful than the low-level or cold laser therapy.
When applied to the skin, the low-level lasers produce no sensation of any kind and do not burn the skin or surrounding tissue, because of the low absorption by human skin and surface tissue and the low level power being applied broadly to the area of injury or pain.
It is hypothesized by supporters of Low-Level Laser Therapy that the laser light can penetrate deeply into the tissues where it has a “photo-bio-stimulative effect”. The exact mechanism of its effect on carpal tunnel and other pain syndromes is not well understood by the medical community. Supporters suggest that its works by improving cellular repair through stimulation of the immune, lymphatic, and vascular systems. This seems plausible, but is difficult to prove and can only be judged based on the results. As such, this Cold Laser Therapy could be complimentary to Carpal Solution Therapy, but is much more expensive and time consuming.
One published Cold Laser Treatment Regimen for CTS consists of application of the laser by the practitioner at the clinic over the Carpal Canal three times a week for five weeks. The treatment is indicated for adjunctive use in the temporary relief of hand and wrist pain associated with carpal tunnel syndrome. Other protocols have used low-level laser energy applied to acupuncture points on the body. This technique has been referred to as “laser acupuncture.”
While there may be some benefit of this type of Low-Level Laser Therapy, having to visit a medical practitioner three times a week over five weeks for temporary relief of the symptoms of a chronic syndrome like CTS could get very expensive and consume a lot of free time for temporary relief of the pain associated with this condition.
What are the Risks of Carpal Tunnel Surgery?
If one decided to have Carpal Tunnel Surgery, it would not serve much value to perform Carpal Tunnel surgery with a laser because in the surgery the Transverse Carpal Ligament is being severed. This ligament does not contain many blood vessels or consist of tissue that can bleed, so the advantage of laser surgery cauterizing as it cuts is not great nor is there a need for the extreme precision that laser surgery can offer. Also, if a laser were being used to cut the Transverse Carpal Ligament, it would have to be the high powered surgical laser which if it accidentally came in contact with the Median Nerve could do extreme permanent damage to the nerve.
Even conventional Surgery is a risky, invasive solution for the CTS condition and it is not a permanent fix even when it works well. For these reasons most medical professionals and health insurers suggest it should only be considered as a last resort after conservative reliable therapies are tried like the Carpal Solution Therapy.
Full details on the conventional carpal tunnel surgery go to the link highlighted above.
The Carpal Solution is a reliable and inexpensive method of alleviating the pain, discomfort, tingling, numbness, and irritation associated with inflamed carpal tunnel. You strap on the soft wrist brace at night and let the uniquely engineered device do its work by gently tugging at three key areas on the palm of the hand – stretching out and retraining the soft tissue. The Carpal Solution device is easy to use and does not consume a lot of time from your busy schedule, since you use it at night while sleeping.
The Carpal Solution has demonstrated remarkable response in 95 percent of patients. Please browse My Carpal Tunnel Home for details on the clinical study, compelling video testimonials, and doctors interviews discussing the root causes of CTS, discussions and debunking of myths associated with the condition, and much more. The comprehensive medical website will provide you with all you need to know to get control of your Carpal Tunnel Syndrome symptoms without risky, time consuming procedures or expensive routine medical visits.
The Carpal Solution has been used by over 450,000 people and continues to get a 97% success rate among patients. Neurologist call the Carpal Solution a better first line of defense for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Patients simply call it: “My Carpal Tunnel Cure!”
How Does The Carpal Solution Work?
The Carpal Solution is Self-Applied Before Retiring to Bed in Three Easy Steps
The Carpal Solution is Self-Applied Before Retiring to Bed in Three Easy Steps
How does The Carpal Solution Compare to Surgery?
Surgery
$12,000
Cost without Insurance
60%
Success Rate
365 days+
Wait time for treatment
The Carpal Solution
$92.95
Cost without Insurance
97%
Success Rate
7 days
Wait time for treatment