MLS Laser Therapy Helps Athletes Recover From Sports Injuries

How Our Maryland Foot Doctors Help You Get Back in Action With MLS Laser Therapy

Sometimes, in spite of your best efforts to avoid a sports injury, you still get hurt. Then, you’re in pain and losing time, sitting on the bench, when you should be training or in the game. At Annapolis Foot & Ankle Center, we treat all types of athletes with sports injuries. Our Central Maryland offices offer a wide range of traditional and state-of-the-art interventions, including Multiwave Locked System (MLS) laser therapy. MLS laser therapy is a form of regenerative medicine that enhances your body’s own healing abilities without the use of pharmaceuticals, so you’re off the injured list and playing again more quickly, without worrying about drug interactions or side effects.

How MLS Laser Therapy Works

MLS laser therapy utilizes a medical-grade laser approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to penetrate the skin around an injury with near-infrared light. It helps improve circulation and stimulate cell production in ligaments, cartilage, tendons, and bones, without the risk of thermal damage. MLS technology uses two therapeutic wavelengths:

• 808nm, to help reduce swelling and inflammation
• 905nm, which provides analgesic properties

The combined delivery of these wavelengths offers more benefits than either wavelength could alone.

MLS laser therapy is highly effective, with 90 percent of patients stating that it improves their symptoms and the functioning of the injured area. Some people worry that MLS laser therapy will hurt or burn their skin. While some patients report a slight tingling or warming sensation, many patients report not feeling anything.

MLS laser therapy helps you heal faster, without pain, medication, or downtime, so you can get back to the game—naturally.

Benefits of Laser Therapy

Our patients who utilize laser therapy appreciate that it:

• Is trusted by professional athletes and sports teams to treat their sports injuries.
• Reduces discomfort by temporarily blocking pain receptors
• Decreases stiffness and swelling.
• Doesn’t require them to apply ointments, change bandages, or perform other aftercare.
• Stimulates their immune system to respond to injuries in the affected area.
• Helps their injuries to heal faster by improving collagen production.
• Doesn’t require lengthy appointments or hospital visits—typically, treatments last between a few minutes and half an hour in our office.
• Is completely pain-free.
• Doesn’t require recovery time after treatment.
• Can help them avoid surgery and anesthesia and the related side effects.
• Doesn’t interact with medications they may be taking.
• Can be utilized with other interventions like custom orthotics and physical therapy to optimize healing.
• Decreases how much scar tissue forms following an injury.
• Often leads to long-lasting or permanent healing, starting after just a few sessions.
• Generally requires only 6–12 sessions total, spaced out to occur once or twice per week.
• Can be stopped without side effects should you be among the 10 percent of patients who find MLS doesn’t help.
• Actually treats the underlying problem, rather than just masking the symptoms.
• Isn’t expensive, even in cases where it’s not covered by health insurance.

Sports Injuries MLS Laser Therapy Can Treat

At Annapolis Foot & Ankle Center, we recommend MLS laser therapy to treat a wide variety of chronic and acute sports injuries, such as:

• Sprains. If your foot twists awkwardly or uncomfortably, leading to ligament damage, you can develop a sprain.
• Strains. Muscles and tendons become overstretched, as a result of a single trauma or chronic overuse, causing a strain.
• Stress fractures. These tiny cracks form in the bones of your feet as a result of running, dancing, or other high-impact activities.
• Muscle tears. These result from similar conditions as strains, but have the more severe consequence of the muscle partially or completely tearing.
• Tendon injuries. Chronic, overuse injuries and acute trauma can both cause tendon injuries. Achilles tendonitis is a common type of tendon injury resulting from overuse.
• Sesamoid injuries. These sports injuries happen when tendons and bones in the ball of the foot become inflamed.
• Plantar fasciitis. When the fibrous tissue that connects the heel bone to the toes becomes inflamed from extensive strain, you may experience plantar fasciitis, which usually manifests as pain in your heel.

Is MLS Laser Therapy Right for You?

As with any other medical treatment, there may be people or conditions for which MLS laser therapy isn’t the best option. Our Central Maryland podiatrists at Annapolis Foot & Ankle Center will ensure that you receive a timely, accurate diagnosis and the right treatments for your sports injury, based on your unique situation. 

Before recommending any form of treatment, we:

• Review your medical history.
• Perform a thorough physical examination.
• Discuss your symptoms and what may have caused them.
• Utilize medical imaging tools, if needed, to confirm suspected diagnoses.

Some patients for whom we frequently recommend MLS laser therapy include:

• Individuals with pain that hasn’t responded to more conservative treatment options
• Athletes with recent injuries that keep them from training for or playing their sport
• People who want to avoid surgery
• Patients who don’t want to rely on medication to relieve their discomfort

As you begin to heal from your injury, our foot and ankle specialists provide detailed treatment plans to guide you on how best to avoid future sports injuries.

When You Should Call Annapolis Foot & Ankle Center

You may be able to treat minor sports injuries at home, with a combination of ice, rest, elevation, compression, and over-the-counter pain relief. However, if your injury is severe or doesn’t respond to these treatments, call our Annapolis or Stevensville offices to schedule an appointment. Signs that you should be seen include:

• Severe swelling
• Intense pain
• Lumps, bumps, or other deformities 
• Weakness or difficulty bearing weight
• Instability
• Decreased range of motion

We take a holistic approach to podiatry care, treating your feet and overall health with interventions that are tailored to your activities and concerns. Our doctors are thoroughly trained and experienced. We offer various treatment options, which range from traditional to modern and non-invasive to surgical. We proudly serve Annapolis and surrounding areas:

• Anne Arundel County
• Prince George County
• Calvert County
• St. Mary’s County
• Kent Island and the Eastern Shore