I'll admit I was a little skeptical after living with chronic pain for so long but I do think the laser treatment really worked! There is also some cool new research backing it and I'm hoping the research will continue because it seems like a very promising option for both pain and neuropathy.
I had my first session last week. I have hypermobile EDS, a connective tissue disorder which causes things to pop out of place and just general muscle/joint pain. For me it most commonly causes a lot of tension and pain in my upper shoulders and neck, which I get physical therapy for every three weeks and which contributes to my chronic migraines. Last week I had my first laser session after my rheumatologist recommended Dr Kraft, saying it helped another EDS patient of hers. I had just had a session of PT and recently other treatments that have helped a lot, so my pain was only at about a 3 or 4 out of 10 at the time. The day after treatment I felt a little more sore which they warned may happen since there may be some initial exasperated inflammation in the healing process, but then the following day I had no pain at all which is still the case 5 days later! It is very rare for me to have no pain let alone for 5 days. Very cool! I also have this very annoying tingling in my hands and feet that he says is probably small fiber neuropathy. He did the one hand that is worse due to a previous surgery, and I have in fact had very little tingling in that arm since! I came back for a session today as it had been prescheduled, we just did my hands and legs this time since my shoulders are pain-free, and he recommended I cancel the upcoming appts and just call to schedule as needed since I may get long lasting relief after responding to treatment so well- possibly even a couple months! Pretty incredible that 15 min of laser treatment can have those effects.
For anyone curious about the process- it's a warm sensation like a blow dryer (not painful). Afterward the first session I weirdly felt SO exhausted for the rest of the day. As mentioned the next day I was more sore but manageable- maybe a level 5 or 6. Then the next day voila , the pain was gone! Full disclaimer which they discuss during the appt- I think I responded way quicker than most people do. He mentioned EDS patients for some reason tend to respond quicker than other types of pain, but even so a lot of people need a few sessions before they see results . So if you give it a shot (which you definitely should, what's there to lose!) don't expect to see results right away.
Dr Kraft and all the ladies are so nice and it is so amazing that the visits were covered by insurance (I have anthem blue shield PPO). They can also get you in on pretty short notice and I really appreciated that he recommended cancelling the scheduled twice weekly appointments and coming in as needed since I responded so well-they could've just had me keep coming to make money but it's clear the goal is really just trying to get people's pain reduced and they're happy to modify the plan at any point based on individual needs. Oh! And lastly they have a bunch of locations so if you want to see more reviews you can check those out. read more