OrthoLazer Center providers are changing the way they treat patients when it comes to steroid injections. For some patients, laser therapy is a more effective and safer alternative than corticosteroids.

What every clinician needs to know when evaluating what’s best for your patient’s plan of care:

• The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons recommends laser therapy for treatment of knee osteoarthritis while intra-articular steroid injections  remains controversial.
• The Centers for Disease Control endorse laser therapy as a top line alternative for acute and post operative conditions.
• Laser therapy has a reparative response to soft tissue with no risk of cartilage breakdown, a known concern of steroids.
• There are no clinically significant systemic side effects associated with photobiomodulation.
• Laser Therapy is non-invasive and completely painless.
• Laser therapy is an excellent alternative for diabetic patients, with no impact to blood sugar levels, a risk of steroid injections.
• Because it’s cellularly mediated, laser has a higher predictability for long term relief than steroid injections, which last only 3-6 weeks.
• The two treatments can be used together for a short and long-term approach to controlling inflammation.
• And last but not least- OrthoLazer surgeons and clinicians around the country are using laser therapy to treat acute, post operative and chronic conditions with incredible success.

Looking to learn more about the relationship between laser therapy and steroid injections? This sheet provides additional comparison. Share this with your patients and colleagues interested in laser therapy as a better treatment.

Want more Clinical News? All previous editions are archived in the OrthoLazer Knowledge Center!