Generate Healthier Patients with Laser Therapy

Generate Healthier Patients with Laser Therapy

by Dr. Phil Harrington, D.C.

Laser therapy is a progressive service that will en-hance clinical outcomes, increase patient satisfaction and expand your market share. This article will outline six reasons why you should implement laser therapy in your practice.

1. Treat More Conditions

Laser therapy’s primary mechanism of action is biostimulatory. By enhancing cellular output of adenosine triphosphate^1,2 (ATP), injured tissues heal more rapidly and with better quality.³ As Dr. Rick Harris of Mabank, Texas, says, “Laser therapy lets me treat more conditions on so many more people. Soft tissue injuries are now a much larger part of my practice.”

2. Treat More Patients

Approximately 10% of the population currently visits a chiropractor. Patients who are “chiro-phobic” react favorably to laser therapy, because you are simply shining light on them. Once they are in your clinic, you can tell them the Chiropractic Story. And, even if they choose not to get adjusted, at least you have helped them, and not someone else down the street. “I have more patients presenting with a much wider range of conditions for laser treatment,” says Dr. Ben Acree of Fort Dodge, Iowa.

3. Increased Clinical Results

Laser therapy is an excellent adjunct to all chiropractic services. When used in combination with adjustment, decompression, or soft tissue work, many chiropractors have witnessed improved clinical results. Therapy lasers accelerate tissue repair and growth,^4,5 improve nerve function,⁶ and reduce inflammation⁷ and scar tissue formation.⁸ Dr. Harris adds, “I’m getting results with laser therapy that I couldn’t even dream of with any of the other modalities I’ve utilized.” And Dr. J. R. Kille of Springfield, Missouri, adds, “I have had dramatic results with post knee replacement therapy in as little as three laser treatments.”

4. Added Revenue Stream

You can incorporate laser therapy into your practice by having the doctor perform the treatment, having a trained chiropractic assistant administer the laser prior to the patient’s seeing the doctor, or to have a “stand-alone” laser therapy center—a clinic within a clinic. Laser therapy is a new stream of revenue in your clinic that adds new patient visits and value to existing patient visits. “A laser is an expensive piece of equipment for sure. But it started covering the cost of the system after only one month of use, so it is definitely a worthwhile investment,” says Dr. Kille.

5. Increased Patient Compliance

Patients being treated with laser therapy will usually improve faster than without and, if they can feel a difference quickly, they will be more likely to return for care, as well as refer family and friends. Dr. Kille says, “My newspaper ads bring in new patients because laser is the latest technology, but they keep coming in because it works.”

6. Stay on the Cutting Edge and Avoid Burnout

Since they have been cleared for use in the US for less than ten years, therapy lasers are cutting edge technology. Progressive chiropractors appeal to educated patients. Through increased patient flow and improved clinical outcomes, adding laser therapy to your practice can also help you avoid burnout. Dr. Harris says, “I think that the best part of laser therapy is the ability to get results on my chronic and difficult patients. It is so much more fun at work now.” Another chiropractor added, “The laser has given me an excitement about helping people that I haven’t felt since discovering chiropractic itself!”

We can complain about how the world is treating us, or we can change the way we treat the world. Adding laser therapy to your practice can give numerous benefits to you and your patients. “The single most beneficial move I have ever made for my patients in 24 years of practice was implementing laser therapy,” says Dr. Dan Knapp of Sarasota, Florida.