Some injuries heal on their own with rest and time. Others linger for months, causing pain that disrupts your sleep, limits your movement, and keeps you from doing the things you enjoy.

At Advanced Pain Management Center in Portland, Oregon, interventional pain management specialist Vladimir Fiks, MD, offers multiwave locked system (MLS) laser therapy — a painless treatment that uses specific wavelengths of light to reduce inflammation and speed up cellular repair without any downtime.

How light therapy reduces pain and inflammation

MLS laser therapy delivers concentrated light energy into damaged tissues. The specific wavelengths penetrate several centimeters below your skin’s surface, reaching inflamed joints, irritated nerves, and injured soft tissues that other treatments can’t access without needles or incisions.

When light energy enters damaged cells, it stimulates intercellular activity that reduces pain and accelerates healing. Your cells use this energy to repair themselves faster than they would through natural processes alone. Once the cells recover, the pain subsides and function improves.

The laser targets inflammation at the cellular level, which is why it works for conditions that haven’t responded to surface treatments like ice, heat, or topical medications.

Conditions that respond to MLS laser therapy

Dr. Fiks uses MLS laser therapy to treat acute injuries and chronic pain conditions, including:

• Arthritis in joints throughout your body
• Tendonitis and bursitis
• Muscle strains and ligament sprains
• Nerve pain and neuropathy
• Chronic back and neck pain
• Plantar fasciitis
• Rotator cuff injuries
• Tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow

The treatment works particularly well for people who can’t tolerate medications due to side effects or who want to avoid repeated injections. It also helps athletes and active people who need faster recovery without the risks that come with invasive procedures.

What to expect during and after treatment

Each MLS laser therapy session lasts about 8 minutes. You sit or lie comfortably while Dr. Fiks moves the laser device over the affected area. Most people feel a gentle warmth where the light penetrates, but the treatment causes no discomfort.

There’s no recovery period. You can return to work and normal activities immediately after each session.

How quickly results appear

Most people notice improvement within 1-3 treatments. Acute injuries — like a recent muscle strain or tendonitis flare-up — often respond quickly, sometimes resolving completely within one phase of treatment.

Chronic conditions that have persisted for months or years typically require more sessions to achieve lasting relief. The effects build with each treatment as damaged cells continue repairing themselves between sessions.

Treatment frequency and duration

The average course of treatment involves 7-10 sessions scheduled over several weeks. Dr. Fiks determines the exact protocol based on your condition’s severity and how your body responds to initial treatments.

It’s important to complete the full course of treatments once you start. Stopping early means inflammation and pain are more likely to return before your cells finish repairing themselves. The cumulative effect of multiple sessions produces better long-term results than occasional treatments.

MLS laser therapy vs. other pain treatments

Unlike treatments that provide temporary relief, MLS laser therapy addresses the underlying cellular damage causing your pain.

The treatment carries minimal risk compared to invasive procedures. There are no incisions, anesthesia, or a chance of infection or surgical complications. You also avoid the side effects that come with long-term medication use.

Pain relief without needles or downtime in Portland, Oregon

Chronic pain shouldn’t mean accepting ongoing discomfort or undergoing invasive procedures when less aggressive options exist. MLS laser therapy provides a middle ground between conservative care that hasn’t worked and surgery you’d rather avoid.

Call Advanced Pain Management Center in Portland today or schedule a consultation online. Dr. Fiks can evaluate whether MLS laser therapy makes sense for your specific pain condition.