The Wave of the Future in Pain Management

By John M. Sigle, DPM, FACFAS, Foot & Ankle Center of Illinois

When Brian heard the pop in his groin area during heavy weight lifting at the gym, he knew immediately that something was wrong.  A chronic tennis elbow problem caused John so much pain and irritation that he considered quitting the men’s senior tennis league.  Planter fasciitis was so problematic for Joe that he had a difficult time giving his son a soccer workout and even had to stop his personal training sessions. Jennifer’s skiing accident during a weekend getaway vacation resulted in a rotator cuff injury that was painful and made it nearly impossible to turn the steering wheel of her car.  When Hunter received a deep bone bruise during a high school football game, he experienced considerable pain and wondered if his season was over. Years of repetitive keyboarding at work, took its toll on Chuck’s elbow, wrist, and fingers causing severe pain and numbness. Lisa suffered debilitating back and hip pain since high school and she had a difficult time getting out of bed.

Thanks to John Sigle, DPM, and Jarred Kennedy, DC, the Illinois Laser Center in Springfield, Illinois, is the first facility in Central Illinois to offer the next generation MLS Laser Therapy. Now, Brian, John, Joe, Jennifer, Hunter, Chuck, Lisa, and many others are experiencing extraordinary results because of this cutting edge technology and specialized care.

“It is pretty amazing therapy,” said Dr. Kennedy. “We call it the magic wand. I was able to use a pain therapy laser in chiropractic school and I am very excited to be able to offer this new and dramatic treatment option to our patients. Many patients, who haven’t had physical therapy for years, are able to get instant relief of pain. If you want an alternative therapy that is fast, effective, and affordable, this is wonderful option.”

According to Dr. Sigle, “Many of the NFL, NBA, MLB, and Division I college teams are using this technology to reduce pain and inflammation and to kick start the healing process for their players. We have been using this technology at our clinic for nearly a year now and the results have been super.”

“Now I can use the laser in conjunction with other chiropractic protocols,” said Dr. Kennedy. “The laser also has dual simultaneous waves, which work in a synergistic fashion thus giving me the results I like to see, and what my patients are looking for. We have seen a reduction in tendonitis, joint swelling, bulging discs, rotator cuff tears, carpal tunnel, and other shoulder and elbow indications. The laser reduces nerve impingement and increases range of motion in joints with previous surgery. The results are pretty phenomenal and eight out of ten patients have dramatic results.”

“After trying casts and braces, and enduring a series of cortisone injections in his ankle, one of my patients was at a dead end. I started him on the MLS laser treatments and within the three weeks of therapy and rest, the pain was gone,” said Dr. Sigle.

According to Dr. Sigle, “We are achieving great results with athletes especially sprains, muscle strains, contusions and bruises, muscle tears, plantar fasciitis, ankle arthrosis, tendonitis, and heel pain.  We have also used it to reduce post-operative pain and swelling.   We recently had an opportunity to treat a high school football player who was able to resume play after having a serious deep bone bruise. After a couple of treatments, he was able to play pain free and received Player of the Game. After a couple of additional treatments, he continued to excel and made the All-Conference team. It is not hard to understand why this laser is considered to be a secret weapon by some professional teams like the Dallas Cowboys, Oakland Raiders, Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans, Milwaukee Bucks, and Cleveland Cavaliers, just to name a few.”

Prior to purchasing this technology, we explored all the options and discovered that this particular laser offers a real breakthrough in pain relief and restoration of mobility.  The dual wave MLS Laser relieves pain and reduces inflammation by increasing blood flow to the treated area. The laser sends photons of light deep into the damaged tissue and stimulates the damaged cells at the mitochondrial level to produce ATP and excrete cytokines and histamine. Basically, it kick starts the healing process in tendons, ligaments, and muscles.  They can repair themselves up to 30 percent faster. 

The MLS Laser Therapy is being used by chiropractors, podiatrists, physical therapists, pain specialists, team athletic trainers and orthopedic physicians.  It has proven to be effective on a wide range of physical ailments including tendon and ligament injuries, soft tissue injuries, muscle strains and tears, sore muscles and joints, back pain, neurological pain, chronic wounds, general pain, musculoskeletal disorders, pre-and post-surgical treatment, and anti-inflammation applications.

“We are pleased to offer the patients an alternative to injections or other invasive treatments.  This is an alternative for patients who are not achieving what they want with more traditional modalities,” exclaimed Dr. Sigle.

“When patients ask me what they feel during the treatment,” said Dr. Kennedy, “I tell them, you will not feel anything. There is no warmth, no needles jabbing you, and no itching sensation. The treatments are short, and the relief is often felt by the time the patient gets home.”

When asked about the results from this treatment, Dr. Sigle states that, “Thousands of patients across the country have tried this laser with results that are positive. Usually, patients see significant results the same day they receive treatment. Pain is definitely less and they leave with more mobility. Patients come in with acute swelling and tendonitis around the ankle joint or foot, and after one treatment I have been able to significantly reduce their symptoms.  After three to four sessions, I am able to get most patients resolved.  Patients have been surprised and very happy.”

When asked how many treatments will a person need, Dr. Kennedy states, “We are successfully treating high school athletes with an acute ankle sprain that want to get back to sport sooner and it looks like after three treatments, 90 percent of the pain is gone; whereas it might have taken another two or three weeks with normal therapy. That’s a lifetime to a 16-year-old who is about to miss half the football season. If we are seeing improvement within the first three weeks, we recommend continuing treatment. For an acute condition, maybe five treatments will do the trick. Following that, it’s reasonable to expect that a patient will need maintenance treatments down the road, but that’s the initial protocol.”

When asked if there is a possibility that the treatment will not work, Dr. Kennedy is candid to claim that, “There’s always that chance and that nothing works for everything. We never promise anything to anybody but the results we have seen so far have been positive for over 80 percent of the patients.”

According to Dr. Sigle, “MLS Laser treatment has meant relief from pain without medication or surgery for the vast majority of cases. We are the only medical clinic from Chicago to Alton that offers this technology. It is non-invasive. It has no side effects and people are getting better. In a sense, this has truly enhanced my practice. In the past I would have had to say I am sorry that there is nothing else I can offer you. Now we have something to offer our patients and can manage their pain in an entirely new way. This is great new technology and has enhanced the way we approach pain management. Now we are in a very strong position to restore, rejuvenate, and heal.”

To receive additional information or to schedule an appointment, call the Illinois Laser Center at 217-670-2160. The Illinois Laser Center is located at 2921 Montvale Drive, Springfield, Illinois 62704.

Dr. Sigle Biography
Dr. Sigle is the founder and owner of the Foot & Ankle Center of Illinois and the Illinois Laser Center, both located at 2921 Montvale Drive in Springfield, Illinois. Dr. Sigle received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, and a doctorate in Podiatric Medicine from Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine, Chicago, Illinois. He completed a three-year podiatric and surgical residency program at Botsford General Hospital, Farmington Hills, Michigan. During his residency, he participated in the Baja Project providing surgical treatment for children with disabilities at the Mexicali Red Cross Hospital and pediatric surgical missions to Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Central America, and the San Felipe Hospital. He also completed a Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery rotation at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Sigle is board-certified through the American Board of Podiatric Surgery in Foot Surgery and has advanced certification from the American Board of Podiatric Surgery in Reconstructive/Rearfoot and Ankle Surgery. He is currently on the physician’s panel for Memorial Medical Center’s Wound Healing Center and a Clinical Assistant Professor at SIU HealthCare, Division of Orthopaedics.