Dr. Eric Wiens, DC
About Dr. Eric Wiens, DC, Laser Therapist
117 Centrepointe Drive | Nepean | ON | Tel: 613-225-1127 Improving the lives of those we touch.
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Dr. Eric’s Laser Therapy Story
Published September 8, 2011 | 
I’m always amazed where inspiration comes from. We were at an event in June at Carlingwood Mall. I was speaking to a lady about the problems she previously had with carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands. After two failed surgeries on both hands, ten years of constant pain and not being able to work, she had read about a laser clinic in Toronto.
“What happened?” I asked. Turns out she went to this clinic run by a medical doctor named Dr Fred Kahn. Within a matter of several days, in her words, “everything was back to normal.”
At events like this, I talk to lots of people and to be honest, at the end of the day, it all usually seems like a blur. This was different. I had a very vivid memory of this conversation. I did a Google search on Dr Kahn and came up with Meditech International Inc. They develop, research and manufacture laser equipment as well as running two clinics in downtown Toronto and Etobicoke.
To make a long story short, after a couple of trips to Toronto, a weekend of training and certification, I am pleased to tell you that we now offer the latest in laser therapy for the treatment of a wide variety of conditions.
Laser therapy has been developed extensively over the last several decades. There is a very impressive and growing body of research that has very clearly defined the mechanism by how it works and its effectiveness with a variety of conditions.
As a chiropractor, laser therapy offers many advantages to the therapist and patient. It is totally non-invasive and non toxic. Those who shy away from traditional chiropractic treatments can receive care from a chiropractor without being adjusted.
Click here to view a detailed description of Low Intensity Laser Therapy.
Please contact me if you have any questions about low intensity laser therapy and how it may benefit you or your family and friends.
Posted in Laser Therapy | 
choices, Dr. Eric Wiens, injuries, laser therapy, low intensity laser therapy, pain, teaching | 
Leave a commentRehabilitation with the Bioflex Laser
Published February 1, 2011 | By Dr. Eric Wiens, DC, Laser Therapist
Laser therapy has allowed me to help people with many conditions that as a chiropractor, I would not be able to do anything for. I see people get better quicker with great lasting effects. They get back to living their lives quicker with much less time effort and expense.
In our clinic we have seen great results with laser therapy treating
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Neck Pain & Headaches
- Shoulder & Rotator Cuff Conditions
- Arthritis (Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid) affecting a variety of joints
- Edema, especially around the ankles of seniors
- Acute sprains and strains caused by a variety of activities
- Plantar fasciitis
- Pain associated with varicose veins
- Hematoma/Bruising from various injuries
- Pain, Swelling, Stiffness in knees after knee replacement
- Fibromyalgia
- The list continues to grow
It is essential to understand the primary effects specific laser energy has on tissues. All injuries, sprains, strains and degenerative disease have a common link, INFLAMMATION.
A question I get all the time is “Can laser therapy help me with…?” Laser therapy can be applied to any area of the body, because the fundamental problem is tissue related, not area specific.
Inflammation deep within tissues and joints is what causes pain, loss of mobility, edema and tissue destruction. The most serious consequences of chronic inflammation are the failure of tissues to heal, loss of function and the progression of chronic pain.
The purpose of laser therapy is to eliminate symptoms and restore normal function by resolving the inflammatory process, allowing natural processes to heal tissues. This decreases or eliminates the need for pain and anti-inflammatory drugs.
Most importantly, it allows people to maintain a healthy, active lifestyle doing the things they need and love to do.
Posted in Laser Therapy | bioflex laser, injuries, laser therapy, low intensity laser therapy, pain, rehab, rehabilitation | 1 CommentEvidence Based Healthcare
Published November 1, 2010 | 
By Dr. Eric Wiens, DC, Laser Therapist
This is a term that will be heard more and more in the coming years because the economics of healthcare is a disaster.
Managers of government and insurance sponsored payments are becoming much more stringent as to the proven value of the service delivered for the dollar paid, as well they should.
Various sources suggest roughly 10-25% of conventional therapies actually have appropriate studies and documentation to support their effectiveness. This is a very low number considering the billions of dollars that go towards healthcare, private, public and otherwise.
Laser therapy is unique because of the very high level of documentation showing its effectiveness both clinically and economically. The level of pure scientific and clinical studies is vast, global and growing rapidly.
Laser has been shown to be the treatment of choice for soft tissue, joint, acute and chronic pain because it works to normalize cell and tissue function. It triggers the body to heal instead of simply modulating symptoms.
Below are links to some interesting articles. If you have any questions or would like to discuss a particular health concern, please don't hesitate to contact me.
What is the Difference Between Low Intensity Laser Therapy and other Laser Therapies?
Published September 1, 2010 | 
By Dr. Eric Wiens, DC, Laser Therapist
Specific wavelengths of light have a different effect. Some might stimulate cell growth, blood flow or protein production for example. Our laser uses three different frequencies in the red and infrared spectrum to do all this and much more.
The biggest difference is power and time used. Our laser uses 750 to 1500 milliwatts, very low power used over 30-60 minutes. A laser for cutting or burning would be 100s if not 1000s of Watts in power used for fractions or multiples of a second.
The take-home is the kind of light used, the power put behind it and how long it is applied. Low intensity laser therapy is specific wavelengths of light with very low power levels applied over time.
Acute Injuries and Conditions
Published August 1, 2010 | 
By Dr. Eric Wiens
Acute injuries related to the muscles, joints, ligaments and other related soft tissues have been described as the weakest link in modern health care. Why? Because the usual treatment of simply treating pain doesn't address healing the damage which leads to increasing disability over time and speeds the arthritic/degenerative/aging process.
Low intensity laser has a dramatic healing effect on new injuries. The key is to get the attention early, avoid the common wisdom of hoping it will get better on its own and simply covering up the pain.
Injured tissues go through the process of inflammation where the body desperately tries to fix the damage. The trouble is, this leads to scar tissue, which is a poor substitute for healthy tissue. It is relatively brittle, unorganized and is more prone to repeated injury.
Healthy tissue is flexible, very organized and is much more resilient. It makes sense then to do everything you can to avoid scare tissue formation and promote healthy tissue recovery after an injury.
Low intensity laser therapy works well with acute injuries as well as chronic problems. The fact is, most chronic problems start because appropriate attention wasn't taken when it was acute. This left the opportunity for a small problem to get big.
If summer activities have resulted in an ankle sprain, an achy shoulder, sore back or anything like that, come in and get it checked out. All too often, we wait until we can't do the things we want and need to do before we take care of things.
The low intensity laser we use is the most modern technology. Treatment is painless, non-toxic and with no side effects.
It is a Health Canada approved medical therapy device used by professional athletes and performers for decades and is now available to the public.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Better yet, arrange to come in for a consultation to see if laser therapy is appropriate for your particular problem.
Putting Your Best Foot Forward
Published May 1, 2010 | 
By Dr. Eric Wiens
Most people come to me with common conditions such as low back pain, sciatica, knee pain, neck pain and shoulder pain to name a few. I also see a lot of foot related problems such as plantar fasciitis, achilles tendonitis and ankle sprains.
Many times, people come with several conditions. The question is, are they related, and if so, how do you help someone as quickly as possible with the best chance for long term success?
From a mechanical perspective, looking at the feet and how you stand, walk and move makes a whole lot of sense. It is vital to take into account your entire kinetic chain to give the best chance for success. This is especially true if your health complaint is related to your spine, pelvis, hips or any part of your legs.
Laser therapy is about kick starting tissues to heal and function in a normal physiological way. Many get some device stuck in their shoe or spend many dollars on fancy shoes, but never get the benefit because the physiology of the tissues is never changed. Laser is the most effective way to do this.
Correcting mechanical problems increases long term stability and potentially decreases the chance of a problem coming back.
Dr Gauthier our pedorthist, is a specialist in analyzing your feet and kinetic chain (feet, ankles, knees, hips & low back on up) both statically and dynamically. That is both standing and moving.
He is also a specialist in determining appropriate footwear and prescribing orthotic devices. Sometimes the best advice given is that you don't need anything other than a more appropriate pair of shoes. Working with him offers another perspective but also a better probability of a longer term solution to your health problem.
Dr Gauthier offers a complimentary consultation and analysis to see if your feet are a component of your health problem.
Combination Therapies
Published April 1, 2010 | 
By Dr. Eric Wiens
At Filosofi, we are a collection of practitioners offering solutions to health problems. There is no secret as to why we work together. This is because the real magic happens when therapies are used in combination to get quicker, longer lasting results.
Each of us has a unique background in our training and experience in different sports and activities. Often times to get look at and treated by more than one practitioner offers different therapeutic benefits, but also offers another opinion or insight.
Laser therapy combined with massage creates a two-pronged approach. Laser is a biochemical stimulus that triggers cellular and tissue processes on a molecular level to initiate the healing. Massage is a physical stimulus that stimulates tissue repair. Both can be used as stand alone treatments, combined they enhance the therapeutic benefit each has to offer.
Nutrition should always be considered. Are there certain things you consume that promote inflammation or slow the healing process? Are you missing a key nutrient?
Regaining health is a process that involves a sequence of events with the correct ingredients. Working in collaboration with the different practitioners at Filosofi can help provide the best approach to regaining and maintaining your health for a lifetime.
Shining Light on Laser Therapy
Published March 1, 2010 | By Dr. Eric Wiens
Every once in a while the question of safety comes up. Great question. The key to understanding the safety of low intensity laser is to understand what it is and what it is not.
First of all, there are only two absolute situations where laser therapy is not used. Directly over the abdomen of a pregnant woman and over a known cancerous tumour. These are common sense.
The kind of light used is red and infrared. We can see red light but not infrared because it is out of our visible spectrum.
The picture below shows the visible spectrum relative to other forms of energy. The light we see is white light, a mixture of all the colours of the visible spectrum.
High energy forms such as gamma rays, x-rays and ultraviolet energy are on the right side of the visible spectrum. These are high energy, short wave energy forms.
On the left side are radio, microwave and infrared energy. These are low energy, long wave forms of energy.
The take home from this is the energy used with low intensity laser therapy is less dangerous than the light you are exposed to reading this article.
Research has shown laser therapy does not damage tissues or cause cancer.
Specific wavelengths initiate a powerful healing response.
If you are not afraid of a 60 Watt light bulb, you have nothing to worry about.
Please feel free to email me with any questions regarding laser therapy, especially if it could help a specific problem.
Two Lasers Are Better Than One!
Published February 1, 2010 | 
By Dr. Eric Wiens
Also, I can now treat two areas in one visit. If you have an injured shoulder and arthritic knee, I can treat them both at the same visit. Both are 30 minutes on each machine, total of 60 minutes of laser time. There will be a test on this, so read it again if that doesn't make sense on first glance.
With this in mind, we have changed our fee schedule slightly to reflect the time spent with each patient.
An initial exam with first laser treatment is $80
30 minutes of laser time is $50
60 minutes of laser time is $80
A great case I would like to share. A very nice lady came to me for laser treatment after having a knee replacement in December. Trouble was, her knee was still very swollen, painful and her movement was minimal. Exercises with the physiotherapist were not fun. Her surgeon wanted to forcefully manipulate it under anesthesia.
Four laser treatments later, her pain and inflammation were greatly reduced and her movement was significantly improved. Remember the difference between acute and chronic conditions. Back to the physiotherapist to continue rehabilitation. Exercise makes sense after the tissues have had the chance to heal.
Laser therapy is a vast leap ahead of physiotherapy and chiropractic because it helps tissues heal on a cellular and molecular level. It offers great benefits to prepare tissues before surgery and should be part of any rehabilitation program after surgery. It kick starts the natural healing processes. It really is that simple.
Laser Therapy Update – Stopping Acute Pain from Becoming Chronic
Published January 1, 2010 | A great wish for a fantastic 2010. The start of a new year and a new decade! I hope your holiday time was restful, reflective and recharging. Isn’t that the greatest gift of all?
It’s typical this time of year to make self promises that we are going "to do things differently". Most often these promises relate to our health, a promise to take better care of ourselves so we can enjoy doing the things we love to do.
If you read my last article, I explained some very important differences between acute and chronic pain syndromes. Acute being "I’m sore the next day after shoveling everyone’s driveway". Chronic being "I had a car accident ten years ago and I’m still suffering". There are different physiological processes going on in the tissues.
Acute pain is often a source of confusion. Is it something to be concerned about or will it go away on its own? Let’s dig a little deeper with a simple scenario.
Yesterday you packed away the Christmas decorations, took down the tree, shoveled the driveway and then went skating with the kids. Today you are sore, but tomorrow things are worse. It fades over the week but you still notice trouble lifting your right arm over your head and you have a lot of stiffness turning your head to the left.
Soreness after activity is normal, especially in the muscle tissue between the joints, not in and around the joints. It’s reasonable to last 2-3 days. Soreness in or around the joints that lasts past this time frame is beyond simple soreness and can be alleviated by healing the tissues with laser care.
This is how a simple, acute problem becomes chronic. You start taking Tylenol/Advil after the third day because it really bothers you. This goes on for a week, things feel a little better, but you notice more pain when you get up and doing simple things like holding a coffee cup or brushing you teeth are really uncomfortable.
You visit your family doctor who prescribes an anti-inflammatory for 30-60 days. The pain is actually reduced a lot while on the drug. After 60 days you stop the drug, but the shoulder and neck are still painful again and you notice limited movement with more and more things.
Back to the family doctor who prescribes physiotherapy. Lots of weird exercises and electronic gizmos that make your muscles twitch like they never have before. Six months later, no change and in fact it’s worse. Now you can’t golf and you doubt your summer vacation.
Back to the family doctor who orders an MRI scan. You are now back on Tylenol/Advil and on a waiting list for the scan. Six months later you have the scan which reveals a 75% tear in your rotator cuff. You are told you need surgery which will require 6 months of rehab. There is a 3 month waiting list for surgery.
This is a very typical scenario I see with chronic pain sufferers where something started as a small problem. This is true whether it’s a low back, hip, knee, neck or whatever.
Laser care can get great results with many conditions that are considered surgical problems, or help make the surgery and rehab much more successful. Time is measured in days or weeks instead of months and years.
In the spirit of "doing something different", focus on feeling better by improving how well your body is working. The root of health is healing. Laser care kick starts the natural healing process so your body can do the things you want and need to do.