Can red light therapy help pain caused by rotator cuff tear

Hi @silvern12, I have a portable ultrasound machine and it helped tremendously with pain relief for a rotator cuff tear. I've been using ultrasound for years and have been through three machines. The average cost is about $150.
I also use red light if the pain is mild, but I've found ultrasound gets rid of that jagged burning pain.

@silvern12 Thank you for replying. I don't think I'll try this again, as this is the second time my condition was made worse. I had an epidural back in February that has left me in more pain than before the procedure.

@sueinmn Hello, Sue, thank you for replying. No, I have not seen a physiatrist. I actually do not know what that is, so I'll have to research this for my area.

@tsc what type of ultra sound machine. Are you talking about a tens unit. I am beside myself up at night with pain. In 2 weeks I get PRP injection which is very costly and I heard painful

@silvern12
It's a portable ultrasound for home use, not a Tens Unit.
I severed my knee ligaments in the 1970s and a physical therapist treated me with ultrasound therapy. The units used by physical therapists are stronger than the home units.
The pain I've experienced from my rotator cuff tear is about a 5 on a scale of 10.
While it's worked for me, it may not be right for you or your injury.
You can go to Duck Duck Go, click on the AI option and ask about portable ultrasound machines for home use - reduce pain and inflammation.
There maybe a physical therapist or health care professional in your area who offers ultrasound therapy, where you can get a treatment and see if it works for you.

Thank you I have PT today and will ask. They never used on me but I have had in the past.

@sueinmn I went to a pain management dr who prescribed pt and prp shot. I have heard good things about red light. This was in a bed and perhaps the setting was too strong or maby it would have hurt anyway but with shot coming up I decided not to take any chances but definitely open to it

@sueinmn Good morning, Sue. Thank you again for your reply asking if I have seen a physiatrist yet. I researched this and found they are in all of the hospitals in my city. I messaged my primary doctor's office yesterday, and they sent me the information of a doctor of osteopathy (DO) that is in the same building as my primary doctor. When comparing a DO to a Physiatrist, I found the descriptions are almost the same for what they do for your care. I called his office and left my information, hoping for an appointment next week.

I am intrigued by the portable ultrasound machines. I know that in the distant past some physical therapists used it on me for various pains but have not heard about home uses of them until now. When I did a quick research on these machines, the reviews all focused on the quality of the
images produced by the machines--I didn't see a discussion of their therapeutic benefits for pain. I have lumbar pain in my back and am wondering if they could be helpful for this problem?

@brucerocheleau You need to look for ultrasound therapy machines.
You might want to read this article first:
https://advancestudy.org/can-you-do-ultrasound-therapy-at-home/
For me, there is no question that ultrasound therapy, performed by trained physical and occupational therapists, can be helpful in healing after surgery or for soft tissue damage. I have had it, and watched the minute adjustments the PT/OT had to make to avoid damage and to keep it moving constantly over the affected area. While we have used other therapies like TENS and traction at home, this is not something I would try.
If you do decide to try it, I would suggest you first get a therapy order from your doc and have it done by a trained pro to see if it helps, then find out from if they can help you learn to do it safely.
You would then need to find a medical grade machine (hint - not on Amazon, eBay, or similar, but from a medical device supplier.)
What are you hoping to treat with ultrasound?