Scenic City Clinic of Chiropractic offers Class IV laser therapy as a drug-free, non-invasive way to help patients throughout Chattanooga and the surrounding tri-state area manage pain, reduce inflammation, and support the body’s natural healing process. Whether you’re recovering from an injury, managing a chronic condition, or looking to speed up recovery after a chiropractic adjustment, laser therapy is one more tool in our whole-person approach to care.
Call (423) 402-4602 to Schedule
What Is Class IV Laser Therapy?
Class IV laser therapy, also known as high-power laser therapy or photobiomodulation, uses focused light energy to penetrate deep into tissue and stimulate activity at the cellular level. Unlike surgical or cutting lasers, therapeutic lasers don’t generate heat that damages tissue — instead, they deliver specific wavelengths of light that cells absorb and use to power their own repair processes.
The “Class IV” designation refers to the power output of the laser itself. Compared to lower-powered cold laser devices, Class IV lasers can treat deeper tissue more efficiently, often in shorter sessions, which is part of why this technology has become a popular choice in modern rehabilitation and chiropractic settings.
At a cellular level, the light energy is absorbed by structures inside the cell that are responsible for producing energy. This process is thought to increase circulation, reduce inflammatory activity, and support the tissue repair processes your body already knows how to do — laser therapy doesn’t force healing to happen, it gives your body’s own systems a better environment to do the work.
Therapeutic laser technology has been studied and refined for decades, evolving from lower-powered “cold laser” devices developed in the 1960s into the higher-powered Class IV systems used in clinical settings today. That evolution matters clinically: higher power output means the light can reach deeper tissue layers — muscles, tendons, and joints — in a fraction of the treatment time older devices required, without generating the kind of heat that would damage tissue.
How Laser Therapy Fits Into Your Care at Scenic City Clinic of Chiropractic
As a whole-person wellness practice, we don’t treat laser therapy as a stand-alone service — it’s most effective as part of a broader care plan. Many patients pair laser therapy with chiropractic adjustments, muscle rehabilitation, or spinal decompression therapy, using laser therapy to help calm inflammation and support healing while other therapies address alignment and underlying structural issues.
This combination approach is common in musculoskeletal care generally — laser therapy addresses the tissue-level inflammation and pain response, while chiropractic and rehabilitative therapies address the mechanical and structural side of a condition. Used together, the goal is a more complete recovery than either approach alone.
Your doctor determines whether laser therapy is a good fit for your condition during your evaluation, and if so, how it should be sequenced alongside any other therapies in your care plan. Some patients receive laser therapy immediately before or after a chiropractic adjustment on the same visit; others use it as a stand-alone therapy for a specific injury or area of chronic discomfort.
Conditions Patients Seek Laser Therapy For
- Muscle and joint pain — including shoulder pain and knee pain that hasn’t responded well to other approaches
- Tendonitis and repetitive strain injuries — including carpal tunnel syndrome, common in both athletes and patients with physically demanding jobs
- Arthritis-related discomfort — particularly in the knees, hands, shoulders, and spine
- Plantar fasciitis — a common source of heel and foot pain that responds well to targeted laser treatment
- Sports injuries — sprains, strains, and soft tissue damage from activity
- Post-adjustment recovery — some patients use laser therapy to support tissue healing following a chiropractic adjustment or other therapy
- General inflammation — swelling and soreness that limits movement or daily activity
The conditions above are some of the most common reasons patients seek out laser therapy — but if you don’t see your specific concern listed, don’t assume laser therapy can’t help. The best way to know is a conversation with our team.
Patients report meaningful pain relief and improved mobility from laser therapy as part of their care plan, though results vary depending on the condition, how long it has been present, and how the individual body responds. As with any therapy at Scenic City Clinic of Chiropractic, we’re careful not to promise a guaranteed outcome — our job is to build your care plan around your specific situation and adjust it as you respond.
What to Expect During a Laser Therapy Session
Laser therapy sessions are quick, comfortable, and require no downtime. During your visit, a handheld laser device is applied directly to the treatment area in slow, controlled movements. Most patients feel nothing more than a gentle, soothing warmth on the skin — there’s no cutting, no needles, and no discomfort involved.
A typical session takes between five and fifteen minutes, depending on the size of the treatment area and the condition being addressed. Because sessions are so brief, laser therapy is easy to combine with a chiropractic adjustment or another therapy during the same visit, which is one of the reasons it fits so naturally into a whole-person care plan.
Preparing for Your Laser Therapy Session
Laser therapy requires very little preparation, which is part of what makes it such an easy addition to an existing care plan:
- Wear clothing that allows easy access to the treatment area, or be prepared to adjust clothing during your visit
- Remove any lotions or oils from the treatment area beforehand, since they can interfere with light penetration
- Let your doctor know about any photosensitivity, skin conditions, or medications that increase light sensitivity before your first session
- No downtime is needed afterward — most patients resume normal activity immediately
Common Questions and Misconceptions
Because “laser” can sound intense or even alarming to patients who haven’t experienced it before, one of the most common misconceptions is that laser therapy involves cutting, burning, or some kind of invasive procedure. In reality, therapeutic lasers used for pain and inflammation are entirely non-invasive — there’s no incision, no needles, and no damage to the skin. The light is absorbed by tissue in a way that stimulates the body’s own repair processes rather than altering tissue directly.
Another common question is how laser therapy differs from heat therapy or a simple heating pad. While both can feel warm and soothing, a heating pad only warms the surface of the skin and superficial tissue. A Class IV therapeutic laser delivers specific wavelengths of light that penetrate significantly deeper, reaching muscle, tendon, and joint tissue that a heating pad simply can’t affect at a cellular level.
Why Choose Scenic City Clinic of Chiropractic for Laser Therapy
- Whole-person philosophy. Laser therapy is offered as part of a coordinated plan alongside chiropractic care, muscle rehabilitation, and other therapies — not as an isolated add-on service.
- One relationship, one location. Patients throughout Chattanooga and the surrounding tri-state area can address pain, inflammation, and structural issues without being referred out to a separate provider.
- Drug-free, non-invasive approach. Laser therapy fits naturally alongside our broader commitment to helping patients recover without relying on medication first.
- Multi-generational trust. Scenic City Clinic of Chiropractic has served the Chattanooga community for decades, with a family-rooted approach to patient care.
Class IV Laser Therapy FAQs
What is Class IV laser therapy?
Class IV laser therapy uses a higher-powered therapeutic laser to deliver light energy deep into tissue, stimulating cellular activity that can reduce pain, calm inflammation, and support faster healing. The “Class IV” designation refers to the laser’s power output, which allows it to treat deeper tissue more efficiently than lower-powered cold laser devices. Research into this type of light-based therapy, often referred to as photobiomodulation, has grown significantly in recent years — you can review a peer-reviewed research summary on laser and light therapy for musculoskeletal pain published through the National Institutes of Health’s National Library of Medicine.
Does Class IV laser therapy hurt?
No. Class IV laser therapy is non-invasive and generally painless. Most patients feel a gentle, soothing warmth on the skin as the laser is applied, and many describe the sensation as relaxing rather than uncomfortable.
How many laser therapy sessions will I need?
The number of sessions depends on the condition being treated, how long it’s been present, and how the tissue responds to treatment. Acute injuries may improve in a handful of sessions, while chronic conditions often benefit from a longer course of treatment. Your care plan is built around your evaluation and goals.
What conditions can Class IV laser therapy help with?
Patients use Class IV laser therapy for conditions including muscle and joint pain, tendonitis, arthritis-related discomfort, sports injuries, sprains and strains, and general inflammation. It is often used alongside chiropractic care and other therapies as part of a broader recovery plan.
Is Class IV laser therapy safe alongside chiropractic adjustments?
Yes. Laser therapy and chiropractic care are frequently used together because they address the body from different angles — one calming inflammation and supporting tissue healing, the other restoring proper joint alignment and function. At Scenic City Clinic of Chiropractic, laser therapy is offered as part of a coordinated care plan alongside chiropractic adjustments and other therapies.
How long does a laser therapy session take?
Most Class IV laser therapy sessions take between five and fifteen minutes, depending on the size of the area being treated and the condition. Sessions are quick enough to fit easily alongside a chiropractic adjustment or other therapy on the same visit.
How is laser therapy different from a heating pad?
While both can feel warm, a heating pad only warms the surface of the skin and superficial tissue. A Class IV therapeutic laser delivers specific wavelengths of light that penetrate significantly deeper, reaching muscle, tendon, and joint tissue that a heating pad cannot affect at a cellular level.
Schedule Your Laser Therapy Visit in Chattanooga, TN
If you’re dealing with pain or inflammation that hasn’t improved, or you want to support your recovery after an injury or adjustment, our team is here to help you find the right approach.
Scenic City Clinic of Chiropractic
7530 Goodwin Road, Chattanooga, TN 37421
(423) 402-4602