Carrollwood · Tampa Bay
Therapies in Tampa
Laser, muscle work, ultrasound, traction, electrical stimulation and taping, offered at the table during a visit you already have.
These are not booked online. They are offered at the table during a visit you already have. Dr. Koser recommends what fits your care that day, tells you the price before anything starts, and you decide.
Add-on therapies are performed by Dr. Bobby Koser, DC, chiropractic physician, or by clinical staff working under his direct supervision at the same visit. Many patients add one after a strength session or after an adjustment.
What follows is what each one is and what it feels like, so nothing at the table is a surprise.
Red light and cold laser therapy
A handheld emitter is held against the skin over the tissue we worked on that day. There is no needle and nothing to swallow. You and Dr. Koser both wear protective eyewear while it runs, which is why you will see goggles in the photo below.
What it feels like: warm, or nothing at all. Most people describe it as a heat lamp held close. It runs a few minutes per area.
Muscle work and cupping
Hands-on work to the muscle around the area being treated, done either by hand or with a percussion device held against the tissue. Cupping uses soft silicone or plastic cups placed on the skin with suction, and it can leave round marks that fade over the following days. Dr. Koser will tell you before he uses the cups, because the marks surprise people who were not expecting them.
What it feels like: pressure, and often tender in the spots that are already sore. The percussion device buzzes. Say something if it is too much and the pressure comes down.
Therapeutic ultrasound
A rounded metal head is moved slowly over the skin with gel between the two, sending sound waves into the tissue underneath. This is the treatment device, and it is a different thing from the diagnostic ultrasound Dr. Koser uses to look at tissue on a screen. If you want the one that produces a picture, that is part of the Pain Source Exam.
What it feels like: a cool gel, then a moving pressure. Some people notice a mild warmth under the skin and some notice nothing.
Traction
A table or a harness applies a steady pull along the spine while you lie still. You are not asked to do anything while it runs. Dr. Koser sets the amount and the time, stays within reach, and stops it whenever you ask.
What it feels like: a slow stretch that comes on and eases off in cycles. Most people find it dull rather than dramatic.
Electrical stimulation, most often interferential current
Adhesive pads are placed on the skin around the area treated, and a low-level current runs between them for a set number of minutes. We most often use interferential current, which crosses two currents so they meet under the skin rather than sitting at the surface. Tell Dr. Koser if you have a pacemaker or any implanted electrical device, if you are pregnant, or if the skin in that area is broken, because those change what is appropriate.
What it feels like: a tingling or a light buzzing, turned up only to where you say it is comfortable. It should never be painful. Say so if it is and it comes straight down.
Two research reviews have looked at interferential current for musculoskeletal pain.12 Both report it alongside other care rather than on its own, and both describe the evidence as limited. It is offered here as one part of a plan the examination sets, not as the plan.
1. Hussein HM, Alshammari RS, Al-Barak SS, Alshammari ND, Alajlan SN, Althomali OW. A systematic review and meta-analysis investigating the pain-relieving effect of interferential current on musculoskeletal pain. Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2022;101(7):624–633. PubMed
2. Fuentes JP, Armijo Olivo S, Magee DJ, Gross DP. Effectiveness of interferential current therapy in the management of musculoskeletal pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Phys Ther. 2010;90(9):1219–1238. PubMed
Kinesiology taping
Stretchy cotton tape applied along the muscle, also called kinesio taping or KT tape. It goes on at the end of the visit and stays on afterwards. It usually holds for a few days, through showers, and it peels off at the edges when it is done. Take it off sooner if the skin under it itches or reddens.
What it feels like: a light pull on the skin. You stop noticing it within the hour.
Ask about these at your visit. Dr. Koser will tell you what he recommends that day and what it costs before anything starts.
These are quoted at your visit, not booked or priced online. Member rates for add-on therapies are set in the membership agreement.
THE PATIENT AND ANY OTHER PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYMENT HAS A RIGHT TO REFUSE TO PAY, CANCEL PAYMENT, OR BE REIMBURSED FOR PAYMENT FOR ANY OTHER SERVICE, EXAMINATION, OR TREATMENT THAT IS PERFORMED AS A RESULT OF AND WITHIN 72 HOURS OF RESPONDING TO THE ADVERTISEMENT FOR THE FREE, DISCOUNTED FEE, OR REDUCED FEE SERVICE, EXAMINATION, OR TREATMENT.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I book just a therapy?
After an evaluation with Dr. Koser, he will determine which therapies, if any, are appropriate for your treatment plan. They are offered at the table during a visit you already have. If you are new here, the way in is the Pain Source Exam.
Why are the prices not on this page?
Because what gets used depends on what Dr. Koser finds that day. He tells you the price before anything starts, and you decide then.
How is interferential current different from a TENS unit?
Both send a current through pads on the skin. A TENS unit is a small consumer device, sold over the counter for you to use yourself, and it works at the surface. Interferential current crosses two currents so they meet in the tissue underneath instead. It is not a home device: the unit here is a clinic device, set and operated by a licensed provider, and Dr. Koser sets it at your visit.
Who performs these?
Dr. Koser, or clinical staff working under his direct supervision at the same visit.
Will cupping leave marks?
It can, and they are round and fade over the following days. Dr. Koser will tell you before he uses the cups so you can say no if you have something coming up.
Is any of this covered by insurance?
It depends on your plan and on why the care is being given. Care billed to a third-party payor, including auto insurance under Florida PIP, health insurance, Medicare, or workers' compensation, is billed on our standard fee schedule without the time-of-service discount. Ask at the front desk before your visit and we will tell you what we know.
Do I have to have one?
No. Dr. Koser recommends what he thinks fits your care that day and you decide. Declining does not change the rest of your visit.
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This page is general health information about services offered at HealthSpine Chiropractic and is not medical advice for any individual. Whether any of these is appropriate for you depends on your examination. Talk to Dr. Bobby Koser, DC, about your own situation, and tell him about implanted devices, pregnancy, broken skin, or any condition affecting the area to be treated.
Start with the exam
Pain has a source. The exam looks for where yours is coming from, and what happens at the table follows from what it finds.