Cold laser therapy, or sometimes called LLLT or low-level laser therapy is a noninvasive procedure that uses low-level lasers to stimulate the body’s healing mechanism.
It works by emitting a laser light that goes deep into the skin, interacts with tissues, and stimulates the body’s metabolic functions.
This photochemical reaction has beneficial effects, which include the following:
• pain relief
• inflammation reduction
• increased blood flow
• tissue repair and rehabilitation
• superficial wound healing
Contrary to what its name implies, cold laser therapy is not actually cold. In fact, the person receiving the treatment may feel a little warmth at the treated area. But it is so-called cold laser because as compared with other types of laser procedures (such as hair removal), it makes use of light energy whose wavelength maintains low thermal temperatures. As a result, cold laser treatment does not result to skin damages or burns.
Studies Published on Cold Laser Therapy
Tissue healing and pain relief are the main reasons why patients seek treatment using cold laser therapy. However, there are a number of studies suggesting that this procedure has the ability to rehabilitate patients who suffered from stroke and traumatic brain disorders. One study that supports this claim was published in 2010 by Hashmi JT and his
peers. The study suggests that low-level laser therapy has a high benefit-to-risk ratio in its role in neurorehabiliation.
Another study suggests that cold laser therapy is also effective in treating superficial wounds. In their study published in 2004, Hopkins JT and his team said that LLLT treatment facilitates wound contraction, thereby promoting faster healing.
Last, there are studies that prove that cold laser therapy increases blood flow. For instance, in a study published in 2012 by Larkin KA and his peers, low-level laser therapy was found to be effective in increasing the blood flow in the limb’s soft tissues.
A Natural Form of Treatment
Due to its non-invasive nature, cold laser therapy is the ideal procedure for people who prefer a natural way of treating pain. Unlike if you undergo a surgical procedure, there is no prolonged recovery time to worry about. In fact, you can feel better just minutes after the therapy is done. Aside from that if you are suffering from arthritis and torn tendons
and don’t want to take any form of medication, cold laser therapy is a great alternative.
Cold laser therapy also is generally safe and does not have any serious side effects. It can make people feel sore, but this is just a normal reaction. After the treatment is finished, the pain will go away.
A Typical Cold Laser Therapy LLLT Session
Cold Laser Therapy uses light to penetrate through the skin into the underlying tissues. It has a powerful effect on healing tissue with only a minimal penetration (a few millimeters). It has been shown to aid in pain relief, reduce inflammation, increase blood flow, stimulate wound healing, stimulate tissue regeneration, and reduce scarring.
A typical session for cold laser therapy, the device on top of the skin is placed on the target area. There is a beep from time to time, and this indicates how much energy is being delivered. Research has shown that cold laser therapy can be a powerful anti-inflammatory that is equally effective to anti-inflammatory medications.
Laser therapy is effectively used for the treatment of a multitude of acute and chronic soft tissue injuries. These include but are not limited to tendinopathy (eg. tennis elbow and achilles tendonitis), rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, trigger points, thoracic pain, neck pain, jaw soreness, and wound healing. From wounds and injuries received in
sporting accidents, slips and falls, automobile accidents and osteoarthritis, cold laser therapy works to give pain relief to the joints, muscles, tissues, nerves, ligaments and cartilage tears and sprains.
As such, cold laser therapy has found practical application on conditions such as:
• Arthritis pain, swelling, and stiffness
• Acute and chronic pain in the back, knee, neck, and other parts of the body
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Fibromyalgia, Sciatica, and neuralgia
• Soft tissues injuries such as strains and sprains
• Tendonitis and bursitis
• Muscle spasms and tensions