Laser FAQ
Laser and light therapy is use of near infrared light. Over wounds and injuries to stimulate healing and give pain relief. It is a safe, painless treatment that can be used to treat a wide variety of conditions.
What is laser light therapy?
Low-level laser and LED therapy or “photobiomodulation”, is the use of specific wavelengths of light (red and near infrared) to create therapeutic effects. These effects include improved healing time, pain reduction, increase circulation and decrease swelling. The lights may be provided by a low-power laser or an LED light emitting diode.
What is its history?
The effects of light on cellular function have been known since 1880. However, the clinical benefits are only discovered by accident during laser safety tests 1967. The first low power lasers suitable for treating pain became available commercially in the late 1970s and ever since then, laser therapy has been widely utilized in Europe by physical therapist, nurses and doctors. Now after FDA approval in 2001, laser therapy is quickly gaining popularity in the United States.
Test the effectiveness been demonstrated scientifically?
Yes. There are thousands of published studies demonstrating the clinical effectiveness of laser therapy. Among these, there are more than one hundred rigorously controlled, scientific studies that document the effectiveness of laser for many clinical conditions.
Does it hurt? What does the treatment feel like?
There is little or no sensation during treatment -- occasionally, one feels a mild, soothing warmth, or tingling.
Are there any side effects or associated risks?
During more than 20 years of use by health care providers all over the world? Very few side effects have ever been reported. If a patient is allergic to light than they may get the rash or blister for a few days. Occasionally some old injuries or pain syndromes may feel aggravated for a few days, as a healing response is more active after treatment.
How long does each treatment take?
The treatment is often only a few minutes at each location, but applied to several different areas of the body.
How often should the patient be treated?
Acute conditions may be treated daily, particularly if they are accompanied by significant pain. More chronic problems respond better when treatments are received two to three times per week tapering to once a week or once every other week, with improvement.
How many treatments does it take?
This depends on the nature of the condition being treated. For some acute conditions one to six treatments may be sufficient. Those of a more chronic nature may require 10 to 15 (or more) treatments. Arthritic conditions may require ongoing periodic care to control pain.
How long before the results are felt?
You may feel improvement in your condition with a reduction of pain after the very first treatment. The effects of each treatment are cumulative, and results are often noticed after three or four sessions.
Can Laser be used in conjunction with other forms of treatment?
Yes, laser therapy is often used with other forms of therapy, including chiropractic adjustments and rehabilitative exercises.
What health problems have shown benefits from laser therapy?
Tendonitis
Neck and back pain
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Myofascial trigger points
Tennis elbow
Ligament sprains
Muscle strains
Repetitive strain injuries
Chondromalacia patella
Plantar fascitis
Degenerative joint conditions
Rheumatoid arthritis
Osteoarthritis
Post traumatic injury
Trigeminal neuralgia
Fibromyalgia
Diabetic neuropathy and ulcers formations
What does the research demonstrate?
Injuries treated with laser therapy heal faster.
Laser therapy has a strengthening effect on tissue repair
Laser therapy improves blood flow and lymphatic drainage.
It's effective means of relief for many pain syndromes.
It can improve immune response
The Mechanisms of Low Level Laser Therapy
Much research has been done in the areas of pain management, wound healing, and nerve regeneration, but little is known about the exact mechanism of action and the physiological changes occurring at the cellular level.
Jan Tuner and Lars Hode categorized 1,500 studies and published Laser Therapy: Clinical Practice and Scientific Background.
What is Cold Laser Therapy?
Cold laser therapy, also referred to as low-level laser therapy is quickly becoming the first line of attack in pain control and tissue healing in rehabilitative medicine. Cold laser therapy is safe, painless, non-invasive and the results are often immediate. It has been FDA approved for pain management since February 2002.
How does it work?
All light has an effect on the cells of the human body. What that effect is shall be determined by the wavelengths of light applied. The cold laser produces a beam of light that has a specific wavelength and frequency. When a cell is in a compromised state it lacks sufficient energy to perform normal functions. One of the first functions lost is the ability to rid itself of waste or toxins. Accumulation of toxins creates swelling of a cell. Millions of similar cells swelling together creates inflammation.
What is -Itis?
-Itis is a term in physiology relating to inflammation. Tendonitis, bursitis and neuritis are common examples of inflammatory conditions. When the light of the Laser is applied, changes in mitochondrial activity occur. Mitochondria is the energy producing structure in the cell and produces adenosine triphosphate, (ATP). Research has shown laser increases ATP production anywhere from 25-36%. ATP is the fuel source of a cell and is required for a cell to do the following:
- Stimulates Healing and Repair of Tissue
- Increases Tissue Strength
- Reduces Pain
- Reduces Swelling/Inflammation
- Promotes faster wound healing
- Stimulates nerve function
- Promotes Cellular Oxygenation/Detoxification
Is Cold Laser therapy safe and are there any side effects?
Cold Laser Therapy has been successfully used around the world for over 30 years, with no reported long-term side effects. In the United States the FDA has ruled that the therapy is safe. Our office utilizes Erchonia and Thor name brand lasers with are FDA certified and licensed by the governing laws in the state of Arizona.
The question is often asked "If it's a laser aren't they used in surgical operations, to cauterize tissue?" The answer is "Yes" - Hot Lasers are able to cauterize (cut) tissue. However, we use "Cold Lasers" that stimulate and energize the cells.
What conditions benefit from cold laser treatment?
- Knee Pain
- Joint Pain in knees, hands, ankles, and hips
- Arthritis, Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Chronic neck, back, and shoulder pain
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Rotator Cuff Injury
- Bursitis
- Tennis Elbow and Golfer’s elbow
- Fibromyalgia
- Plantar Fascitis
- Headaches
- Tendonitis
- TMJ
- Other Musculoskeletal injuries
