What Is Cold Laser Therapy?
Cold laser therapy, also known as low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has long been a staple in the therapist’s toolkit. Unlike hot medical lasers, which are designed to cut or remove tissue, or the penetrating lasers used in the esthetics industry, cold laser therapy is pain-free and is used to help relieve pain and speed healing. It can be focused on a very specific area. The device is about the size of a flashlight and is applied directly to the skin, and creates no heat, sound, or vibration.
How Cold Lasers Work
Lasers are rated according to their power output, which also regulates their penetrating power. Cold lasers, also known as class IIIb or low-level lasers, have a power output of somewhere between 25 to 500 mW. This relatively low power compared to medical or “hot” lasers, restricts the penetrating power to a few millimeters.
The laser produces a non-thermal reaction, which is absorbed by cells that are excited by this process. It is this photochemical reaction that produces the beneficial result, normalizing damaged tissue, reducing pain and inflammation, and speeding healing time.
Cold laser therapy is often used in conjunction with physiotherapy, athletic therapy, and chiropractic care to manage pain relief, to reduce inflammation, and to speed healing.
Conditions Treated By Cold Laser Therapy
Cold laser therapy is pain-free and is most often used to treat conditions close to the surface of the skin such as ligaments and nerves in hands, feet, elbows, and knees. It can be used to stimulate muscles, ligaments, cartilage and nerves. Some of the most commonly treated conditions include:
- Sprains and strains
- Chronic Pain
- Inflammation
- Muscle and nerve stimulation
- Soft tissue injuries
- Wound healing
- Repetitive strain injuries
Is It Effective?
Cold laser therapy has been used for years by therapists and other medical professionals to treat a variety of conditions. Below are some links to studies on common conditions which illustrate that this therapy is both safe and effective.
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Osteoarthritis
- Tendinopathies, such as tennis elbow or achilles tendonitis
- Pain management, including back pain
- Join pain in the knees, neck, hands, feet and elbows
- Head and neck pain
How Apex Can Help
If you are feel you might benefit from cold laser therapy, call us and book an appointment. We’ll assess your condition and prescribe a course of treatment that may include cold laser therapy as well more traditional therapies such as:
