Cold Laser Therapy, Low Level Laser Therapy Treatment

What is Cold Laser Therapy?

Generally known as Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT), cold laser therapy uses low intensity laser beams to stimulate the affected tissues, resulting in the relief of inflammation and pain. “Cold” does not mean that the laser temperature is low, but that the laser’s intensity is much lower than high-powered lasers that are used to ablate tissue. LLLT is also known as low-level laser therapy, soft laser, low-power laser therapy, bio-stimulation and laser acupuncture.

The concept behind using low intensity lasers is that when they are calibrated to a specific wavelength, these lower intensity beams carry the potential to stimulate the damaged cells of the tissue, encouraging them to function in a healthier way. This therapy speeds healing, quickly reducing levels of acute and chronic pain. Some LLLT proponents compare this laser therapy to acupuncture and acupressure, therapy practices that target specific points of the body to promote overall wellness.

Cold laser therapy is often used successfully for both acute and chronic conditions, aiding in eliminating pain, swelling, inflammation and spasms, and helps to enhance and restore patient functionality.

How does Cold Laser Therapy Work?

The goal of LLLT is to increase the speed, strength and quality of the repair of tissue damage. Stimulation from the laser increases blood flow to the affected area, while it also helps in the generation of new, healthy cells. Patients not only typically experience pain relief during treatment, but also after treatment protocols are discontinued.

LLLT practitioners employ handheld laser devices, placing the laser directly over the injured or affected area for time intervals that can range from 30 seconds to several minutes, dependent upon the dose provided by the cold laser device along with the size of the area being treated. The non-thermal photons of light from the laser pass through the dermis, epidermis and subcutaneous tissue, with the ability to penetrate 2 to 5 centimeters below the skin’s surface at 90mW (milliwatt) and 830-nm.

Once the photons pass through the layers of skin and reach the target area, they interact with light sensitive elements in the cell and are absorbed. This initiates a series of actions in the cell that may result in healing or normalizing the injured or damaged tissues, increasing intracellular metabolism.

Cold laser therapy works predominately on a protein in mitochondria, cytochrome c oxidase, to reduce oxidative stress and increase ATP. It is important to utilize the correct dose because if there is not enough power density, there will be no effect. Conversely, if too much power density is applied, it can have detrimental effects, inhibiting any pain relief and slowing the healing process.

High-power density LLLT (>300mW/cm²) is used for analgesic effects and deep tissue targets, while low-power density (<100mW/cm²) LLLT is used for synovial targeting, and to reduce inflammation in superficial wounds, joints and tendons. Some cold laser practitioners will use both high and low power LLLT to offer a more encompassing treatment protocol.

What Health Conditions are Treated by Cold Laser Therapy?

Because LLLT impacts the body’s tissues, the muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, cartilage, nerves and skin can all be positively affected with the use of this innovative therapy. A number of health conditions may respond favorably to LLLT, including the following:

Myofascial pain
Soft tissue injuries
Sports injuries
Arthritis pain, both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
Back pain
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Fibromyalgia
Knee pain
Tendinitis/Tendinopathy
Neck pain, chronic or acute

Physicians, therapists and other health practitioners have been using cold laser therapy as an effective alternative treatment for pain relief in their patients for many years. There have been over 2,500 clinical studies conducted on LLLT since 1967, many of which were placebo-controlled and double-blinded, demonstrating that cold laser therapy is a proven method of relief for pain.

Rehabmart is proud to offer superior quality LLLT/Cold Laser Therapy medical devices for the healthcare professional that are manufactured by Pivotal Health Solutions.

Hulet Smith, OT
Rehabmart Co-Founder & CEO

ck