What is Cold Laser Therapy?
Cold laser therapy, sometimes 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 and sustainable. NASA has been using light therapy for over 30 years to accelerate the healing process for their astronauts while in space.
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 the light of the laser is applied around the knee joint the electromagnetic energy is converted to chemical energy within each cell which sets in motion a chain of chemical reactions allowing the healing process to begin. This chemical reaction in the cell allows several things to occur:
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.
For the past 30 years the technology of Cold Laser Therapy (also known as Low Level Laser Therapy or LLLT) has been formally accepted in Canada and in many other parts of the world such as Europe, Scandinavia, Russia and Japan. In all this time there have been no recorded long-term adverse effects from its use. It is considered to be non-invasive, painless and safe.
The question often asked is “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, the ones we use are “Cold Lasers” with design parameters that make it impossible to damage even one cell in the body. Our lasers stimulate and energize the cells.
Is Cold Laser Therapy painful?
No. Low level lasers do not generate perceivable heat. Therefore, when the laser contacts the skin the patient experiences no warmth or burning as a result of the laser. Most people feel nothing at all while a few may feel a slight tingling during the treatment.
What other conditions does the Cold Laser help treat?
Joint Pain – including all types of arthritis
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Bursitis and Tendonitis
Muscle Injuries and Fibromyalgia
Headaches
TMJ
Wound healing
Scars
By using the cold laser to stimulate acupuncture points, it can even be used for smoking cessation for those individuals who do not like needles!