Cold Laser Therapy for Pain

What is cold laser therapy?

Cold laser therapy is used to treat soft tissue injuries (about 1.5 inches deep) using low power laser energy that penetrates the tissue to stimulate the cells to heal. It is a form of light therapy that triggers changes in the cells resulting in biological healing. Photostimulation using the low-level laser therapy, also called cold laser therapy, uses coherent light with wavelength around 900nm that promotes healing through cell stimulation.

How Does Cold Laser Therapy Work?

The area to be treated is targeted with low-level light at different wavelengths and outputs over the course of treatment. The tissue absorbs the light, and the red or near-infrared light instigates a reaction from the damaged cells which begins the healing process.

Depending on the depth of the tissue, different wavelengths of light are used. For surface-level or superficial tissue, the wavelengths used are between 600 and 700 nanometers. When applying the cold laser therapy to deeper tissues, the wavelengths can be between 780 and 950 nanometers deep.

The procedure is painless, and there is no heat. Each treatment of low level laser therapy should only take a few minutes.

Low Level Laser Therapy Treatments

Generally low level laser therapy is used for minor injuries or sprains, such as ligament sprains, muscle strains, tendonitis, tennis elbow, neck pain, lower back pain, or knee pain. It generally helps reduced swelling and promote the healing of your joints and soft tissue.

Cold laser therapy can also treat wounds related to diabetes, and encourage inflammation caused by rheumatoid arthritis, as well as other chronic autoimmune diseases.

Cold Laser Therapy Pros and Cons

The benefits of cold laser therapy are the non-invasive aspect of the treatment. It doesn’t require surgical interventions, and the recovery time is faster. Medication isn’t required either, and there are no serious side effects when administered by an experienced practitioner.

The disadvantages of lower level laser therapy are that you won’t get instant relief from your pain after a single cold laser therapy treatment. You will need a number of sessions to totally resolve the pain, between two and four times a week with your doctor until the pain subsides.

The pain may get worse initially, but it will subside after a couple of days as the healing process takes place.

Laser Treatment for Pain and Inflammation

Since it’s a deep tissue stimulation it can reduce pain and inflammation without the side effects of many traditional medications. The pain relief is often long-lasting, so once the treatment is over you can relax and be pain free. The more quickly cold laser therapy is started after an injury the better the effects, since it’s important to start reducing inflammation as quickly as possible.

Because the wavelengths of light can be adjusted based on treatment, it is usable for many types of pain relieve and inflammation reduction treatments. Overall, cold laser therapy is a safe, effective way to manage pain, and is a great option for many patients today.