Cold Laser Therapy
Low Level Laser Therapy
What is cold laser therapy?
Cold laser therapy is the use of a laser beam to treat an injury to a soft tissue such as a ligament, tendon or muscle. A low-intensity laser beam reduces pain, inflammation and swelling and promotes healing of damaged tissue. It works by increasing the flow of blood and lymph through tissue, and by reducing the productions of prostaglandin, which is a chemical released in response to an injury that causes pain and inflammation.
Why use cold laser?
Cold laser therapy speeds up recovery from a recent injury to a ligament, tendon or muscle. Cold laser therapy reduces pain and swelling and promotes healing. Injury to a muscle leaves behind residual scar tissue. Cold laser treatment can help soften scar tissue. Lasers can treat a variety of conditions. Acute, chronic or post operative pain, as well as arthritis, tendon/ligament problems, carpal tunnel (FDA APPROVED), nerve root irritations, back/neck dysfunction, tennis elbow, burns, herpes lesions and a variety of other skin conditions.
How does the laser work?
The vibrational rate of 635 nm/s approximates that of a healthy tissue cell. The introduction of this light beam causes the exposed tissue to resonate at this frequency, promoting normal function. The human body absorbs and utilizes light emitted from the cold laser in the same way the chain of photosynthesis reaction in plants uses light. The basic principal is that the energy in a soft laser beam can be incorporated into the natural process of the living body.
Treatments: The average number of treatments is between 10 and 20 and are rapid and painless. Low power lasers do not generate heat. When the laser contacts the skin, the patient experiences no warmth or burning. Although the light may stimulate certain nerves, most people feel nothing during the treatment. The cold laser is the most modern form of therapy. Low power laser is quickly becoming the first line of attack in pain control and tissue healing in rehabilitation medicine. It is safe, painless, quick and easy to apply. Low power lasers are not harmful. Lasers used for tissue stimulation do not have sufficient strength to damage cells. Cold laser therapy speeds up recovery from a recent injury to a ligament, tendon or muscle.
Low Level Laser Therapy In The Management Of Chronic Myofascial Pain In The Neck
A Gur, AJ Sarac, R Cevik, O Altindag, and S Sarac
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, Dicle University, Diyarbakir, Turkey.
A prospective, double-blind, randomized, and controlled trial was conducted in patients with chronic myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) in the neck to evaluate the effects of infrared low level 904 nm Gallium-Arsenide (Ga-As) laser therapy (LLLT) on clinical and quality of life (QoL). This study revealed that short-period application of LLLT is effective in pain relief and in the improvement of functional ability and QoL in patients with MPS. Lasers Surg. Med. 35:229-235, 2004.
Low-power laser in osteoarthritis of the cervical spine.
Monteforte P, Baratto L, Molfetta L, Rovetta G.
Rheumatology Department, University of Genova, Bruzzone Rheumatologic Center, Genoa, Italy.
Patients with symptomatic osteoarthritis of the cervical spine were treated with very low-power modulated laser (LPL). Two applications were performed at an interval of 20 days. Changes in pain and ultrasound thickness of the soft connective tissue layer above the right and the left superior trapezium were studied. No worsening of pain was observed. Pain improved after the first application of LPL in 9 out of 14 patients, but the difference was not significant.
Light Promotes Regeneration and Functional Recovery and Alters the Immune Response After Spinal Cord Injury
Photobiomodulation (PBM) has been proposed as a potential therapy for spinal cord injury (SCI). We aimed to demonstrate that 810 nm light can penetrate deep into the body and promote neuronal regeneration and functional recovery. Adult rats underwent a T9 dorsal hemisection, followed by treatment with an 810 nm, 150mW diode laser (dosage¼1,589 J/cm2). Axonal regeneration and functional recovery were assessed using single and double label tract tracing and various locomotor tasks. The immune response within the spinal cord was also assessed.
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An expert team of marine mammal veterinarians, medical researchers, cosmetic surgeons and dolphin trainers recently joined forces to apply the latest advances in human regenerative medicine in an attempt to restore a bottlenose dolphin's damaged dorsal fin. "Liko's story is a story of medicine with a big heart," said Dr. Rae Stone, a Dolphin Quest veterinarian and co-owner. "It shows extraordinary voluntary cooperation across several human medical and veterinary disciplines that has involved numerous experts with cutting-edge technology and specialized experience. Liko is one very lucky young dolphin." The procedure on Liko, a three-year-old male dolphin at Dolphin Quest on Hawaii's Big Island, took place on July 30 and marked the first-ever marine mammal application of extracellular matrix tissue repair. Liko (pronounced Lee-ko) continues to undergo pioneering veterinary LED (light emitting diode) therapy to stimulate tissue growth and regeneration in his injured fin. |
