Does cold laser therapy really work?
Aug 16, 2021 · Cold laser therapy is an approved treatment by the FDA that chiropractors can use to treat many types of issues and concerns that affect the musculoskeletal system. An injury or illness will affect the body’s healthy functioning as well as nearby bones, joints, muscles, and other soft tissues.
What is the difference between hot and cold laser therapy?
Cold laser therapy is very effective in dealing with facet-joint disorders. The laser decreases the sensitivity of your nerves by lowering the pain chemical in your body. It releases endorphins that provide an analgesic effect on your body. It also reduces the pain that herniated discs cause. However, cold laser therapy is more effective in ...
What are the side effects of cold laser treatment?
Jun 01, 2020 · Cold laser therapy is an alternative therapy used by many chiropractors and other health professionals to promote healing in the body. It got its name Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) due to the low-intensity laser therapy used in the procedure. The procedure uses low levels of light to emit a low temperature to heal damaged tissue.
How much does cold laser therapy cost?
Cold laser therapy, also called low-level laser therapy (LLLT), works by using laser light of various wavelengths to enhance and boost biological activity in our cells which releases natural endorphins and improves cellular energy. This reaction can decrease pain and increase blood flow to the cells of stressed tendons to improve muscle recovery.
Does cold laser therapy work?
Some doctors are skeptical about cold laser therapy and may not recommend it. In the past, it wasn't clear how light changes damaged tissues. Many doctors felt cold laser therapy was a sham. As new research proves that it does relieve pain, more doctors are in favor of it.Sep 2, 2020
What are the benefits of cold laser therapy?
The main uses for cold laser therapy are tissue repair and relief from pain and inflammation.Minor injuries and sprains. ... Inflammation. ... Aches and pains. ... Skin rejuvenation. ... Wound healing. ... Acupuncture. ... Future uses.
How long does cold laser therapy last?
How long will each treatment take? Depending on the condition, treatment times will last on average 15 minutes. Duration of treatment is based on the size of area, depth of penetration and condition being treated. TMJ patients average 5-7 minutes while a full spinal treatment can take as long as 25 minutes.
Is cold laser good for your skin?
In dermatology, LLLT has beneficial effects on wrinkles, acne scars, hypertrophic scars, and healing of burns. LLLT can reduce UV damage both as a treatment and as a prophylaxis.
How often can you use cold laser therapy?
It takes a series of treatments, usually 8 to 30, depending on the severity and duration of the condition. Patients often have to return to the doctor for treatments at least 2 to 4 times per week.
Can cold laser therapy be harmful?
Cold laser therapy side effects may include bleeding, pain, infection, scarring, and skin color changes. These effects might not be permanent, however. If additional treatment sessions are needed, the side effects may return.
What are the side effects of laser therapy?
What are the risks?bleeding.infection.pain.scarring.changes in skin color.
What are the disadvantages of laser treatment?
The most common side effects of laser hair removal include:Skin irritation. Temporary discomfort, redness and swelling are possible after laser hair removal. Any signs and symptoms typically disappear within several hours.Pigment changes. Laser hair removal might darken or lighten the affected skin.May 22, 2020
How long does it take for cold laser therapy to work?
How long does it take for cold laser therapy to work? Most people experience some relief after three to five sessions of cold laser therapy. Some conditions require up to 20 treatments to achieve full effectiveness.Feb 9, 2022
What is the difference between cold laser and hot laser?
Hot lasers have a thermal effect and have an output of 1MW or above. Cold (or) Low-Level Lasers do not have a thermal effect on tissue, lasers that stimulate biological function have an output below 10mw- milliwatts (ten - one thousandths of a watt).
Is cold laser the same as red light therapy?
Cold laser therapy to treat pain is a rapidly growing technology used to reduce inflammation and pain. The red light activates the body's response to increasing tissue repair, healing, and relief. The low-levels of light are not enough to heat body tissue or cause skin damage.
What is the difference between cold laser therapy and red light therapy?
Lasers have a pin-point focus, while LEDs emit light at an angle (called a beam angle), which causes the light to spread out and become weaker as it travels away from the source. Laser red light therapy thus allows you to get the full concentration of light right on the area of the body you're treating.Apr 28, 2021
Why is laser therapy called cold?
The technique is called “cold” laser therapy because the low levels of light aren’t enough to heat your body’s tissue. The level of light is low when compared to other forms of laser therapy, such as those used to destroy tumors and coagulate tissue. Surgical and aesthetic lasers heat the tissue being treated.
What are the benefits of cold laser therapy?
Sports medicine and physical therapy practices often use cold laser therapy in the treatment of minor injuries and sprains, such as: 1 ligament sprains 2 muscle strains 3 tendonitis 4 bursitis 5 tennis elbow 6 neck pain 7 lower back pain 8 knee pain 9 pain associated with muscle spasms
Why do dentists use cold lasers?
Dentists use cold lasers to treat inflamed tissues in the mouth and to heal ulcerations. Doctors use it to treat inflammation caused by rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other chronic autoimmune diseases.
How long does it take to get a cold laser?
One of the drawbacks of this therapy may be time. While each cold laser therapy session only takes a few minutes, it may take as long as a month (with as many as four treatments a week) before you can gauge its effectiveness. It also may not be covered by your insurance.
How many nm is a laser?
For deeper penetration, wavelengths between 780 and 950 nm are used. Although you’ll feel the laser device touching your skin, the procedure is painless and noninvasive. There will be no sound and you’ll feel no vibration or heat.
What wavelengths are used to treat tissue?
Superficial tissue is commonly treated with wavelengths between 600 and 700 nanometers (nm). For deeper penetration, wavelengths between 780 and 950 nm are used.
Can cold laser therapy be used on cancer?
That being said, cold laser therapy shouldn’t be used on carcinomas or cancerous lesions. It should also be avoided on the thyroid or eyes for home use. Since the effect of cold laser therapy on unborn children is unknown, it’s suggested that pregnant women avoid this type of treatment.
Back Pain
Back pain is one of the most common reasons why people seek out a chiropractor. Chiropractors use a variety of gentle and non-invasive approaches to treating your back pain, which can include cold laser therapy.
Joint Pain
Joint pain can be caused by a number of factors, including injury, medical conditions, and wear and tear on the body. Joints like the shoulders, elbows, hips, and knees help us to move around easily throughout each day. When you experience joint pain in these areas, it can start to significantly impact your mobility and range of motion.
Inflammation
Inflammation is common with medical conditions like arthritis and with a wide variety of acute injuries to the musculoskeletal system. When you experience swelling and inflammation, it can cause pain and discomfort in the area and impact your mobility.
Sprains & Strains
Sprains and strains affect muscles and connective tissues in the body that help support the musculoskeletal system. A sprain affects the tissue that connects two bones and a strain affects connective tissue that connects muscle to bone. Ankle sprains and muscle strains are common, especially among athletes.
Overuse Injuries
You don’t have to be an athlete to experience an overuse injury. In addition to general wear and tear on the body as we go through life, we can also develop overuse injuries when we engage in repetitive motions that put a lot of pressure on our joints and muscles.
What is cold laser therapy?
Cold laser therapy is laser therapy that uses low-intensity laser light to stimulate healing, reduce fat, help circulation, and more. Have you heard the buzz about how a procedure called cold laser therapy or red light therapy helps people heal from a variety of pain ailments and health conditions?
Why is cold laser therapy called cold laser therapy?
During cold laser therapy treatment, the light interacts with the body's tissue to speed up the healing process.
What wavelengths do you use for red light therapy?
. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, clinicians use wavelengths measuring 600-700 nanometers for superficial tissue.
How long does a cold laser last?
The time the device is used can be anywhere from several seconds to several minutes.
What are the conditions that can be treated with cold lasers?
These are the most common conditions treated by cold laser or red light therapy: Muscle strains and spasms. Arthritis. Fibromyalgia.
Can a class 4 laser be used at home?
However, class four lasers have the ability to damage the body when they're not administered by a professional. That's why they are only sold to professionals. . Even if your doctor recommends a lower class laser at home, get written documentation, and a demonstration for the best chances of a safe application.
Is red light therapy safe?
You may wonder if red light therapy is a safe procedure. And with good reason. However, the answer is yes. Red light and cold laser therapy provide a non-invasive alternative solution. The treatment is also drug-free, which means no risk of medicine-related side effects caused by drug interactions.
What is cold laser therapy?
Cold Laser Therapy or Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) is a treatment that utilizes specific wavelengths of light to interact with tissue and is thought to help accelerate the healing process.
How long does a cold laser last?
The laser is placed directly over the injured area for 30 seconds to several minutes, depending on the size of the area being treated and the dose provided by the cold laser unit.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of cold laser therapy?
Once the light energy passes through the layers of skin and reaches the target area, it is absorbed and interacts with the light sensitive elements in the cell. This process can be compared to photosynthesis in plants - sunlight is absorbed by plants, which is then converted to usable energy ...
What happens when cells absorb light energy?
When cells absorb this light energy, it initiates a series of events in the cell that is theorized to eventually result in normalizing damaged or injured tissue, a reduction in pain, inflammation, edema and an overall reduction in healing time by increasing intracellular metabolism. 1,2.
Minor injuries and sprains
Cold laser therapy is also used in sports medicine and physical therapy to relieve minor injuries and sprains, such as:
Inflammation
Cold laser therapy is also used to heal patients with mouth injuries or ulcers by dentists. The treatment is also used in cases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other severe autoimmune diseases.
Aches and pains
Severe and mild pain can also be threatened by using cold laser therapy. These pains include but are not limited to fibromyalgia and carpal tunnel syndrome.
Skin rejuvenation
Skin rejuvenation is another trick that can be achieved using cold laser therapy. This treatment rejuvenates the skin and can be used to treat other skin problems such as:
Acupuncture
The process of using cold laser therapy does not involve needles. As a result, acupuncturists use this therapy on clients who are afraid of needles.The process is as effective as the needle process but does not pierce your skin.
Future uses
Cold laser therapy already has countless applications and more are still being discovered. Researchers are focusing on finding its uses in relation to other ailments and conditions such as:
What happens after laser therapy?
Rest is needed after cold laser therapy, just like after other laser surgeries. You’ll need over-the-counter pain medication to relieve the discomfort and swelling.