Cold Laser Therapy

Cold Laser Therapy as a Pain Management Treatment

A Closer Look At The Benefits Of Cold Laser Therapy

According to the World Health Organization 1.71 billion people have some sort of musculoskeletal condition worldwide. The musculoskeletal system is what provides the stability and form for the human body and allows the body to move. It is composed of bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and other connective tissues. Without a fully functioning system, pain and loss of function are sure to follow. There are many different actions one can take to remedy musculoskeletal conditions. Therapists often add modalities or sensory experiences to enhance their therapeutic treatment. One such modality is Cold Laser Therapy which is also known as Low-Level Laser Therapy.

Cold Laser Therapy is a low intensity light therapy that generates a light in the red to infrared region (660nm to 905nm) as light in this range can penetrate the skin, soft tissues, and hard tissues. The light will penetrate the “optical window”, which is a range of wavelengths where penetration is maximized.

Once the laser’s light extends into your skin it will discharge protons into the skin.

Then, these protons are absorbed by receptors called photo-receptors that trigger important chemical changes. The laser can be used to target the site of an injury to improve healing, remodeling, and reduce inflammation. So, a therapist could target the lymph nodes to reduce edema and inflammation, the nerves to induce analgesia, and on trigger points to reduce tenderness and reflex contracted muscle fibers.

Common orthopedic conditions that can be treated with Cold Laser Therapy are:

• sprains & strains
• muscular back pain
• post-surgical pain
• tendinitis
• neck and shoulder pain
• carpal tunnel
• fibromyalgia
• plantar fasciitis
• And more

Treatment times can range from several seconds to several minutes. If you are interested in using Cold Laser Therapy, it is important to understand the contraindications or reason you should avoid using the laser. You are advised to refrain from the treatment if you are pregnant, have cancer, or if you have epileptic issues. It is also important to remember that the laser can be hazardous if it gets in a person’s eyes, so always ensure to avoid pointing in the directions of eyes. According to a literature review of 4000 studies via pub.med.gov, it has been concluded that laboratory and clinical studies have overwhelmingly shown that Cold Laser Therapy has a positive effect on acute and chronic musculoskeletal pain. The positive effects range from pain relief, decreased inflammation, and accelerated tissue regeneration. To get the best outcomes from this treatment, it should be used as an adjutant to therapy. Hear from one of our patients about their experience with the 830 Cold laser at Kauai Therapy & Wellness: “I had fallen on the ice and really hurt my hip- I could move but getting up from the chair or walking up and down the stairs was painful. In order to even fall asleep, I had to use a bunch of pillows surrounding my hip. I tried the 830-cold laser at Kauai Therapy & Wellness and just after 1 session I felt relief.” -A.B. Sandpoint, Idaho