Cold laser therapy has been used by health care practitioners for years to treat a variety of conditions and ailments. You may be wondering how it works and what is involved in the treatment. To help you understand the procedure, here are five things you need to know about cold laser therapy.
1. What is Cold Laser Therapy?
Cold laser therapy, also known as Photobiomodulation Therapy (PBMT), is a treatment that applies specific wavelengths of light to your body to help boost the body’s healing. The theory behind the therapy is that the light treatments work on the cells in the body to reduce inflammation in the body, improve circulation, and relieve pain.
Health Canada approved cold laser therapy treatments, and they have been used for decades to treat sports injuries, back and neck pain, and many acute and chronic physical conditions.
2. How Does it Work?
A handheld laser device, approximately the size of a flashlight, is used by a trained aesthetics with Electrolysis And Light Technology Diploma or clinician at Clarity Medspa Clinic. The laser passes over the injured area and administers a dose of cold laser light for 30 seconds to several minutes, depending on the treatment area.
The treatments are painless; however, occasionally, patients may feel a warm or slight tingling sensation. Cold laser treatments usually take 10 minutes to complete, and several treatments per week are required to have the desired effect.
3. What Does the Cold Laser Do?
During treatment, the lasers emit non-thermal photons of light directly to the skin. The therapy happens in three stages. The first stage uses red light therapy, and the second stage is infrared red light, which can penetrate into the deeper tissues.
The laser probe helps the light photons reach farther into the tissue. These photons travel through the layers of the skin to target the injured and inflamed muscle tissue underneath.
The light energy works on the light-sensitive parts of the cells to help restore normal cell function. The light reduces the nitric oxide in the cells that block oxygen from binding with other components of the cell, which causes stress and impairs immune function. The normalized cell can heal itself and pain and inflammation are both reduced.
Along with a reduction in pain and inflammation, other benefits of Cold Laser Therapy include:
- Enhanced tissue performance
- Increased circulation
- Improved healing
- Restoring normal cell function
- Tissue repair
4. What Conditions Can Be Treated by Cold Laser Therapy?
Photo by Polina Zimmerman
Cold laser therapy works to restore normal cell function and improve the healing process. It is helpful for a variety of conditions, including:
- Muscle and joint pain
- Sports injuries
- Arthritis pain
- Tendonitis
- Skin Conditions – eczema, psoriasis
- Migraines
- Overall wellness
- Anti-ageing
- TMJ
5. Are There Any Side Effects on Cold Laser Therapy?
Cold laser therapy is a non-invasive procedure and completely painless. Compared to taking medications or surgery, cold laser therapy offers healing without long-term adverse side effects.
The treatment may aggravate some chronic conditions or past injuries, but the sensation is like a small ache that lasts only a few hours after the procedure. The light waves used in the treatment are non-ionizing and do not cause any tissue damage like x-rays, UV rays, or gamma rays.
The only disadvantages to cold laser therapy are that some patients may need several treatments before they feel any pain relief and that the procedures need to be repeated several times a week to have a lasting effect.