What Is Cold Laser Therapy

By Adriana Noton


Another name for the cold laser therapy is low light laser therapy. This is a medical and veterinary procedure that uses light of relatively low intensity from lasers to change how body cells function. The effectiveness of this low level light is limited by its wavelength, the area on the body being treated and the duration that the light is exposed to the skin. The light is passed directly on the skin or over it. This form of therapy is done to reduce pain and inflammation in different areas of the body. The process is also known to speed up healing of wounds. Other uses include acupuncture.

This procedure is known to stimulate all kinds of cells from muscles and cartilage, ligaments, nerves and joints and thus a couple of conditions can be treated using this process. These conditions include back pain, rheumatoid Arthritis pain, neck pain, knee pain, Tendinitis, Carpal tunnel syndrome, Fibromyalgia and other joint disorders.

There have also been claims that the low light laser therapy can be of help to people addicted to smoking. It is said to relieve the smoking addiction by releasing endorphins which simulate nicotine effects to the brain and also balancing the energy in the body. Other claims have it that it can also ease high blood pressure, migraines and headaches and other conditions of which there is no proven evidence yet.

The procedure has its advantages and disadvantages just like everything else. One of its best advantages is that it is not a surgical operation but a non-invasive process. This means that it has few risks and it is not cumbersome. This also means that a patient takes a small time to recover after treatment.

Another advantage is that the treatment has no medication and it therefore appeals to patients who detest taking drugs and also those who fear needles. This translates to few or no side effects when properly supervised by a qualified doctor. When the side effects are there they are minor.

On the other hand the treatment procedure has its disadvantages. One of the outstanding disadvantages is the number of times a patient has to undergo the treatment before full relief is achieved. The first treatment is not enough to get rid of all the pain and depending on the acuteness patients usually have to return to the doctor for about 8 to 30 times. This calls for 2 or 3 appointments in one week. This means that is a slow process and requires a lot of time.

Another disadvantage is that previous injuries are usually aggravated and last for a few days after the treatments though for most patients it could disappear within no time. The other disadvantage is that the treatment is very expensive and thus out of reach for average people. What is worse is that some insurance companies do not take care of this therapy expenses.

This procedure is still under research to bring the best out of it. The therapy can also be administered to animals.




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