Cold laser treatment for pain, also known as cold laser therapy, is a type of treatment that utilizes lights of wavelengths in order to interact with human tissue. Many professionals consider it be very effective in the healing process. Doctors can use it to treat patients who suffer with both acute and chronic pain. Cold laser therapy has also been shown to help with inflammation, swelling, functionality and eliminate spasms.
How Does Cold Therapy Work?
Doctors deliver this therapy to patients via a handheld device. This means that it is not an invasive procedure. The device is very small, and in many cases, no bigger than a small flashlight. Doctors place the device over the area that the pain is affecting for approximately 30 seconds. However, the doctor can hold it over the area for several minutes depending on the patient’s specific needs.
During the treatment process, photons of light emitted from the laser go through all of the levels of the skin including the dermis, epidermis and tissue fat. In fact, cold laser treatment for pain can penetrate as deeply as 2 to 6 centimeters.
What Conditions Can Be Treated With Cold Laser Therapy?
This type of therapy is able to stimulate the different cell types including:
- Ligaments
- Nerves
- Cartilage
Some of the most common conditions that are treated by cold laser therapy are:
- Arthritis
- Knee pain
- Carpal tunnel
- Neck pain
- Tendonitis
Is It Effective?
Physicians have been using this therapy on patients who are looking for safe alternatives for pain management. In fact, since the late 1960s, over 2000 studies have been conducted on this alternative pain relief solution. These double blinded and placebo controlled studies have proven this therapy to be a very effective method to eliminate pain.
What Are The Benefits And Disadvantages Of Cold Laser Therapy?
The medical community considers cold laser therapy a new procedure, and there are some benefits and disadvantages to the procedure.
Cold laser therapy has the advantage of no recovery time associated with the treatment. As previously discussed, this is a noninvasive treatment. Patients do not need to take medications during or after the treatment.
The major downside is that it may take several treatments before a patient begins to feel the full effects of the treatment. This means that patients may need to have up to 4 treatments a week.
In conclusion, cold laser treatment for pain is one of the options available for pain management. A majority of health care professionals consider it is an effective treatment for different types of pain.
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