Cold laser therapy or low-level laser therapy (LLLT) is a non-invasive, pain free way to help treat a nagging injury. Cold lasers work by stimulating a cell’s mitochondria, which is the energy producing part of the cell. This stimulates cell activity and increases the amount of tissue healing that is able to occur in an injured area. Common injuries and diagnoses that can be treated with LLLT include tendonitis, bursitis, arthritis, muscle strains and ligament sprains. In conjunction with strengthening, stretching and additional modalities, LLLT can cause pain reduction, tissue healing, reduced inflammation and improve wound healing.
In addition to pain reduction and increased healing rate, cold lasers are time efficient as well! The length of treatment can vary from 30 seconds to several minutes depending on the area and injury type. There are very little side effects with only mild redness, tingling and warmth as a possibility. They can be used around joint replacements. There have been mixed results in current research studies on the effectiveness of LLLT, with some studies showing improvement in symptoms while others have shown little to no change. Due to this varied research, some insurances do not cover cold laser treatment and it may be an out of pocket expense. We always recommend contacting your health insurance provider before proceeding.