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What is LLLT?
LLLT (Low level laser therapy or commonly
called, Cold Laser) is a painless, sterile, non-invasive, drug-free
treatment which is used to treat a variety of pain syndromes, injuries,
wounds, fractures, neurological conditions and pathologies. Laser therapy
can be used any time a patient requests or needs a drug-less procedure for
the control of pain, when conventional therapies have been ineffective, or
when the acceleration of healing from injuries is desired.
Around the world, laser therapy is rapidly
becoming a medical therapy that can heal wounds and fractures up to 60%
faster and also reduce the cost of treatment for many conditions. In the
U.K., LLLT has become the treatment of choice for soft tissue “whiplash”
injuries and for the treatment of painful post-herpetic neuralgia (shingles
pain).
How Does Laser Light Heal?
Healing
with the use of light is not new. Light therapy was reported to be effective
for many conditions by Hippocrates. With the development of the laser and
its special properties, using light as a treatment has gained more
popularity. This is because we can now use specific wavelengths of light and
give accurately measured doses of energy directly to the appropriate
treatment site, which was not possible with other light sources.
Low level
lasers supply energy to the body in the form of non-thermal photons of
light. Light is transmitted through the skin’s layers (the dermis, epidermis
and the subcutaneous tissue or tissue fat under the skin) at all wavelengths
in the visible range. However, light waves in the near infrared ranges
penetrate the deepest of all light waves in the visible spectrum. When low
level laser light waves penetrate deeply into the skin, they optimize the
immune responses of our blood. This has both anti-inflammatory and
immunostimulate effects. It is a scientific fact that light transmitted to
the blood in this way has positive effects throughout the whole body,
supplying vital oxygen and energy to every cell.
What to Expect During a Laser Therapy Treatment
Session
For most people, laser therapy is quite passive.
There are no pulsating shocks felt, as in forms of electronic stimulation,
nor heat used as with ultrasounds. The most noticeable sensation is the
touch of the probe head of the laser, as it comes in contact with the skin.
Some
patients (3-5% of those undergoing light therapy) have reported a slight
tingling or tapping in a nerve or along a nerve pathway. Some have noted
that they are able to sense a slight feeling of warmth. But for the most
part, the treatment, which may last from 2 to 20 minutes, is not noticed at
all.
Following
(and even during) a laser therapy session, approximately 75-80% of patients
being treated can notice an immediate improvement in their condition. This
will depend primarily on the type of condition and the length of time the
condition has been present.
Generally, the more chronic or severe the
condition, the longer it takes to respond. The majority of conditions
treated will take anywhere from 4-5 or 10-18 treatments. Once again, the
number of treatments depends upon the severity of the condition and its
duration. If your condition does not change immediately, it may take 3-4
sessions before a dramatic or marked change is perceived.
Watch
Cold Laser Therapy Videos Here
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