1. It's non-invasive
The laser device does not injure the skin, but rather, penetrates into the deeper tissues. “It, therefore, offers an alternative to surgery for a variety of conditions such as arthritis of the knee,” says Dr. Lee.
2. It does not involve the use of pharmaceutical drugs
“Some people are intolerant of medications such as non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDS), or they have medical conditions that prevent them from taking certain medications,” says Dr. Lee.
3. It is usually not painful
A barrier for many patients in seeking therapy is the fear of pain, and in most cases treatments involving lasers often involve some level of discomfort. In most cases, cold laser therapy doesn't hurt. “The laser does not feel like anything, nor does it burn the skin, hence the ‘cold’ laser terminology, as opposed to heat therapy,” says Dr. Malek.
4. There are no known side effects
Unlike other modalities, there have been no reported major complications from cold laser therapy. “There is the possibility that a patient may not see the degree of response they were hoping for,” says Dr. Lee, but that’s on a more superficial level.
5. It can treat arthritis and joint pain
In people with neck pain, it reduced pain after treatment and for up to 22 weeks afterward. What’s more, a study that examined older people with knee osteoarthritis showed that the combination of cold laser therapy and exercise resulted in more joint pain relief than purely exercise alone.
6. Cold laser therapy can accelerate healing
“When the light is absorbed from our body on a cellular level, collagen formation is sped up and laid down more efficiently—what this means is, you can heal faster and with less scar tissue than if you just let your injury go,” says Brian Meenan, DC, founder of Premier Chiropractic in Pittsburgh. It also increases the amount of a molecule called adenosine triphosphate (or ATP), which is the main energy source in our cells. “These two things allow you to heal faster when undergoing cold laser therapy,” Dr. Meenan says.
7. It also decreases inflammation
Similar to how over-the-counter pain medications work, the chemicals that induce pain into an area of the body are decreased with cold laser therapy. “These chemicals are simply reduced when they interact with the light from the laser,” says Dr. Meenan, which leads to less inflammation, more pain relief, and even increased blood flow. “Our blood brings in all the nutrients needed for injuries to heal, and research suggests that cold laser therapy increases blood flow to an area by making new blood vessels and increasing the blood flow traveling through the vessels,” he adds.
Excepts from: All the Intel on Cold Laser Therapy, Which Can Speed Recovery and Relieve Pain https://www.wellandgood.com/cold-laser-therapy/ by Isadora Baum
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