Cold Laser Therapy is an innovative new technology that allows doctors to treat damaged tissue and allow it to regenerate or to provide pain relief to targeted areas of the body. This therapeutic technique utilizes lower levels of intensity in the laser compared to other types of lasers, which is how it is able to promote healing the way it does.
Our Orthopedic Doctors in Atlanta have found many applications in which this type of “cold” laser can be applied. The term “cold” doesn’t necessarily refer to the sensation of the laser, but instead, it describes the light levels in the laser and the fact that they are not high enough to heat the skin as other lasers do.
How Is Cold Laser Therapy Performed?
Your orthopedic specialist will target whichever area that is suffering from pain or being affected by your condition. They will apply the laser in order to repair the damaged cells beneath the skin.
Different parts of the body will obviously require varying depths of penetration by the laser. This is easily achievable since the laser isn’t hot enough to damage the surrounding skin as it enters.
When the laser hits the tissue, the body actually absorbs the light it emits, and this energy causes a physiological reaction in the tissue. Once this reaction has occurred, your body will begin to regenerate the tissue it needs as it would naturally.
What Can Cold Laser Therapy Treat?
Cold Laser Therapy is useful when applied to many different types of injuries and conditions. The applications that have been tested also span various specialties, so different types of doctors perform this procedure. Its main advantages tend to lend themselves nicely to the healing of damaged tissues throughout the body and reducing inflammation that causes pain.
Injuries
Common injuries that occur and are then treated with the employment of cold lasers are joint pain, back pain, muscle pain, neck pain, tendonitis, bursitis, strains in the ligaments, and sprains in the muscles.
These injuries are very often treated by physical therapists and even sports medicine specialists as a result of various accidents and chronic wear and tear. When an individual is in pain or has increased inflammation in one of these areas of the body, oftentimes cold laser therapy can be utilized to repair both acute and chronic damage.
Pain
Cold Laser Therapy can drastically improve the pain level of those who suffer from conditions that cause them debilitating chronic pain and more traumatic acute pain all the same.
One of the conditions that commonly cause this type of pain is fibromyalgia. This is a disorder that is characterized by muscle and skeletal pain across the body, thought to be brought on by an issue in the brain with a way that pain is processed. Also, carpal tunnel syndrome of the wrist and arm can be mitigated by cold laser therapy treatments.
Inflammation
Lots of conditions and diseases cause chronic inflammation, which can either lead to further health issues or pain. Inflammation is effectively reduced by cold laser therapy through the same regenerative process as the healing process. For this reason, cold laser therapy is often utilized to aid in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerations, and other more specific types of autoimmune diseases.
Skin Issues
Since cold lasers are so restorative when they are used, they are often sought out by those who desire to have some form of skin rejuvenation performed. Conditions such as acne, burns, dermatitis, psoriasis, and swelling have been treated therapeutically with cold lasers.
Alternative Use
Interestingly enough, cold laser therapy is even gentle enough to be utilized in the performing of acupuncture treatments. Some patients have an aversion to the traditional needles used, so cold laser therapy can be a helpful alternative.
Could Cold Laser Therapy Alleviate Your Pain or Injury?
As you can see, cold laser therapy is a versatile therapeutic treatment that can provide pain relief and healing in many areas of the body that contain damaged cells. It can be a very functional treatment for many ailments, but shouldn’t be used by those who have cancerous cells present in their body, or those who are pregnant. Medically speaking, cold laser therapy can be beneficial for many types of issues experienced by patients, so contact an AICA Orthopedic office today to see if you’re a good candidate.
