Cold Laser Therapy
Painless, non-toxic low level laser therapy that helps your body's cells heal naturally and relieve pain.
What is low level laser therapy?
We are constantly searching for new scientific breakthroughs in natural treatment methods. Dr. McFarlane may recommend cold laser treatments to supplement your customized treatment plan.
Low level laser therapy (LLLT) directs red and near infrared light over tissue to improve healing and reduce pain. It uses cold (subthermal) laser energy, between 1 and 500 mW, compared with 3,000 to 10,000 mW for surgical lasers. The therapy is precise, accurate, safe, and can be extremely effective for a wide variety of conditions.
LLLT has been used clinically in Europe for over thirty years and has been the subject of more than 2,500 scientific papers worldwide. There are no reported side effects. It is painless, non-toxic, and complements many traditional therapies.
How does it work?
Laser light is one precise color, coherent, monochromatic, and polarized. These properties let it penetrate the skin with no heating effect and no damage. Cells absorb this light and convert it into chemical energy, a process called photobiostimulation, which increases the energy available to cells so they take in nutrients faster and clear waste products.
Long-term clinical research shows cold laser works through three functions:
- Energization: transforming laser energy into cell energy
- Circulation: increasing blood and lymph circulation
- Vibration: bringing cells back into healthy, regular rhythm
What the research shows
- Tennis elbow: complete pain relief and restored function in 82% of acute and 66% of chronic cases (J Clin Laser Med & Surg, 1998)
- Low back pain: effective in 71% of the laser group versus 36% of the sham group (Lasers Surg Med, 1998)
- Fibromyalgia: 66% benefited with regard to local pain and mobility (J Clin Laser Med Surg, 1997)
- Rheumatoid arthritis of the hand: improved grip strength and movement with less swelling, pain, and morning stiffness (Lasers in Medical Science, 1989)
- Headache and migraine: pain relief within minutes in reported cases (Soc Laser Surgery & Medicine, 1991)
Ask about cold laser therapy
Dr. McFarlane can tell you whether cold laser treatments fit your care plan.