Cold Laser Therapy for Knee Pain
Cold Laser Therapy for Knee Pain
How Does Cold Laser Therapy Work?
Cold laser therapy beams light energy at your skin. The device uses low levels of energy, or photons. Unlike higher-frequency lasers used for surgery, they dont heat or cut your skin. Photons penetrate deep into a painful joint. The light triggers chemical changes that help damaged cells and tissues heal and regrow.
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During treatment, your doctor aims the cold laser device directly at the skin on your knee. It will either touch your skin or be very close to it.
The device sends a quick light pulse into your knee that lasts from 30 to 60 seconds. Youll need more than one treatment to get results. It can take as few as eight or as many as 30 treatments.
What Does Cold Laser Therapy Treat?
Cold laser therapy can help:
- Reduce acute (sudden) or chronic (long-lasting) pain
- Treat inflammation
- Speed up wound healing
- Promote tissue regrowth
- Improve blood circulation in the knee
Pros of Cold Laser Therapy for Knee Pain
Cold laser therapy has been shown to relieve mild to moderate OA knee pain, as well as improve sensitivity to pressure and joint flexibility.
Cold laser therapy may also:
- Open up blood vessels to ease swelling
- Help your immune system create more chemicals that heal tissue
- Build more connective tissue in your knee
- Trigger endorphins, natural hormones that ease pain
Nondrug alternative. Cold laser therapy is a drug-free alternative to opioids for knee pain. Opioids can be highly addictive when used for chronic pain, and they can cause side effects like constipation, nausea, or drowsiness.
Noninvasive. Cold laser therapy doesnt cut into your skin to treat knee pain, so it isnt invasive like surgery.
Few side effects. Cold laser therapy for knee pain has no side effects.
Is Cold Laser Therapy Right for You?
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Whats cold laser therapy?
Cold laser therapy is low-intensity laser therapy that stimulates healing while using low levels of light.
The technique is called cold laser therapy because the low levels of light arent enough to heat your bodys tissue. The level of light is low when compared to other forms of laser therapy, such as those used to destroy tumors and coagulate tissue.
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Surgical and aesthetic lasers heat the tissue being treated. True to its name, cold laser therapy does not.
Cold laser therapy is also known as:
- low-level laser therapy (LLLT)
- low-power laser therapy (LPLT)
- soft laser biostimulation
- photobiomodulation
How does cold laser therapy work?
During this procedure, different wavelengths and outputs of low-level light are applied directly to a targeted area. The body tissue then absorbs the light. The red and near-infrared light cause a reaction, and the damaged cells respond with a physiological reaction that promotes regeneration.
Superficial tissue is commonly treated with wavelengths between 600 and 700 nanometers (nm). For deeper penetration, wavelengths between 780 and 950 nm are used.
Although youll feel the laser device touching your skin, the procedure is painless and noninvasive. There will be no sound and youll feel no vibration or heat. Each treatment typically takes only a few minutes.
Is cold laser therapy for you?
The use of cold laser therapy is growing in traditional medical practice and as a complementary or alternative therapy. Its approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a number of conditions.
Cold laser therapy is considered safe when performed under the care of a doctor or qualified practitioner. On the plus side, its also noninvasive and painless. It doesnt require medication or other preparation either.
That being said, cold laser therapy shouldnt be used on carcinomas or cancerous lesions. It should also be avoided on the thyroid or eyes for home use. Since the effect of cold laser therapy on unborn children is unknown, its suggested that pregnant women avoid this type of treatment.
One of the drawbacks of this therapy may be time. While each cold laser therapy session only takes a few minutes, it may take as long as a month (with as many as four treatments a week) before you can gauge its effectiveness.
It also may not be covered by your insurance.
Whats the takeaway for people interested in cold laser therapy?
Research into the effectiveness and safety of cold laser therapy is ongoing. Not enough information on optimal treatment protocol is available. However, proponents feel that it can be a good alternative for people who want to avoid invasive treatments.
If youre interested in cold laser therapy, speak with a doctor, physical therapist, or other medical professional to find out if it makes sense for you.
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