Daily Archives: May 12, 2014

Laser Therapy – A New Dimension in Medical Practice

Lasers in Medicine
The focused power of Laser light has been utilized in the field of medicine since the 1960s. Traditionally used for its precision in surgery and its ability to cauterize blood vessels, high-powered Lasers are now routinely used in most hospitals around the world. Dialing down the power of Lasers provides a whole new range of possibilities and clinical applications that can stimulate healing in human tissue. With over 50 years of scientific and clinical research, Low Intensity Laser Therapy has been used to resolve inflammation, repair injured tissue and eliminate pain.

What does Laser Therapy do?
Laser Therapy has been shown to regenerate muscle, bone, cartilage and neurological tissue. All tissue consists of cells, therefore it may be described as healing by restoring the normal structure and function of the cells. Many experiments have demonstrated that Laser expedites and resolves the inflammatory process, which is often arrested in chronic pain conditions, particularly in situations of arthritis, degenerative disc disease, etc. Laser Therapy has no adverse effects and can be safely applied in patients with implants, prosthesis, pacemakers and other medical problems.

What Conditions Can Benefit from Laser Therapy?
Both acute and chronic conditions can benefit significantly from the utilization of Laser Therapy. Acute injuries including soft tissue and sports injuries, trauma and dermatological conditions can generally be resolved in ten treatments or less. The earlier in the course of the disease process that Laser Therapy is instituted, the more likely it is that optimal results can be achieved. Ideally, a patient should initiate treatment within the first 24 hours post-diagnosis.
Chronic conditions including degenerative osteoarthritis, repetitive stress injuries and dermatological wounds may require a more prolonged course of treatment to resolve completely. Compared to the alternatives, including the use of pharmaceuticals and surgery which may offer limited benefit, Laser Therapy is preferable as it produces no side effects or complications from its application.
Recalcitrant, complex wounds, including ulcers secondary to atherosclerosis, diabetes, venous stasis, trauma, etc., along with post-surgical contact ulcers, can all be resolved rapidly with a course of Laser Therapy. Often these wounds have not responded to conventional therapy that may result in life changing outcomes for the patients, including amputation. Even the most stubborn or recalcitrant wounds have responded favorably to Laser Therapy with complete healing over a period of time.


The Potential Role of Laser Therapy in Mainstream Medicine

While Laser Therapy is not yet commonly used in hospital and clinical practices, it is becoming available in a growing number of health care clinics, rehabilitation centres and in institutions that specialize in wound care.
An increasing number of health care associations and institutions are integrating Laser Therapy into their therapeutic programs as a growing body of evidence-based research papers support and validate the technology. It is the hope that in the future Laser Therapy can be considered the treatment of choice in dealing with musculoskeletal conditions, dermal ulcers and many other challenging medical problems.
“Primum non nocere” the Latin phrase that means “first, do no harm” is taught to all physicians and is a fundamental principle of medical practice around the world. With Laser Therapy, there is no concern with regard to harming the patient, only indications that it will significantly improve clinical outcomes.