Advantages And Disadvantages Of Cold Laser Therapy



by Adriana Noton


Another name for the cold laser therapy is low light laser therapy. This is a medical and veterinary procedure that uses light of relatively low intensity from lasers to change how body cells function. The effectiveness of this low level light is limited by its wavelength, the area on the body being treated and the duration that the light is exposed to the skin. The light is passed directly on the skin or over it. This form of therapy is done to reduce pain and inflammation in different areas of the body. The process is also known to speed up healing of wounds. Other uses include acupuncture.

This procedure is known to stimulate all kinds of cells from muscles and cartilage, ligaments, nerves and joints and thus a couple of conditions can be treated using this process. These conditions include back pain, rheumatoid Arthritis pain, neck pain, knee pain, Tendinitis, Carpal tunnel syndrome, Fibromyalgia and other joint disorders.

Some advertisements claim that the process can also help to quit smoking by balancing the energy in the body and releasing endorphins to relieve the addiction. Others write that it can also help with high blood pressure, headaches and migraines, and other conditions but there is no proven evidence to these claims.

Cold laser treatment has its advantages and disadvantages too. One of its advantages is that it is a non-invasive process and this means that it does not call for surgical incision. It is therefore not a cumbersome procedure and it has minimal risks compared to surgical procedures. Another advantage that comes along with it is that there is reduced recovery time since it is not a surgical operation.

Another advantage is that the treatment has no medication and it therefore appeals to patients who detest taking drugs and also those who fear needles. This translates to few or no side effects when properly supervised by a qualified doctor. When the side effects are there they are minor.

On the other hand the treatment procedure has its disadvantages. One of the outstanding disadvantages is the number of times a patient has to undergo the treatment before full relief is achieved. The first treatment is not enough to get rid of all the pain and depending on the acuteness patients usually have to return to the doctor for about 8 to 30 times. This calls for 2 or 3 appointments in one week. This means that is a slow process and requires a lot of time.

Another disadvantage is that previous injuries are usually aggravated and last for a few days after the treatments though for most patients it could disappear within no time. The other disadvantage is that the treatment is very expensive and thus out of reach for average people. What is worse is that some insurance companies do not take care of this therapy expenses.

Research is still underway to explore this treatment option to determine its best usage and more conditions that can be treated.




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