About Laser Pain Management

The term "laser" is an acronym that stands for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. Laser light therapy is an exciting, new pain management treatment that has shown promise in patients with acute pain and chronic pain that has not responded to other treatment.

Advanced cold laser therapy, also called low level laser therapy (LLLT), low power laser therapy (LPLT), and soft laser treatment, is a non-invasive, innovative procedure that helps promote pain relief and healing. This treatment involves using low level lasers that penetrate deeper than other types of lasers to repair damaged tissue faster, provide temporary pain relief, and improve range of motion.

Although the exact mechanism of action is not completely understood, it is thought that low level laser treatments initiate biochemical reactions that improve cell function, increase blood flow (circulation), reduce swelling and inflammation, and promote tissue repair. In this procedure, light energy from a cold laser device penetrates through the layers of the skin (i.e., dermis, epidermis) and the subcutaneous tissue and into the deep tissue (e.g., muscles, tendons, bones, joints). Damaged cells in the deep tissue are a common cause for pain. The laser energy stimulates damaged cells to produce a substance called adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is used by the cells to maintain normal function and promote cell repair. 

Approximately 25 cold laser therapy devices, including the Deep Tissue Laser Therapy Laser® and the Deep Tissue Laser-Massage®, have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for temporary relief of musculoskeletal pain.

Low level laser therapy can be used alone or with other treatments, such as physical therapy, massage therapy, neurostimulation, biofeedback, and chiropractic adjustment.