According to an article published by MedicalNewsToday, Cold laser therapy is a type of treatment that uses low levels of light to promote healing for different conditions, such as arthritis, joint pain, and muscle strains.
Cold laser therapy is noninvasive and mostly takes place in chiropractic offices.
Doctors call it a cold laser as it uses low intensity light to treat inflamed tissue and does not generate heat.
Researchers believe that this treatment helps improveTrusted Source blood flow and ease pain.
Cold laser therapy also has other names, including:
Cold laser therapy uses low levels of energy or photons that penetrate deep into a painful tissue. The light leads to chemical changes that help damaged cells recover and regrow.
The physician uses a handheld device the size of a flashlight and places it directly on the injured area for about 1 minute. Treatment time may last for up to 30 minutes.
Cold laser therapy may also be effective when doctors use it with other treatments in persons with lymphedema, such as lymphatic drainage massage.
Medical professionals may recommend cold laser therapy for various reasons:
According to a 2015 studyTrusted Source, it may help reduce pain in people with:
It may also be helpful to treat pain that develops from third molar surgery and orthodontic procedures.
Another study reviewed the effects of laser therapy on people who have undergone molar extraction surgery. The results showed that it can reduce pain, swelling, and trismus (lockjaw) that may appear after the procedure.
A 2015 study notes that low level laser therapy can be an affordable treatment for individuals with foot ulcers due to diabetes. The researchers added that the method can reduce wound size.
Low level laser therapy has anti-inflammatory, anti-edema, and analgesic effects, according to a 2018 paper.
Therefore, It may be useful as an additional treatment to help wounds heal faster.
Cold laser therapy may benefit a person with Bell’s palsy, a condition that causes muscle weakness on one side of the face.
A 2021 study found that low level laser therapy can help improve facial expression recovery time in those with facial nerve palsies and Bell’s palsy without the use of medications.
Laser therapy may helpTrusted Source stimulate hair growth in someone with androgenetic alopecia, or pattern baldness, who does not wish to take medications or undergo surgery to grow their hair.
A 2017 study suggests that a person may opt for laser therapy on its own or combine it with other medications, such as minoxidil or finasteride.
Healthcare professionals may treat swelling with laser therapy.
A 2016 article affirms that the low level laser can reduce swelling after molar removal.
To find out if cold laser therapy could benefit you, contact our office at Olde Towne Wellness in Petersburg, VA.