Low Level Laser Therapy for Pain and Injuries

Low Level Laser Therapy is also known as Cold Laser Light Therapy, or Low Intensity Laser Therapy.  This is not to be confused with the Far Infrared Radiation “heating healing” pads which treats another set of ailments.  I’ll cover that in another article.

Last year, I was fortunate and unfortunate to experience this alternative form of therapy for my injuries.

Unfortunate, because I was injured.

Fortunate, because I was in the hands of one of the best specialist in the world, Gerry Ramogida.

Dr. Ramogida, who is also the NFL Seattle Seahawks therapist, as well as Team Canada’s Athletics for Beijing 2008, has his clinic 3 blocks away from my office.

Normally, I would visit Gerry for ART (Active Release Therapy) on my soft tissue injuries, and the occasional acupuncture, but this time I was using Low Intensity Laser Therapy.

What the heck is Low Level Laser Therapy?

What is the effectiveness of low level laser therapy for pain?

Low Level Laser Therapy is simply the use of  light emissions of low intensity laser diodes or high intensity super luminous diodes anywhere from 250 – 2000 milliwatts.  The light source is placed directly on the skin so the photon energy can penetrate the tissue.  There is no pain other than sweaty skin.

As you know, the Achilles tendon has a limited blood supply, so alternative forms of treatment are required.

Effects of Low Level Laser Therapy

The short term effects include cortisol production, where cortisol is the precursor to cortisone.  We all hear stories of cortisone shots, right?  Thanks, but I’d rather skip the needle.

Long term effects include mitochondrial activity which stimulates cellular replication, as well as the formation of new blood vessels (otherwise known as angiogenesis).

Lastly, lymphatic drainage is improved which is a plus.

A typical treatment cycle is about 10 sessions of 15-30 minutes per session.  Check your health insurance first to see what is covered. (and what isn’t covered!)  The whole procedure is painless, so you better bring a book or iPod as you might get bored.  I usually worked on my Blackberry Curve.

The goal of low intensity laser treatments is to restore the cells back to normal.  By the way, normal cells surrounding the affected area are NOT affected.

My experience was positive.  I found the sessions, along with everything else I was doing, helped get back my Achilles back to normal so I could train at 100% again.

If anyone has any experiences with low level laser therapy, whether positive or negative, please comment constructively below.