Cold Laser therapy at our clinic helps us to provide our patients with state of the art healing modalities along with our other services. We offer this cutting edge healing technology with the Erchonia PL 5000, a low-level, non-invasive laser that speeds recovery, reduces pain and accelerates bone and wound healing. The first of its kind to be approved by the FDA, the PL5000 has a proven track record for healing, recovery and performance through completely painless therapy treatments.
What is a Laser?
LASER is an acronym which stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Lasers produce monochromatic (single color wavelength), collimated (non-divergent) and coherent (wavelengths in- phase) light. That means the light is in a single beam that is made of all the same wavelength with the wavelengths all being in sync with one another. The energy generated by the laser is in or near the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Light is measured in wavelengths and different wavelengths have different energy levels which can have various effects on tissue. For example, the Erchonia 3LT™ Laser is 635 nanometers, which is found within the "red" spectrum of visible light (400-800 nm) and has anabolic (generating new) tissue effects.
What is low-level laser?
Unlike high power lasers that use heat and destroy tissue, low energy lasers affect the cellular energy of the underlying tissue. Hot lasers have a thermal effect and have an output of 1MW (1 million watts) or above. Cold (or) Low Level Lasers do not have a thermal effect on tissue. Lasers that stimulate biological function have an output below 10 milliwatts (ten-one thousands of a watt).
What is 3LT™ - Low Level Laser Therapy?
Low Level Laser Therapy (3LT™) refers to the modality of applying a "low" energy or "low level" laser to tissue that stimulates cellular processes and thereby enhances biochemical reactions. For example, studies show that LLLT increases ATP production in the mitochondria of the cell. Since more energy is now available, the cell may utilize this fuel to function or operate more efficiently.
How does it work?
Many theories exist as to the mechanism of action for Low Level Laser Therapy(3LT™) but simply put, photonic energy is absorbed by the photo acceptor sites on the cell membrane which trigger the cells to initiate a cascade of intracellular signals that initiate, inhibit or accelerate biological processes such as wound healing, inflammation, or pain management. More simply, the body absorbs energy from the laser, which, in turn, stimulates its cells to produce greater amounts of cellular energy known as ATP (adenosine triphosphate). In some ways, the laser treatment resembles a plant taking up sunlight during the photosynthesis process. This energy is available to the body for healing and repair.
Becasue of the tremendous stimulation of celularl metabolism (energy), another effect is a significant reduction in healing time—which may be less than one-third to one-half as long as treatment without the laser. Other benefits of the Erchonia Laser treatment include reduction in both swelling and the formation of scar tissue, as well as reduced pain.
What conditions can be treated?
Low Level Laser Therapy(3LT™) has been successfully used to treat many conditions such as acute and chronic pain, repetitive use disorders like carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, soft tissue strains and sprains, inflammation reduction, enhanced tissue wound healing, and cell regeneration. The laser is frequently used to treat burn victims, in which cases it assists with tissue healing and pain management.
How long are the treatments?
Individual treatments can vary in time from seconds to minutes depending on the condition. Research studies show that there may be a dose dependent response, so it may be more effective to treat at lower doses at multiple intervals then to treat a single time with a high dose.
Overall treatment sessions may vary, depending on the condition. For instance, an acute soft tissue injury or open wound may require multiple short treatments initially then the interval between treatments will lengthen as the condition improves.
Are there any side effects?
There are over 1,000 published studies and not one of them mentions any negative side effects of semi-conductor diode lasers at the 5mW range like the Erchonia 3LT™ Lasers. Low Level Lasers are safe, non-toxic and non-invasive; there has not been a recorded side effect in over 1700 publications. There are some necessary common sense precautions that need to be considered, such as avoiding pointing the laser beam directly into the eye and maintaining it there, which could prove to be damaging to the eye.
Is this laser FDA approved?
Erchonia Medical Lasers made history on January 17, 2002 by being the first Low Level Laser manufacturer to be given marketing clearance as Adjunctive Use in Pain Therapy for the treatment of chronic neck and shoulder pain. Although Low Level Lasers typically fall into the "non-significant" risk category, there are many lasers that are of inferior quality and performance compared to Erchonia technology and patents.
Furthermore, there are many light emitting products on the market today, claiming to be lasers that do not meet scientifically defined attributes for being a true laser. For example, products that use Light Emitting Diodes or Leeds as they are more commonly known do in fact produce light, however the light is not intense, producing very little energy and is non-coherent, similar to light produced by common household light bulbs. Non-coherent or non-colimated light is the result of photons moving in random directions at random times, generating random frequencies.
For a great visual introduction of the benefits and capabilities of Laser Therapy, see the videos below.
If you would like to receive more information about our laser therapy services,or if you would like to schedule a consultation with Dr. Wilson, follow this link:
