What is Low Intensity Laser Therapy?

Low Intensity Laser Therapy utilizes a light source placed in contact with the skin allowing photon energy to interact with damaged cells to normalize cellular components and enhance the body’s natural healing processes. The effects of low intensity laser therapy include reduction of pain conditions and improved functioning.

By affecting and reversing the offending pathology at the cellular level, laser therapy optimizes the restoration of injured tissues to function normally, thereby alleviating the symptom of pain. The beneficial effects of laser therapy are cumulative over the course of a series of treatments.

What are the advantages of Low Intensity Laser Therapy?

• Non-invasive
• Non-toxic
• Easily applied
• Highly effective

What does Low Intensity Laser Therapy Treat?

Conditions treated by low intensity laser therapy include:

• (i) General
  • repetitive stress injury
  • carpal tunnel syndrome
  • rotator cuff tear
  • epicondylitis
  • fibromyalgia
  • reflex sympathetic dystrophy
  • temporo-mandibular joint dysfunction
  • headaches & migraines
• (ii) Injuries
  • ligament and tendon tears
  • fractures with associated soft tissue injuries
  • facet joint syndrome
  • bulging and herniated discs
  • contusions
• (iii) Inflammatory
  • tendonitis
  • myositis
  • synovitis
  • bursitis
  • plantar fasciitis
  • rheumatoid arthritis
• (iv) Degenerative
  • osteoarthritis
  • chondromalacia patella
  • discogenic and vertebrogenic radiculopathy
  • spinal stenosis
  • calcifications (e.g. bone spurs)
• (v) Other Applications
  • wound healing
  • dermal ulcers:
    • venous stasis
    • atherosclerotic
    • contact
    • diabetic
    • traumatic
  • burns:
    • thermal
    • chemical
  • lymphedema (acute & chronic)
  • dermatology:
    • herpes zoster (shingles)
    • ezcemas
    • psoriasis
  • gout / arthritis
  • lymphedema
  • neuropathies (diabetic, etc)

Is Low Intensity Laser Therapy Effective?

This is the million dollar question.

How often have you heard the phrase, "The doctors say there's nothing else they can do. I just have to live with the pain"? We believe there should be more options for people living with pain.

If you are a patient, you just want your suffering to end. We could quote the hundreds of clinical studies that have showed positive results. Or we could read you the thousands of testimonials from patients who are pain-free because of laser. Many laser clinics boast a 90% success rate. However, this may mean nothing to you as an individual.

If you are a medical professional, you are looking for evidence backed by vigorous clinical trials plus the support of expert-opinion.

Keep in mind that Low Intensity Laser Therapy is a relatively young science. Laser equipment has changed dramatically in the last few decades. Older clinical trials use significantly lower doses than what we use today.

Although laser therapy was first used in the 1960s in Europe, adoption of laser therapy in North America is slower (although growing steadily). Therefore, laser therapy is considered alternative/complementary medicine. This lends itself to a whole host of beliefs and pre-conceptions.

As medical professionals, we are not here to promise miracles. However, we’ve done our own research plus we have witnessed the clinically-significant improvement among patients. We are confident in the efficacy and safety of low intensity laser therapy. We invite you to do your own research and maybe try the laser treatment yourself. Then you can be comfortable with your decisions about low intensity laser therapy.

The following links take you to abstracts discussing laser - many positive, some negative.

• The effects of laser acupuncture on chronic tension headache
• Is low level laser therapy an effective adjuvant intervention for chronic low back pain?
• Ultrasound and laser therapy in the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome
• A controlled trial of low level laser therapy for activated Achilles tendinitis
• Effectiveness of muscle stretching exercises with and without laser therapy at tender points for patients with fibromyalgia.
• The effect of gallium arsenide aluminum laser therapy in the management of cervical myofascial pain syndrome.
• Low-intensity laser therapy for painful symptoms of diabetic sensorimotor polyneuropathy
• Effect of low level helium-neon (He-Ne) laser therapy in the prevention & treatment of radiation induced mucositis in head & neck cancer patients.
• Patients with moderate chemotherapy-induced mucositis: pain therapy using low intensity lasers.
• Low-level laser treatment can reduce edema in second degree ankle sprains.
• Investigation of the supplementary effect of GaAs laser therapy on the rehabilitation of human digital flexor tendons.
• Low intensity laser therapy in the treatment of temporomandibular disorders: a double-blind study.
• Low level laser therapy in primary Raynaud's phenomenon--results of a placebo controlled, double blind intervention study.
• Low-level laser therapy in management of postmastectomy lymphedema.
• Randomized controlled trial on low level laser therapy (LLLT) in the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) of the hand.
• Efficacy of 904 nm gallium arsenide low level laser therapy in the management of chronic myofascial pain in the neck: a double-blind and randomize-controlled trial.
• Double-blind randomized controlled trial of low-level laser therapy in carpal tunnel syndrome.
• The effect of 300 mW, 830 nm laser on chronic neck pain: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study.
• Effects of low-level laser and plyometric exercises in the treatment of lateral epicondylitis.
• Effects of 904-nm low-level laser therapy in the management of lateral epicondylitis: a randomized controlled trial.
• Laser therapy in the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome: a randomized controlled trial.
• Laser acupuncture in knee osteoarthritis: a double-blind, randomized controlled study.
• Low-power laser treatment for shoulder pain.
• The efficacy of low-power lasers in tissue repair and pain control: a meta-analysis study.
• Investigation of the effect of GaAs laser therapy on cervical myofascial pain syndrome.
• A phase III randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial to determine the efficacy of low level laser therapy for the prevention of oral mucositis in patients undergoing hematopoietic cell transplantation.
• Effect of low level laser therapy in rheumatoid arthritis patients with carpal tunnel syndrome.
• Low power laser treatment in patients with knee osteoarthritis.
• Adjuvant laser acupuncture in the treatment of whiplash injuries: a prospective, randomized placebo-controlled trial.
• A systematic review with procedural assessments and meta-analysis of low level laser therapy in lateral elbow tendinopathy (tennis elbow).
• Medical Articles written at Meditech

How much does laser treatment cost?

The costs for laser therapy are as follows:

Initial physiotherapy assessment = $125 (includes first treatment)

Subsequent treatments =
Back = $100
Neck = $100
Knee = $100
Hip = $100
Other joints = $100

Add a 2nd joint = 50% of fee schedule

Medical forms = ranges from $30-$100 depending on form

"No show" or "Short Notice" cancellation (less than 24h notice) = $200

All costs are subject to GST.

Services may be covered through private health insurance plans and Section B coverage (in the case of motor vehicle accidents).

The initial assessment and periodic reassessments done by the physicians are covered by Alberta Health or any other provincial health care plan (except Quebec).

How many treatments are needed?
The number of treatments will vary with regard to the individual problem. Just as every medical condition varies, so will the individual response to therapy. The average number of treatments required is 10. In some patients one treatment is sufficient (especially in instances of acute/recent injury); in others up to 50 may be required.

Is Low Intensity Laser Therapy Safe?

In over 2000 peer reviewed scientific studies and over a million individual treatments administered, there have been no significant adverse effects noted. Some patients describe an achiness or a mild increase in symptoms for a short period during or after therapy due to tissue stimulation, but this is usually only evidence of the body beginning the healing process. If this occurs, placing ice on the painful area can alleviate this pain. Please alert your therapist if this occurs so that he/she can adjust the doses of your subsequent treatments accordingly. Each treatment can be modified to the unique specifications of each patient and their condition.

The Bioflex system we use has been cleared by the FDA and Health Canada. The CE mark of approval has been obtained and the manufacturing standards of UL and ISO have been met.

How long does a treatment take?

Treatments are on average one hour in duration depending on the condition being treated. However, if you have extensive pathology, treatments can be as long as 2 hours. For most patients in pain, sitting or lying in one position for a long time can be difficult. Therefore, therapists can use two laser systems at one time. This will shorten the duration of your treatment without reducing the amount of laser you receive. (Please note that you are responsible for payment of each laser system that is used. See “How much does laser treatment cost” for more details.)