How Does Laser Therapy Treatment Work? Purpose and Benefits

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Laser therapy is a medical treatment that emits electromagnetic light. Unlike other sources, the light used in a laser stands for “light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation,” and it can be adjusted according to specific wavelengths. Laser light is so intense that it can be used to shape diamonds and cut steel. The source of light is placed in contact with the skin and allows photon energy to penetrate deeper tissues, where it will interact with various intracellular molecules, increasing normal cell function.

Physiotherapy and rehabilitation

Laser therapy is a medical treatment that emits electromagnetic light. Unlike other sources, the light used in a laser stands for “light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation,” and it can be adjusted according to specific wavelengths. Laser light is so intense that it can be used to shape diamonds and cut steel. The source of light is placed in contact with the skin and allows photon energy to penetrate deeper tissues, where it will interact with various intracellular molecules, increasing normal cell function.

In medicine, it allows surgeons to work with high levels of precision by targeting a small area, and hence it causes less damage to the surrounding areas. Laser therapy treatment in Surrey, as compared to other treatments, causes less pain and swelling in your body. However, laser therapy requires multiple treatments and can be expensive.

How Does Laser Treatment Work?

When a cell is repairing itself, it needs a great deal of energy. Most cells continue to work at their usual rates; that’s why normal cells take a longer time to repair themselves naturally. When a cell is injured, it’s so busy dealing with inflammation in the injured tissue that it has no energy left to quickly repair itself. When laser treatment is used, cells become stimulated and cell activity increases, so cells become faster and more efficient.

Types of Laser Therapy

There are two types of laser therapy: low-level laser therapy (LLLT) and high-power laser therapy.

Low-level laser therapy is a type of light therapy that uses a low level of energy from a light source to stimulate cells in the body. It’s often used in the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders like arthritis or tendonitis because it can help relieve symptoms by reducing inflammation and pain while promoting healing at the same time. Low-level laser treatments are effective in reducing the pain associated with such conditions. 

High-level laser therapy is used for chronic conditions such as arthritis, tendonitis, and bursitis. It promotes healing and regeneration from within the cell itself, as light here penetrates the deeper tissues.

Characteristics of a Laser

Due to the specific nature of laser light produced, it also shows specific characteristics;

 
laser-skin-treatment-1

‘mono’ represents single. ‘Chromatic” means color. Laser when emitting photons produces a single pure color because it has one specific wavelength used.

Laser rays are in coherence with each other. The crest and trough of the individual rays show synchronously with each other.
It is also known as non-diverging rays. Laser rays are in parallel with each other.

For What Purpose is Laser Therapy Used?

Laser Therapy Can Be Used For Various Purposes Like

  • It destroys tumorous cells, and polyps and destroys the precancerous growth of cells.
  • Relieving cancer symptoms
  • Eliminate kidney stones
  • Removes prostate part
  • Helps in repairing a detached retina
  • Improves vision
  • Treat hair loss caused by aging
  • Helps in treating back nerve pain

Lasers Also Show a Sealing Effect And Can Be Used to

  • Sealing the nerve ending will further help in reducing the pain after surgery.
  • Sealing the blood vessels to help reduce blood loss.
  • Lymph vessels seal to reduce swelling and limit the spread of tumorous cells.

Lasers Can Be Used In Treating Cancerous Cells

  • Cervical cancerous cells
  • Vaginal cancerous cells
  • Vulvar cancerous cells
  • Penile cancerous cells
  • Lung cancerous cells 
  • Basal skin cancerous cells

Laser Therapy is Also Used In Cosmetics Like

  • Remove moles, birthmarks, uneven spots, and warts.
  • Remove unwanted hair.
  • reducing the appearance of wrinkles, blemishes, or scars on the face.
  • Removing the body tattoo.

Laser therapy can be a good option for you if you’re suffering from any chronic or acute pain or injury in your body. There is no “time gap” regarding how sooner or later you should go for laser therapy Surrey after an injury. Many people report that receiving laser therapy soon after any pain or injury occurs helps in reducing healing time. This is often applied to things like tears and sprains. However, laser therapy can also be very helpful for treating long-term chronic pain or injury.

Benefits of Laser Therapy

 Anti-Inflammatory in Nature

Laser therapy has an anti-inflammatory effect: it reduces any redness, pain, and swelling in your body as it causes vasodilation because it helps activate the lymphatic drainage system, which drains swollen areas. As a result, swelling caused by bruising or inflammation will be reduced.

Relieves Pain

Laser therapy has a beneficial analgesic effect on the nerve cells of your body. It blocks pain transmitted to the brain by these nerve cells, which reduces nerve sensitivity. Also, as discussed above, it is anti-inflammatory, so the pain is decreased. Another mechanism for reducing pain involves the release of high levels of pain-killing chemicals like endorphins and enkephalin from the adrenal gland and brain cells.

Enhanced Tissue Repair and Cell Growth

Photons of light emitted from lasers deeply enter the tissue and boost cellular reproduction and growth. The laser light enhances the energy level of the cell so that the cell can take on nutrients faster and get rid of any waste accumulated because of this exposure. As a result, damaged tissues are repaired faster.

Increases Vascular Activity

Laser light will increase the significant production of new capillaries in damaged cells, which speeds up the healing process, closes wounds quickly, and reduces scar spots. Additional benefits include an increased level of angiogenesis (the formation of new blood vessels), which causes a temporary widening of blood vessels and an increase in the diameter of blood vessels.

Enhancement in Metabolic Activity 

Laser therapy helps in the production of specific enzymes and increases oxygen levels and food particle loads for the blood cells, which results in increased metabolic activity in the body.

Stimulates Acupuncture Points of Body Parts 

Laser therapy triggers muscle points and acupuncture points on a noninvasive basis, catering to musculoskeletal pain relief.

Decreasing the Formation of Fibrous Tissue

Laser therapy decreases the formation of scar tissue resulting from damage caused by cuts, burns, surgery, or scratches.

Regulating Nerve Function

Inside damaged tissue, slow recovery of nerve functions can result in impaired limbs and numbness. Laser light enhances the process of nerve cell reconnection and optimizes muscle cell healing.

Immunoregulation

Laser light shows a direct impact on immunity status by stimulating the formation of immunoglobulins and lymphocytes. Laser emissions are then absorbed by the chromophores (molecule enzymes) that react to the laser light. When exposed to the laser, the enzyme flavin mononucleotide gets activated and starts the production of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which is the major carrier of energy produced and also the source of all chemical reactions in the cells.

Increasing Wound Healing Process

In damaged tissue, laser light stimulates fibroblast development. Fibroblasts act as the building blocks of collagen, which is the vital protein required to replace old or damaged tissue or repair tissue injuries. As a result, laser therapy is an effective way to treat open wounds and burns.

No Side Effects

Till now, no long-term, harmful or serious side effects have been reported after the use of laser therapy. As the frequency of a laser beam used for treatment sets so that it is completely safe for the body, it doesn’t produce any harmful effects afterward.

Noninvasive Mechanism 

Laser therapy includes no medication or other source of intervention for recovery. The treatment is superficial and the mechanism involved is to trigger the natural healing capacity and defense mechanisms of the body. 

Versatility 

The frequency used in treatment depends on your condition and the intensity of your illness. Either off-contact or on-contact treatment is done on the patient your doctor will decide according to body requirements. The laser heads used are also of different sizes to treat particular areas of the body.

Fast Treatment Process

A typical laser therapy session is so short and lasts only 15 to 20 minutes, and even your body will witness relaxation just after a few sessions.

Conditions Where Laser Therapy Treatment Should Be Avoided

Conditions where laser therapy is not advisable to include:

Eye Area

Eye areas are quite sensitive and should not be treated with laser therapy. The laser beam, which is not harmful to other body parts, becomes harmful to the eye area. That’s why it is recommended that everyone wear spectacles to protect their eyes throughout the session.

Pregnancy Situations

If a woman is pregnant, then it’s not advised to go for laser therapy treatment for any condition as it can cause harmful effects to the mother and especially the baby inside the womb. 

Cancer

If there is carcinoma (cancer detected under the epithelial tissues under your skin), then laser therapy is not performed in such a situation as it causes the production of free radicals. If you’re undergoing chemotherapy treatment, then you can be a suitable patient for laser therapy. Always consult a doctor before any laser treatment.

Epilepsy

Patients are not suitable candidates for laser treatment as it makes conditions worse. It is important to note that once you start the laser therapy treatment you should complete the course of treatments recommended by your doctor, otherwise symptoms are likely to reoccur again. Recovery of normal body function occurs more quickly when inflammation is reduced. While the number of sessions required can vary depending on the condition’s acuity, many patients experience long-lasting relief from pain after only a couple of treatments.

Is There Any Pain After Laser Treatment?

Generally, patients don’t feel any pain after laser therapy is done. However, there can be some very mild pain after 6 to 24 hours following treatment as your body tissue starts the healing process. You are generally free to carry out your normal activities immediately after leaving the office, but patients are advised to avoid putting stress on their bodies immediately following laser treatments.

How Long Does it Take For the Pain to Go Away After Laser Treatment?

Each patient has a different body type to respond to according to treatment. However, it’s becoming very common for patients to feel noticeable improvements after the first laser treatment. This includes pain relief and increased mobility. A customized treatment plan made by the physiotherapist is the best path for sustained, deep results. Many patients also notice the cumulative benefits of laser therapy after just two to four sessions. 

Precautions After Laser Therapy

  • Wear laser-protective glasses or goggles while receiving laser treatment to avoid damaging sensitive areas.
  • Use appropriate goggles. Inappropriate use of the goggles is a more dangerous situation comparatively where goggles are not used, as they may provide a wrong sense of security.
  • Laser equipment should be placed in well-mannered controlled conditions with minimal access to avoid any inadvertent exposure.
  • Avoid reflection of the laser from any mirror surface. 
Avoid exposure to unclosed fontanels of children. 

Can We Choose Laser Therapy Over Surgery?

Laser therapy is a non-invasive substitute for surgery. Unlike surgical treatment, laser therapy does not require any cuts or incisions. As a result, patients don’t need to worry about the risks of infection or other surgical complications. The laser doesn’t require any downtime and recovery time needed following the surgery. Many patients start feeling good just after one session. Laser surgery can also be a better option than relying on medications that need comparatively longer time as laser focuses on healing instead of just neutralizing pain.