Laser is a colloquial term for Photobiomodulation or Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT).
It is a non-invasive and essentially safe light therapy using lasers or LEDs to improve tissue repair, reduce pain and reduce inflammation. Therapy is usually applied by a doctor, therapist or technician and is contraindicated near the eyes, with certain cancers and caution is required in the pregnant patient.
Laser therapy has now been used for many years on a wide variety of complaints including the following:
- Tennis and golfers elbow
- Persisting neck or low back pain
- Achilles tendon pain
- Plantar fasciitis and other forms of heel pain
- Rotator cuff shoulder pain
- Knee and hip osteoarthritis
- Sports injuries including strains and sprains
- Hip and gluteal pain
- Tendonitis
- Nerve pain
- Muscle injury
- Jaw pain
- Trigger point tension and myofascial pain syndrome
Over 400 randomised clinical trials have been published on LLLT, half of which are pertaining to it's success with pain management.
Treatments typically take around 15-30 minutes to complete and commonly, 2-3 sessions per week are required at first, depending on the issue being treated. In most cases treatment is pain free or patients experience a mild comfortable warmth.
Geraldton Health Centre uses 'gold standard' THOR lasers, whose customers include the British and US military, Premier Division soccer teams, Olympic teams, Formula 1 teams, professional rugby and cricket teams as well as specialist pain clinics in the UK and USA.