Pros and Cons of Cold Laser Therapy Treatment

Cold Laser Therapy, also known as low level laser therapy (LLLT), is a relatively new medical field that came about in the mid-1960s, shortly after the invention of the first working laser. It was radical in that it focused on the non-destructive medical capabilities of laser light, whereas pre-laser studies concerning the medical uses of light centered on its thermal, destructive powers. LLLT involves using low power lasers to inhibit or stimulate cellular functions.

The Pros of Cold Laser Therapy

Cold laser therapy began with the pioneering studies of Endre Mester, a Hungarian researcher at Semmelweis University in Budapest. In 1967, Mester showed the potential for stimulating tissue repair using low level laser light. One of his main goals was to use the procedure to successfully treat diabetic ulcers.

Later research by scientists who came after Mester revealed that cold level laser therapy had variety of potential medical benefits. As of today, people are still finding and verifying new ways of using cold laser light to treat physical ailments. Low lever laser treatments can alleviate neck pain, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome, and various musculatory ailments. Studies are still being conducted to determine whether or not cold laser therapy has the potential to aid in hair growth and wound tissue healing. LLLT is also painless and non-invasive, and negative side effects to it have ever been recorded.

The Cons of Low Level Laser Therapy

One of the cons of LLLT is that it is still very much a nascent field, and the lack of official scientific methodology often results in some studies being conducted without proper scientific procedures. Many companies who advertise the benefits of certain types of low level laser treatment, in other words, sometimes don't have actual scientific evidence to back up their claim.

And while the benefits of low level laser therapy in the treatment of things like muscultory pain are proven, there is insufficient evidence to prove that the treatment is effective for hair growth or scar healing. This is precisely why the FDA has officially approved of some cold laser treatments, while at the same time it still considers the overall field of cold laser therapy as experimental.