Cold laser treatment, also commonly referred to as low level laser therapy (LLLT) and soft therapy, is used to relieve pain and inflammation caused by many conditions. Although cold laser treatment now has various other uses, it was originally approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a method of relieving pain caused by arthritis. Cold laser therapy can be used to treat knee pain caused by injury, degeneration, arthritis or (least commonly) infections of the bone or joint.
Contraindications of Cold Laser Therapy
Although cold laser therapy is a safe and ultra-gentle type of laser treatment, with no side effects or downtime, the patient and treatment provider must confirm the exact knee condition and cause of the knee pain, and be certain that there are no medical conditions that are contraindications of receiving this form of treatment. If the knee, for example, exhibits any kind of lesions on the skin that have not yet been properly diagnosed, cold laser treatment should not yet be an option for knee pain relief, since the effects of cold lasers on cancerous or pre-cancerous cells are still unknown. Likewise, the treatment's effects on unborn babies are unknown, making pregnancy a contraindication of cold laser therapy, even for the treatment of knee pain. This form of laser therapy employs low-energy light and generates low absorption rates, but the ability of the laser beams to penetrate the skin tissue still implies the possibility of adverse effects on certain health conditions. Even to treat the knees, it is imperative that the patient--prior to seeking treatment--is excluded from cold laser therapy's contraindications.
Identify the Entire Area of Injury and Cause of Injury
Cold laser therapy has various protocols for addressing different conditions. Therefore, it's important that the treatment provider know the exact location and cause of pain in order to modify the protocol to deliver optimum performance. The low-energy beams can be adjusted for intensity and depth. The beams must effectively target and stimulate all tissue relevant to the knee pain in order to relieve the pain and reduce inflammation. The beams are also adjusted to optimally trigger tissue repair and healthy cell regeneration and to minimize scar tissue and increase blood flow to the knee.The length of treatment, wavelengths of the beams and the location of target points are subject to protocol modification based on the source and cause of knee pain. Handheld devices are used to target precise areas of the knee, while multiple panels of light beams (emitted from large, overhead devices) address the entire knee all at once.
Be Persistent and Consistent with Treatment
Although cold laser therapy is effective for reducing inflammation and relieving and healing knee pain, multiple treatments might be required. Spine-Health.com reports that eight to 30 treatments may be required to reach full pain-relief potential, and that sessions should continue steadily thereafter to sustain the benefits. Patients with moderate to severe knee pain would benefit most from two to four treatment sessions per week. Fortunately, cold laser treatment is completely painless and without any downtime, so patients often just relax during treatment. Patients can immediately return to their normal activities after sessions end. Synergy Therapeutic Group in Illinois reports that 75 to 80 percent of cold laser-treated patients notice a difference in the amount and/or degree of pain after one treatment.
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