Types of Conditions Treated by Cold Lasers

Cold laser therapy can stimulate all cell types including muscle, ligament, cartilage, nerves, etc., so a number of conditions can be treated by cold laser therapy. Some of conditions that may typically be treated by cold laser therapy include:

• Arthritis pain
• Back pain
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Fibromyalgia pain
• Knee pain
• Neck pain
• Tendonitis

Effectiveness of Cold Laser Therapy

For years, physicians have been using cold laser therapy on patients who are seeking effective, alternative methods for pain relief. Since 1967 there have been over 2,500 clinical studies published worldwide. Many of these studies are double-blinded, placebo-controlled and have demonstrated cold laser therapy to be a proven method for pain relief.

However, many of these studies were done with small groups, so further larger studies need to be completed. For example, one issue that needs to be studied further is that there does not appear to be a uniform standard regarding the dose and number of treatments.

The effectiveness of cold laser therapy for neck pain was recently reviewed by The Bone and Joint Decade 2000-2010 Task Force on Neck Pain, an initiative conducted by a multidisciplinary team of researchers and clinicians.

The task force concluded that low-level laser therapy can be a beneficial treatment for certain types of neck pain, including types of pain that cause little or no interference with daily activities and pain the does limit daily activities, as compared to pain that includes radiculopathy (arm pain) or serious pathology. ¹ Hurwitz, EL, Carragee EJ, vander Velde G, et al. Treatment of neck pain: noninvasive interventions: Results of the bone and joint decade 2000-2010 task Force on neck pain and its associated disorders. Spine 2008;33:S123-152.