About Laser Therapy...
WHAT IS
LASER THERAPY?
Low level laser therapy
aims to biostimulate. Because of the low power nature of low level
lasers, the effects are biochemical and not thermal and cannot cause
heating and thereby damage to living tissue. Four distinct effects are
known to occur when using low level laser therapy:
- Growth factor
response within cells and tissue as a result of increased ATP and
protein synthesis; Improved cell proliferation; Change in cell
membrane permeability to calcium up-take.
- Pain relief as a
result of increased endorphin release; Increased serotonin;
Suppression of nociceptor action.
- Strengthening the
immune system response via increasing levels of lymphocyte
activity and through a newly researched mechanism termed
photomodulation of blood.
- Acupuncture point
stimulation.
Parameters for Use:
Three parameters are
important for clinicians to achieve the best possible therapeutic
effects when using low level laser:
- Selection of the
correct beneficial Wavelength
- The use of the
correct Power levels
- The consistent
application of the necessary amount of Energy measured in Joules.
Another factor which has to be considered in laser therapy is Pulsing
Frequency.
Wavelength
Infrared (Invisible)
Laser Probes with Wavelengths between 780 and 950nm.
- Absorbed through the
cell walls (acting differently between cells) and therefore cell
response is more wavelength specific in the infrared range,
responding differently to different wavelengths.
- More penetrative
through the tissue, especially the 7850-830nm range, therefore
this range is selected for treatment through intact skin and pain
relief.
- Cluster probes with
a range of wavelengths offer the best of both worlds to a
clinician
How to Calculate the
Necessary Energy - Power (Watts) and Energy (Joules)
- Power (watts or
milliwatts) is the strength of the probe and is set at the factory
by Omega. Clinicians need to know the power of the probe they are
choosing to use and also have the probes regularly checked to
ensure that they are running to full power. This check can be
quite simply carried out by a special measuring device in the
Omega systems.
- The simple formulae
as outlined above shows the calculation necessary to establish the
amount of energy which we as clinicians are providing in each
treatment. The relationship is Energy (as measured in
Joules) = Power x Time.
- Omega provides
detailed literature on the most commonly calculated procedures.
- To create a response
in the growth factor cells or to provide pain relief it is
necessary to make sure that we are delivering sufficient energy.
- Simply, to increase
the energy being delivered by the probe you increase the time of
treatment.
Pulsing Rate
Pulsing rate equals the
number of times per second light is emitted. Research has demonstrated
there are pulsing rate specific effects with low level laser therapy.
Concise details of optimal pulsing frequencies and energy density
requirements are supplied with our laser equipment.
Practical Laser
Therapy
CLICK HERE TO VIEW EXCERPTS FROM THE PRESENTATION,
"PRACTICAL LASER THERAPY".
