Laser Therapy (Cold)
For individuals suffering from chronic pain, laser therapy offers drug-free pain relief without invasive medical procedures or addictive medications. Let us get you started on your pain relief journey with Cold Laser Therapy at Bay State Physical Therapy.
How Does Cold Laser Therapy Work?
Lasers are basically light energy that has been amplified and focused into a particular area. There are two different types of therapeutic lasers, hot and cold. Hot lasers are typically used during surgery while cold lasers are generally used to speed tissue healing.
Cold lasers work by flooding the injured tissue with photons, which stimulate healing in damaged cells and increase circulation to the area. The body’s natural healing response relieves pain, improves function and reduces swelling without medication or surgery. Best of all, the therapeutic effect of cold laser therapy continues long after the treatment itself.
For 18 to 24 hours after the laser is applied to the injured area, your body continues to benefit from the metabolic effect of your treatment
What Can I Expect From Cold Laser Therapy?
Your physical therapist will be able to identify areas for treatment and the length and number of treatments you may require. Once your treatment plan is set, your physical therapist will administer laser therapy as just one of your many physical therapy services. Treatments typically last five to ten minutes. As soon as the laser therapy begins, you will begin to feel a soothing warmth in the areas where the laser is applied. Most patients begin to see results in as few as three treatments, while others report feeling better after a single session.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cold Laser Therapy
Your physical therapist may recommend cold laser therapy for certain musculoskeletal conditions when it supports your needs and goals. The treatment is usually one part of an individualized plan of care. At Bay State Physical Therapy, your physical therapist will also look at the strength, mobility, and activity limitations that may be keeping you from the things you want to do.
At Bay State Physical Therapy, your physical therapist considers more than whether cold laser therapy is available for your condition. The focus is whether it can support meaningful progress toward your individual goals. Your individualized plan of care may combine cold laser therapy with progressive strengthening, mobility work, and other treatments that help you regain the physical abilities required for daily life, work, exercise, or recreation.
Your physical therapist will explain what to expect and monitor your response. Before adding cold laser therapy to your care, your Bay State Physical Therapy provider will also consider your condition, health history, and rehabilitation goals. If another treatment is more appropriate for your needs, your therapist can recommend a different option.
Cold laser therapy does not instantly heal injured tissue. Your body still relies on normal biological healing, and rehabilitation may need to rebuild physical abilities affected by the injury. Your expert physical therapist at Bay State Physical Therapy can pair appropriate symptom-management techniques with progressive movement and exercise, so your care continues to support the activities you want and need to regain.
Your physical therapist will look beyond how you feel immediately after treatment and consider whether your function is improving. Progress might include walking farther, moving a joint more comfortably, tolerating additional exercise, or returning to an activity that had become difficult. Your physical therapy provider can use these functional changes to decide whether cold laser therapy is continuing to contribute to your overall care.
Your Bay State physical therapist will choose exercises that reflect your current abilities and the goals you are working toward. As you improve, your program can gradually become more challenging and more closely match the activities you want to resume. Cold laser therapy may support that process when appropriate, while your active participation remains an important part of your recovery.
What Conditions can be Treated with Cold Laser Therapy?
Laser therapy effectively treats lower back pain, neck pain, arthritis, bursitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, tennis elbow, plantar fasciitis, and sciatica. It can also be used to treat sports injuries, sprains, and strains, or other soft tissue injuries throughout the body. Anywhere there is pain or injury, laser therapy can help. Even older injuries that have not healed properly can be improved with this type of physical therapy service. However, it is important to note that laser therapy is most effective when combined with other physical therapy treatments. While this modality addresses pain, inflammation, and healing, it increases flexibility and mobility only when combined with therapeutic exercise, stretching, and other physical therapy services.
If you are experiencing pain in any part of your body, laser therapy may be right for you. Call Bay State Physical Therapy today for an initial evaluation and let our physical therapist assess your symptoms. Start moving better, feeling better, and living better.