| Low level laser therapy (LLLT) is a developing medical | | | | monochromatic laser light can help tissue regeneration |
| field that involves the exposure of tissue to low level | | | | and alleviate pain and inflammation. How the |
| laser light for the purpose of stimulating or inhibiting | | | | photochemical process that enables this to happen |
| cellular functions, which can have positive medical | | | | works, exactly, is still not entirely clear to scientists. |
| effects. Know also as “photobiomodulation” and | | | | Institutions like the Agency for Healthcare Research |
| “cold laser therapy”, LLLT is very much still a | | | | and Quality have tested the effects of low level laser |
| controversial area of medicine due to the fact that the | | | | therapy on the treatment of burns and come up with |
| effectiveness of some of its uses has not yet been | | | | inconclusive evidence, meaning that the inferential |
| thoroughly tested and/or proven. | | | | relationship between the use of low level laser light and |
| While some low level laser treatments have been | | | | the quicker/better healing of burn wounds was not |
| officially approved by the FDA, the FDA still | | | | strong enough to suggest that LLLT has a significantly |
| categorizes the overall field of LLLT as an | | | | beneficial effect on burn wound treatment. |
| experimental medical field. Research and data has | | | | Other researchers, however, have come up with |
| shown convincingly that LLLT is beneficial in the | | | | overwhelmingly positive evidence to suggest that low |
| treatment of neck pain and other musculatroy ailments, | | | | level laser therapy does have a positive effect on the |
| but in treating things like burn wounds, the exact | | | | treatment of burn wounds. One study, the results of |
| effectiveness of LLLT has yet to be officially | | | | which were published in the medical journal Burns, |
| determined. | | | | showed that wounds treated with LLLT, like the |
| Healing burn wounds has long been a problematic | | | | Erchonia cold laser, did in fact display significant |
| issue for physicians. This is because burn wounds | | | | improvement over the burns that were treated without |
| easily worsen with hypertrophy and contracture. There | | | | the use of LLLT. |
| is currently no treatment that ensures 100% healing of | | | | Because of such contradictions, companies in the field |
| burn wounds, but low level laser therapy appears to | | | | of low level laser technology are still working to come |
| be a promising alternative to conventional treatment. | | | | up with legitimate data in hopes of pushing LLLT into |
| The idea is that, at certain levels of intensity, | | | | the world of mainstream medicine. |