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Laser Therapy, Using Light To Heal

LOW INTENSITY LASER THERAPY (LILT) is the most exciting therapy in many years.


Using light energy to promote healing is nothing new. Most people will have some experience of rashes disappearing after being exposed to the sun. Infrared lamps have been around since my grandmother’s day. The problem with the sun’s rays, and incandescent flood lamps is the risk of burning the skin before enough energy to be useful can be absorbed.


With the emergence application of Light and Laser emitting diodes (LED), we now have a means to apply enough light energy to be therapeutic, with only minimal amount of heat.


The skeptical reader might wonder if light can really be an effective treatment method.


Keep in mind that light is a form of electro-magnetic (EM) energy which, depending on the wavelength, interacts with living tissue in different ways. The long waves associated with telecommunications, pass through us with no strong effect. The use of microwaves to cook food was discovered when a researcher got in the way of a radar emitter. The wave length of energies associated with visible light, interact with special cells in the eyes to simulate our perception of vision and colour. Shorter wave length energies, such as UV, x-ray, and gamma, can be dangerous. Energy at the red and infrared part of the spectrum has been found to stimulate beneficial activity within living cells.

Why not just shine a flashlight on the sore spot? The light would have to be at the correct wavelengths in order to have a therapeutic effect. And would have to be sufficiently intense in order to penetrate the skin and provide a therapeutic dosage. Interestingly, red lasers of the type used as pointers and toys, may emit energy at the correct wavelength, but the intensity of the light is miniscule by comparison to clinical devices. You would have to hold the laser on each spot for a long time to apply enough energy to be useful.


More to come....


Check out the following links for some nifty diagrams.


http://www.purchon.com/physics/electromagnetic.htm

http://science.hq.nasa.gov/kids/imagers/ems/waves3.html

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