Cold Lasers Are Far More Effective Than Light Emitting Diodes (LED) and Super Luminous Diodes (SLD) for Treating Deeper Joint, Soft Tissue Conditions

Phototherapy is the general term for light therapy.  Light energy can be produced by a variety of devices such as Light Emitting Diodes, Super Luminous Diodes and Cold Lasers (low-level lasers).  All three of these devices have therapeutic effects;   however, the depth of penetration and tissue that is affected greatly varies between all three forms of therapy.  Due to their unique properties and penetration depth Cold Lasers are far more powerful then LED’s or SLD’s, so they are more effective at treating deeper conditions.

LED’s (light emitting diodes) and SLD’s (super luminous diodes), produce broader beams of light that are referred to as non-coherent light sources.  This type of light therapy is dimmer and is not as photoactive as cold lasers but can be very helpful for treating superficial wounds, ulcers and burns.  LED’s will normally penetrate less than 1 cm.  SLD’s are more powerful and can penetrate about 2.5 cm below the skins surface.  LED’s and SLD’s are often sold to consumers on the internet or on infomercials they are not considered true cold lasers or low-level lasers.

In contrast, Cold Lasers (low-level lasers) produce coherent light waves.  Coherence is at term that refers to light that is well ordered, and has synchronized light waves and has shown to be more active at deeper tissue levels.  Coherence is a very unique property found only in lasers. This property is maintained when the light enters the tissue.   Therefore, cold lasers are used to treat deeper joint and soft tissue conditions so discs, nerves, tendons, ligaments, muscle and other soft tissues are able to be treated.  True Cold Lasers with a wavelength around 830*nm can penetrate 1-4 inches deep with a lateral spread of 1.5 inches.  The wavelength of the laser is also important.  For the deepest penetration 790nm-830nm has shown to be far more effective in treating tissue than any other wavelength. This is important because not all cold lasers are created equal.   In our office we  use FDA cleared, IIIB cold  lasers such as the ML830™, Med X™, Apollo™ etc. when treating knee pain so that we can get to the source of the problem.
If you live in the Dallas or Fort Worth Metroplex and are tired of suffering from knee pain, and would like more information about my Cold Laser Knee Program fill out the form on the right side of this screen to get your FREE report mailed to you today!

This blog is meant to be interactive, and informative.  I’ll be adding new information regularly on this blog, so stay tuned. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to share them below.

Article by Dr. Alexandra K. Schnee, B.S.,D.C.,-Your Cold Laser Professional of the Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas Area-“Helping People with Knee Pain and Joint Pain in the Dallas/Fort Worth Area since 2001.”

References: Photomedicine and Laser Surgery. Volume 23, Number 4, 2005; Pp. 431-434