. What is High Power Laser Therapy (HPLT)?
L-A-S-E-R is an acronym that stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission or Radiation. In simple terms this refers to light waves of a specific wavelength – both artificial and sunlight usually consist of many different wavelengths of light scattering in all different directions.
 
Lasers can be used for a number of different purposes. However, Therapeutic Lasers (sometimes called “Cold Lasers”, Low-Level Laser Therapy [LLLT] or High Power Laser Therapy [HPLT]) are unique to the field of medicine. Therapeutic Lasers offer a wide variety of benefits to patients and do so while “passing through” the skin (they do not break the skin like surgical lasers). The wavelengths of light actually create physiological changes within the cells of the body – a process called photobiomodulation. These benefits include pain reduction, improved healing time, increased blood circulation and decreased inflammation. Many of the more dramatic therapeutic effects are listed in detail below.
Therapeutic Benefits of High Power Laser Therapy (HPLT)
Numerous clinical studies and research trials have been conducted on the beneficial effects of laser therapy for a whole host of clinical conditions. The following is a simplified list of the more widely studied biological effects of Laser Therapy.
Laser Therapy Effect #1: Pain Relief
Laser Therapy relieves pain through several different biological mechanisms. 1) Laser Therapy blocks the pain signals transmitted from injured parts of the body to the brain. This decreases nerve sensitivity and significantly reduces the perception of pain. 2) Laser Therapy also reduces pain by decreasing inflammation and swelling. 3) Laser Therapy also reduces pain by increasing the production and release of endorphins and enkephalins which are natural pain-relieving chemicals within our bodies.
Laser Therapy Effect #2: Improved Nerve Function
Laser light speeds up the process of nerve cell reconnection which decreases the time necessary for nerve cells to heal after an injury. Laser Therapy also increases the amplitude (strength) of action potentials (signals sent along nerve fibers) which improves overall nerve and muscle function. Both of these reasons explain why Laser Therapy is so beneficial at reducing the symptoms related to nerve injury – namely sharp pain, numbness, tingling and burning.
Laser Therapy Effect #3: Inflammation Reduction
Laser Therapy causes the smaller arteries and lymph vessels of the body to increase in size – a mechanism called vasodilation. This increased vasodilation allows inflammation, swelling and edema to be cleared away from injury sites more effectively. Vasodilation of lymph vessels also promotes lymphatic drainage which also aids in this vital healing process. Bruising is often resolved more quickly as a result of this particular biological effect.
Laser Therapy Effect #4: Faster Wound Healing
Laser therapy stimulates the production of fibroblasts which are the building blocks needed to create collagen. Collagen is the essential protein required to replace old tissue or to repair damaged tissue. Because of this effect Laser Therapy is effective at treating open wounds and burns.
Laser Therapy Effect #5: Accelerated Tissue Repair and Cell Growth
Photons of light emitted by therapeutic lasers penetrate deeply into the tissues of the body to stimulate the production centers of individual cells. This stimulation increases the energy available to these cells causing them to absorb nutrients and expel waste products more rapidly. This dramatically accelerates the repair of injured tissue leading to faster tendon, ligament and muscle healing.
Laser Therapy Effect #6: Improved Blood Flow
Laser Therapy significantly increases the formation of new capillaries (tiny blood vessels) within damaged tissues. With more capillaries bringing more blood to the injury site healing is sped up, wounds are closed more rapidly and scar tissue formation is reduced.
Laser Therapy Effect #7: Increased Metabolic Activity
Laser Therapy also has a profound impact on individual blood cells that pass through the laser beam during treatment. The laser light significantly increases the oxygen and nutrient load capacity of the red blood cells (RBCs). This allows for increased metabolic activity and production of certain specific enzymes. Both of these effects can be felt across the entire body and are not just limited to the area exposed to the laser light.
Laser Therapy Effect #8: Reduced Formation of Scar Tissue
Laser Therapy reduces the formation of scar tissue (fibrous tissue) following tissue damage related to cuts, burns and surgery. Laser Therapy is able to reduce this formation by speeding up the healing process, improving the blood flow to the injured area and more effectively carrying away waste products – all are mechanisms mentioned above. Faster healing always leads to less scar tissue formation.
Laser Therapy Effect #9: Enhanced Immune Function
Photons of laser light are directly absorbed by chromophores (molecular enzymes within cells) that are embedded within most cells of the body. This laser light absorption activates a specific enzymatic process that triggers the production of ATP. ATP (adenosine tri-phosphate) is the single most important form of energy that powers ALL chemical reactions within ALL cells of the body. Higher energy production leads to faster and more efficient function – especially true of immune-specific cells that are exposed to Laser Therapy. This improved efficiency aids the immune system in fighting off undesirable microbes and pathogens.
Laser Therapy Effect #10: Acupuncture Point Stimulation
Laser Therapy is also an effective alternative to traditional Acupuncture treatment. Traditional Acupuncture delivers therapeutic effects through the mechanical stimulation of “Acupuncture Points” throughout the body. This is achieved by piercing the Acupuncture Points with needles and then twisting the needles by hand, tamping them or connecting them to electrical stimulation devices. Laser Therapy may be used to stimulate the same Acupuncture Points without the need for invasive needling or similar mechanical stimulation.
Conditions that Benefit from Laser Therapy
Neurogenic Pain
• Neuropathy (Nerve Pain)
• Diabetic Neuropathy
• Pinched Nerves
• Sciatica or Pinched Sciatic Nerve
• Fibromyalgia
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome / Repetitive Motion Injuries of the Hand and Wrist
• Trigeminal Neuralgia
 
Joint Conditions
• Arthritis (Osteoarthritis)
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Low Back Pain
• Neck Pain and Headaches
• Injuries of the Knee Meniscus
• Shoulder and Hip Bursitis
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome / Repetitive Motion Injuries of the Hand and Wrist
• Rotator Cuff Tears / Shoulder Injuries
• TMJ Dysfunction (Temporomandibular Dysfunction) / Jaw Pain
• Chonromalacia Patellae
Soft Tissue Injuries
• Disc Bulges and Herniated Discs
• Degenerative Disc Disease
• Tendonitis including Biceps Tendonitis, Achilles Tendonitis, Elbow Tendonitis
• Golfer’s Elbow, Tennis Elbow also know as Medial and Lateral Epicondylitis
• Muscle Sprains including Groin Pulls and Hamstring Tears
• Ligaments Strains including Medial and Lateral Collateral Ligament Injuries / Anterior and Posterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries
• Plantar Fasciitis (Fascitis)
• Ankle Sprains
• Myofascial Trigger Points
• Chronic Non-Healing Wounds
• Diabetic Ulcers of the Foot
• Venous Ulcers
• Burns
• Amputee Stumps
How Does Laser Therapy Work?
 
Research biologists describe the healing process in the following way.
1. Reduced blood flow deprives human tissue of oxygen and glucose.
2. The powerhouse of the cell (the mitochondria) needs this oxygen and glucose to manufacture energy (ATP.)
Without ATP (adenosine triphosphate) the cell cannot function (e.g. a muscle cell cannot contract or relax, nerve cells cannot transmit vital signals) and it cannot repair components of the cell that have been damaged.
Simply stated,
NO OXYGEN + NO GLUCOSE ⇒ NO ENERGY ⇒ NO HEALING.
The Solution
Laser therapy bypasses the blood stream and delivers laser energy to light receptors (photoreceptors) within the mitochondria. The mitochondria accept this energy and use it to create ATP, which the cell can use to power the healing process.
LASER STIMULATION OF MITOCHONDRIA ⇒ ENERGY PRODUCTION (ATP) ⇒ HEALING
Treatment with the Avicenna Laser is pain-free. The patient experiences only a gentle warming spa-like sensation over the surface of the skin.
A Real World Analogy of How High Power Laser Therapy Works
Traumatic Injuries and Tissue Degeneration are similar to a bad car accident on the freeway where emergency crews must travel through heavy traffic before they can offer assistance. The freeway can be compared to the blood supply at the injury site and the emergency crew represents the body’s ability to heal itself. There are two primary challenges to the emergency workers, 1) the injured individuals can’t be helped until the traffic jam is cleared, and 2) the traffic can’t be cleared away until the damaged vehicles are removed. As you can see with this example it would likely take a very long time before rescue crews can help out.