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Laser and Light Therapy For Soft Tissue Healing. By: Melody Hahn and Danielle Kay. What is Laser and Light Therapy?. Using Lasers and Light as a modality in treating injuries. Photobiomodulation AKA: LLLT (Low Level Laser Therapy) Phototherapy LPLT (Low Power Laser Therapy)
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Laser and Light Therapy For Soft Tissue Healing By: Melody Hahn and Danielle Kay
What is Laser and Light Therapy? • Using Lasers and Light as a modality in treating injuries. • Photobiomodulation • AKA: • LLLT (Low Level Laser Therapy) • Phototherapy • LPLT (Low Power Laser Therapy) • Cold Laser Therapy
Brownie Points: • Who can remember the type of laser we use here at WSU (and is the most commonly used laser?) Aluminum GallliumAresnide (AlGaAs)!!!
Why Soft Tissue Healing? • Has been proven effective for: • Wound/scar healing • Ulcer healing • Surgery/destruction of tissue • Remember the only 3 legal FDA Approved injuries that LLLT can treat? • Wrist pain associated with carpal tunnel, shoulder and neck pain, and ITB pain. • 4:10 - 5:10 • Depth of penetration: • Can laser and light reach deep enough to treat soft tissues? • EG: Muscle, tendons, ligament, bone, etc…
What Research is Available About Soft Tissue Healing? • Not much… • That we could obtain for free • Most was done in other countries • Most research was done on animals… • Research not done on actual healing…mostly done on pain control/management
Pathologies in Our Research Articles: • myofascial pain in the neck • multiple shoulder tendinopathies • osteoarthritis in knees • plantar fasciitis • shoulder impingement • chronic low back pain • tibia stress fractures • muscle fatigue
What Were the Different Articles Measuring? • 6 articles that measured pain • 1 measured stress fracture healing • 1 measured muscle fatigue
Differences in Treatment Parameters • Power Output: Ranged from 30 – 100 mW • Dosage: Ranged from 1.5 – 16 J • One study did not state the power output • One study measured their power output in mV... mW = mV? • Do you remember treatment parameters we learned in class?
Overall Results • 2 articles found no difference in the pain • 5 articles found a difference in pain…but not a significant difference • 1 study found a significant difference in pain level
Article on Low Back Pain • Only article that found a significant difference in pain levels. • Morning stiffness associated with low back pain. • Other 2 measurements? • Joint tenderness • Joint strength • No significant difference!!
Article on Low Back Pain • Admits to lacking data on why LLLT is effective! (p. 4 top of page) • Other comments about article?
Missing Areas in Research • Studies done on humans not animals • Studies done on soft tissue healing • vs wound healing, surgical, acne, hair removal, etc.. • Consistent parameters • Measuring pain relief among individuals • Reliable and equal among participants?