Laser therapy shines light from a handheld laser onto a sore tendon or joint to ease pain and swelling. The laser is Class 3B or Class 4, chosen on your physician’s order, and it is used as one part of a physician-directed physiotherapy plan.
Your physician orders this treatment and sets its strength. You receive it only when it is written on your orders.
What is laser therapy?
Your technician moves a handheld laser over the painful area. The laser class and settings come from your physician.
How does it help a joint or tendon?
Cells in the hurt tissue soak up the light, and that helps ease pain and swelling. For a tendon being prepared for PRP or recovering from it, that can make the loading exercises easier to do.
What does it feel like?
Light warmth, or nothing. You and your technician both wear goggles rated for that laser. The handpiece never stops moving, and you are asked about heat every minute. The room has a closed door with a laser warning sign on it during treatment.
One-on-one. Your technician stays beside you for the full treatment and records the exact start and stop times.
Who should not have it?
- Aiming toward the eyes, even with goggles on
- Over the thyroid gland in the lower front of the neck
- Over the belly or lower back during pregnancy
- Cancer in the treated area
- Medicines that make skin sensitive to light
- A tattoo or a dark mole in the area, until your physician decides
At the start of each visit your technician reads the safety questions aloud. If something has changed, the physician makes the call before anything starts. You may ask to stop at any point.
How long does it take?
Roughly 5 minutes per area, or about 10 minutes all together.
What to remember
- Goggles on the entire time.
- Warm is fine; hot means speak up.
- Tell us about any new medicine first.
Show us you have it: Name the point at which you would tell your technician to stop. Anything still unclear? Ask, and we will go over it with you again.
Keep reading: why tendonitis is usually not inflammation, PRP for tennis elbow.
Other treatments in the program
It belongs to the physiotherapy program for PRP and joint care at PRP STL. A physician orders and watches over every treatment, and nothing starts unless one can step in right away.
Ask whether this belongs in your plan
Your physician looks at the joint or tendon, your metabolic health and what you have already tried, then builds the plan around you. Book an evaluation or get the free guide.
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