What is Light Therapy?
How Does it Work?
Low-level laser therapy (LLLT), also known as photobiomodulation, is a painless treatment that uses clinically tested wavelengths of light to stimulate natural biological processes leading to faster healing and pain relief. Like plants absorbing sunlight through photosynthesis, cells in the body absorb laser energy that stimulates the body to release pain relieving compounds, increases circulation and energises the cells to participate in the healing process. There are no side effects and many times laser therapy can take the place of pharmaceuticals and surgery to treat long-term, degenerative diseases.
The therapeutic effects of photobiomodulation (low level laser) treatment were first discovered by Endre Mester, a professor of surgery, who observed improved hair growth and healing in tissue adjacent to his laser surgery but where only a low laser dose was received.
His subsequent work provided the initial volume of evidence for the efficacy of laser in healing.
When cells get stressed (perhaps due to disease, injury or ageing) the mitochondria produces nitric oxide (NO). This competitively displaces oxygen from cytochrome c oxidase consequently reducing ATP (an essential intracellular cellular energy and extracellular signalling molecule) and causing an over production reactive oxygen species (ROS) and leading to oxidative stress.
Oxidative stress is well known to lead to inflammation and cell death via the gene transcription factor NF-Kb. Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) of the correct wavelength and density, dissociates NO allowing oxygen back in, so ATP is restored and oxidative stress reduced.
Once normal mitochondrial function is restored by LLLT then cell metabolism is improves, and the patient gets better more quickly.
