The word laser is an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. A laser beam is an intense light source with specific characteristics. These include:
Monochromaticity: In laser light, all electromagnetic waves have the same wavelength and therefore, the same color.
Coherence: All the photons in laser light oscillate in the same phase.
Directionality: Laser light is highly directional.
Intensity: Because its radiation is coherently concentrated on one spot, laser light is very powerful. This factor gives it tremendous accuracy, making it highly valued in medical applications

Low intensity laser therapy is the use of monochromatic light emission from a low intensity laser diode or an array of high intensity Super Luminous Diodes to treat musculoskeletal injuries, chronic and degenerative conditions and to heal wounds. The light source is placed in contact with the skin allowing the photon energy to penetrate tissue, where it interacts with various intracellular biomolecules resulting in the restoration of normal cell function and enhancement of the body’s healing processes.

By affecting and reversing the offending pathology at the cellular level, laser therapy optimizes the restoration of injured tissues to normal function, thereby relieving painful symptoms. The beneficial effects of laser therapy are cumulative over the course of a series of treatments.

This will vary from patient to patient. Just as every medical condition is individual, so are the responses to therapy. The onset of initial pain relief as a result of treatment varies due to each patient's particular rate of release of endorphins and cortisol. In a recent clinical report on 151 consecutive cases using Low Intensity Laser Therapy, 11 treatments was the average number required for maximum improvement. Whether two or twenty treatments are required, most patients need not restrict normal activity during the therapy period, as healing will continue between sessions. Two distinct reactions occur during therapy; the immediate release of the body’s own endorphins and cortisone production and the more important or cumulative effect, resulting from progressive therapy.

For many years, rehabilitation therapies -- including ultrasound, interferential current and TENS -- have been used extensively throughout the world to treat pain and stimulate the healing processes. Unlike LILT however, the healing effects of these treatments have been disappointing as they only modulate symptoms. In contrast LILT is able to influence the pathology directly at the cellular level, resulting in therapeutic benefits that are more profound and generally restorative. At best, alternative therapies act as counter-irritants, creating a transient increase in circulation and the release of endorphins, providing only temporary symptomatic relief.

Laser Therapy is recommended as the treatment of choice for sufferers of musculoskeletal conditions in rehabilitation, physiotherapy and sports medicine. Specifically, it can effectively treat many medical conditions, including acute injuries, degenerative disorders and wound healing.

Unlike many pharmaceutical options, LILT is non toxic; unlike surgical procedures, it is non-traumatic and most important, Laser Therapy is non-invasive.

Low Intensity Laser Therapy (LILT) does produce radiation, as photon energy, in the visible and near infra-red regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Worldwide research, conducted over the past thirty years indicates that normally functioning cells are not adversely affected by this type of irradiation. Note: Unlike other forms of radiation, i.e. x-ray, etc., this process is beneficial rather than harmful to tissue.

Across Canada, Europe, South America, Asia and now the United States, LILT is being used by an increasing number of physicians, chiropractors, and other healthcare professionals.