What is laser therapy?
Anti-inflammatories and rest can only carry an injury so far, and when the pain lingers past the point where it should have settled, it is fair to want something that works differently. Laser therapy delivers specific wavelengths of light energy into the tissue beneath your skin. That light is absorbed by the mitochondria inside your cells, the structures responsible for producing cellular energy, and the added energy appears to accelerate the metabolic processes your body already uses to repair damaged tissue. In practical terms, that means faster resolution of inflammation, improved circulation to the area, and a reduction in the pain signals coming from irritated nerve endings. The treatment itself is entirely painless. A handheld device is passed over or held against the treatment area for several minutes, delivering light with no heat, no cutting, and no needles involved. Most people feel nothing more than mild warmth, if anything at all, and there is no recovery time needed afterward. Because the effect builds with each treatment, laser therapy is typically delivered as a short series of sessions rather than a single visit.
Laser therapy is not a one-setting-fits-all device. Wavelength, intensity, and treatment time all need to be matched to the tissue being treated and how deep beneath the skin it sits, which is a judgment call that depends on training and experience, not just pressing a button. A therapist adjusts those settings based on your specific injury, and pairs the treatment with active rehab work like manual therapy or exercise, since laser therapy works best as part of a broader plan rather than as a standalone fix.
