Low-level Laser Therapy: A Literature Review

Abstract

Overview The use of therapeutic low-level laser has become widespread in veterinary medicine. A number of illnesses and physical conditions are reported to respond to laser therapy (photobiomodulation.) There is support in the scientific literature for many of the physiologic effects claimed by proponents of laser therapy at the biochemical level. At the level of the organism however, there is still significant debate regarding the efficacy of laser in producing the desired clinical response. Although a complete review of the data regarding the effect of laser light therapy on biochemical and cellular mechanisms is beyond the scope of this presentation, this overview is intended to provide a preliminary assessment of the information that is currently available. Understanding the mechanisms and effects of laser at the subcellular, cellular, systemic and organismal level will lead to informed treatment decisions and more predictable clinical outcomes. This review may also help highlight those therapeutic claims which are not currently well supported by the literature and identify areas where further investigation is warranted. L-A-S-E-R stands for light amplification by stimulated emission. The light produced by a laser is powerful because it has three unique properties: it is monochromatic (a single wavelength), coherent (waves are in phase), and collimated (waves are parallel.)