The therapeutic and healing effects of laser therapy were first discovered in Budapest, Hungary in 1967, by Professor Endre Mester, while conducting experiments on lab rats.
The purpose of the experiments was to research the effects of laser on rats with skin cancer. He shaved the rats, made a small incision, and applied cancer to half of the rats.
The results were different than expected. The cancer cells were not affected, however, Professor Mester noticed that the wounds from the incisions healed significantly faster on those rats that had received laser treatment, compared to those in the control group.
This observation initiated the research of Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT), also called cold laser or PhotoBioModulation.
Laser therapy is based on the principle of Accelerated Natural Healing, which is reflected in the following features and benefits:
All these factors, which have been documented in thousands of scientific studies over the past 35 years, lead to what we call: Accelerated Natural Healing™
*) When talking about biostimulating laser therapy, several words describe the same thing: soft laser, cold laser, low intensity laser. The internationally recognized name for it is Low Level Laser Therapy, LLLT.
While there is a wide range of indications for the use of laser therapy, there are also a few contraindications to be aware of.
However, each contraindication should, completely in line with each specific treatment, be assessed professionally in relation to the patient, so as to avoid unintended side effects.
There is currently no documentation indicating that laser therapy would be harmful to a pregnant woman or her baby.
However, just to be safe – and to prevent any liability issues in the unfortunate case that complications should arise in the pregnancy – we do not recommend treating your patient with laser therapy if she is pregnant.
Most countries have strict regulations as to which practitioners and specialists are authorized to treat cancer. Therefore, you should not use laser therapy on a patient who has cancer, or is suspected to have cancer.
Research is being done, though, with laser therapy and cancer, and in time we will see whether laser therapy could be a supplement in the pain management for terminal cancer patients.
In some countries, laser therapy is being used to treat some of the side effects of cancer treatment. In France, for instance, laser therapy is approved for the treatment of mucositis.
Note: Pacemakers are only contraindicated if the laser energy is combined with electric or magnetic impulses. Besides warmth, lasers from PowerMedic only deliver laser (= light energy). Light is not known to harm objects enclosed in metal.
Birth marks and tattoos are not necessarily contraindicated, however, you should be careful. The dark colors are likely to absorb the laser energy, which can create some uncomfortable heating. We recommend treating next to a birth mark or tattoo (instead of directly on top of it), or holding the laser with some distance to the skin to start with, and then adjust the intensity based on feedback from your patient.
If you want to know more about laser therapy, you can click on the various topics below and read more.