Laser therapy has many names, including photobiomodulation, red light therapy, and low-level laser therapy. In this treatment, you expose your body or the affected body part to a lamp, device, or laser with a red light. The light triggers biochemical changes within cells, stimulating the mitochondria to up-regulate pathways that increase growth factors.

Laser therapy has been shown to reduce inflammation and pain, boost muscle recovery and performance, and improve wound healing. By boosting collagen synthesis, it has beneficial effects on the skin as well.

With respect to orthopedic injuries, laser therapy has been shown to aid in acute sprains and strains, post-surgical pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, plantar fasciitis, osteoarthritis, frozen shoulder, tendinitis, muscular back pain, fracture healing and more.

Laser therapy doesn’t expose your skin to damaging ultraviolet rays, so it won't harm or burn your skin. You can use this as a whole-body treatment, but companies are now creating small red light devices you can wrap around injured parts of your body at home.

This post is meant for educational and informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice.