Laser therapy has been used in medicine for over 50 years and has a firmly established position among physiotherapeutic treatment techniques. How effective this therapy is strongly dependent on choosing a laser therapy unit with the right wavelength and power.
One of the most important parameters that determine the effectiveness of the therapy is the wavelength, which determines the depth and the tissue, where the energy absorption will happen and at the same time decides what will be the therapeutic effect.
Wavelength in high-power laser therapy units has an additional therapeutic meaning considering the possibility of using it simultaneously for its biostimulation and thermal effects.
Every type of energy, including light, needs to be absorbed by the tissue in order to provoke a biological effect, that is why in this therapy an appropriate and adequate wavelength needs to be applied, to be absorbed by specific structures.
On the other hand, light to get to the deeper tissues that the skin needs an adequate amount of power and wavelength, that allows for penetration of the skin barrier. The choice of a wavelength is a result of a so-called “optical window”. It is a range of a wavelength, corresponding with visible and near-infrared light.
Low-level and high-power lasers use a near-infrared range of around 800 nm, due to a better penetration rate, resulting from lower absorption by melanin contained in the skin. On the other hand, a range of around 800 nm allows for achieving better absorption in haemoglobin and oxyhaemoglobin that enables biostimulation effects, which is the most important outcome of using laser therapy.
In high-intensity lasers, the thermal effect is another important one, it is also achieved by the usage of light absorption of light by water in connection with the use of lasers from about 950 to 1400 nm.
The biological effect of using laser units in these ranges are very similar since all are connected with the light absorption in similar highly hydrated structures.
Among lasers used in laser therapy, there are:
- Polaris HP S – High power and low-level laser therapy unit,
- PhysioGo.Lite LASER – Low level biostimulation laser therapy unit.
Author: Dr Grzegorz Głąb
