Cold Laser Therapy
We offer Cold Laser therapy at Tampa Bay Acu Health and Spine. Also called low level light therapy, or photobiomodulation, this therapeutic device uses an FDA approved, safe infrared light wavelength to treat soft tissue injuries. We also use it to stimulate acupuncture points the same way we normally would with acupuncture needles, but with the cold laser instead. So we do treat all the usual maladies such as gastritis, migraine, and autoimmune disorders, to name a few, with the cold laser. But the laser can also be used to treat injury and pain directly; such as back pain, neck pain, arthritis, tendonitis, carpal tunnel, plantar fasciitis, knee pain and chondromalacia patella, shoulder pain and rotator cuff injuries, and most other musculoskeletal injuries that cause acute or chronic inflammation.
We use one of the world's best cold lasers, produced by Reimers & Janssen in Germany since 1982. It is a 904 nanometer wavelength cold laser with pulsed power, meaning it can deliver more penetration and therapeutic effect without heating the skin. The frequencies it generates reduce inflammation and increase tissue regeneration. It is called a cold laser because it does not heat skin or underlying tissue more than normal body temperature. Cold laser therapy is painless and has no real sensation at all. Experience the benefit of acupuncture and light therapy with this highly effective treatment option. Great for both musculoskeletal injuries, and for acupuncture for people who would rather skip the needles.
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Some of the science and details behind the cold laser:
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​One of the main recognized mechanisms by which low level light therapy (LLLT) works is by the activation of cytochrome c oxidase, an enzyme of the citric acid cycle within the mitochondria. Activating cytochrome c oxidase has the effect of increasing the production of ATP, the energy molecule. Increasing the energy and thus function of tissues and organs has a variety of modulatory effects on the body, including reducing GI inflammation, reinforcing proper gut-brain homeostasis, increasing systemic vitality, enhancing intestinal immune function, helping mental clarity and reducing nerve inflammation. (1)
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A study showed that LLLT can markedly promote the regeneration of muscle and connective tissue, increase super oxide dismutase (SOD) activity (an enzyme important for maintaining cellular health and reducing oxidative stress), and positively modulate the activity of IGF-1 and TGF-beta, hormone like peptides that play roles in tissue repair. (2)
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Another study examined the effects on LLLT on autoimmune function, and there were positive changes on multiple aspects of many conditions. Using rheumatoid arthritis as an example, LLLT at both early and late RA progression stages significantly improved inflammatory cells, exudate, medullary hemorrhage, necrosis and distribution of the fibrocartilage, and the number of chondroblasts and osteoblasts, compared with the RA control group. In other words, LLLT had positive changes on the tissue, cells, and associated biochemistry of the joints treated. (3)
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LLLT has also shown to be helpful in reducing GI inflammation and increasing tissue repair in cases of Inflammatory bowel disease. (4)
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Other research shows that LLLT can help the process of differentiation of native T cells into regulatory T cells, which are important to prevent autoimmune responses. (5)
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LLLT has been shown to have positive changes in the biochemisty, such as decreasing TNF-alpha, and IL-1beta, while increasing anti-inflammatory agents such as IL-10 and TGF-beta. (6)
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Many studies have been done on these and other conditions, such as skin conditions, asthma, allergies, MS, SLE, and would healing.
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1.Sancho-Balsells A, Borràs-Pernas S, Flotta F, et al. Brain-gut photobiomodulation restores cognitive alterations in chronically stressed mice through the regulation of Sirt1 and neuroinflammation.J Affect Disord,2024;354:574-588.
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2. Li Luo, Zhong Men Sun, Lin Zhang, Xiaoning Li, Yu Dong, Tiwan Cheng-Yi Lu; Effects of low level laser therapy on ROS homeostasis and expression of IGF-1 and TGF-B1 in skeletal muscle during the repair process, Lasers Med Sci 2013 May; 28(3):725-34
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3.Victoria A Wickenheisser, Emilia Marta Zymet, Emily Mary Rabjohns, Hyun Ho Lee, David S. Lawrence, Teresa Kathleen Tarrant,; Laser light therapy in inflammatory, musculoskeletal, and autoimmune disease; Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2019 Jul 2;19(8): 37
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4.Oliveira MC, Greiffo FR, Rigonato-Oliveira NC, Custódio RW, Silva VR, Damaceno-Rodrigues NR, de Ligeiro AP (2018) Low level laser therapy reduces acute lung inflammation in a model of pulmonary and extrapulmonary LPS-induced ARDS. J Photochem Photobiol B 178:395–403
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5.Gao X, Xing D (2009) Molecular mechanisms of cell proliferation induced by low power laser irradiation. J Biomed Sci 16(1):4
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6. Fernandes KP, Souza NH, Mesquita-Ferrari RA, Silva DF, Rocha LA, Alves AN, Bussadori SK (2015) Photobiomodulation with 660-nm and 780-nm laser on activated J774 macrophage-like cells: effect on M1 inflammatory markers. J Photochem Photobiol B 153:344–351
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