Not All Lasers Are Created Equal: What You Should Know About Laser Therapy

In my last blog, I shared how I first became interested in laser therapy. I also ended with a comment that I hear myself saying quite often:

Not all lasers are created equal.

If you've searched online for laser therapy, cold laser therapy, red light therapy, or photobiomodulation, you've probably discovered there are a lot of different devices out there.

Some are small handheld devices you can purchase online. Others are red light panels designed primarily for home use. And then there are professional therapeutic lasers like the K-Laser I use in my clinic.

They may all use light, but that doesn't mean they're all doing the same thing.

What Is Photobiomodulation?

Let's start with the big word.

Photobiomodulation, often shortened to PBM, is the use of specific wavelengths of light to produce biological effects in the body.

You may also hear terms such as red light therapy, low-level laser therapy, cold laser therapy, and Class IV laser therapy.

These terms are sometimes used interchangeably online, which can make things confusing.

The important thing to understand is that the type of light being delivered, the wavelength, the amount of energy delivered to the tissue, and how that energy is applied can vary considerably from one device to another.

A Red Light Panel and a Therapeutic Laser Aren't the Same Thing

I get questions about red light therapy fairly often.

Red light panels can certainly fall under the broad category of photobiomodulation, and there is legitimate research behind PBM. But shining light from a panel over a large area of the body isn't the same as using a professional therapeutic laser to treat a specific painful area.

A therapeutic laser allows me to direct energy toward the particular tissues and area I'm trying to treat.

So when comparing red light therapy with laser therapy, it's important to look beyond the color of the light. The device, wavelength, power, dose, and how the treatment is delivered all make a difference.

What Does “Class IV” Mean?

The K-Laser I use at Laser Therapy of Oregon is a Class IV therapeutic laser.

One thing that's important to understand is that the laser classification itself is primarily a safety classification based on the potential hazard of the laser beam. Class IV doesn't automatically mean “better” simply because the number is higher.

However, the power available from a Class IV therapeutic laser allows an appropriate dose of energy to be delivered efficiently, including when treating larger areas or tissues beneath the surface.

Just as important is knowing how to use that power appropriately.

More isn't always better. The right dose matters.

Why K-Laser?

When I decided to invest in a laser for my clinic, I didn't want to simply buy whatever machine happened to have the word “laser” on it.

K-Laser has been a pioneer in professional Class IV laser therapy and has become a widely used and recognized system in both human and veterinary applications. Its professional systems are designed to give practitioners considerable control over how laser energy is delivered.

My K-Laser uses four wavelengths — 660, 800, 905 and 970 nanometers — which can be used in combination. It also allows treatment parameters to be adjusted depending on the area and condition being treated.

That's important to me because I don't believe laser therapy should be one-size-fits-all.

Someone with a recent injury may need a different approach than someone who has been dealing with a problem for years.

The quality and capabilities of the machine matter.

But so does how it's used.

What About the Laser Devices You Can Buy Online?

This is another question I hear.

There are home-use laser and red-light devices available at a huge range of prices. Some may provide useful photobiomodulation. Others may deliver relatively little energy, and it can be difficult for consumers to compare them because the marketing language often sounds very similar.

A device being advertised as a “medical laser,” “cold laser,” or “red light therapy” device doesn't tell you everything you need to know about what it actually delivers.

If you're comparing devices, some of the questions worth asking are:

• What wavelengths does it use?

• How much power does it deliver?

• How much energy is actually delivered during a treatment?

• What size area is being treated?

• What evidence supports its intended use?

Those details tell us much more than the words printed on the front of the box.

The Machine Is Only Part of the Equation

Having a professional therapeutic laser is important to me, but owning good equipment isn't enough.

I also pay attention to how you're responding.

Are you improving? Is your pain changing? Are you moving better? Do we need to adjust what we're doing?

And if you're not progressing, I'm not interested in continuing the exact same treatment indefinitely just because you purchased laser sessions.

Sometimes we change the treatment. Sometimes another type of care may be more appropriate.

That's an important part of what I believe good care should look like.

So, Does the Type of Laser Really Matter?

Yes.

But I wouldn't reduce it to “stronger laser = better laser.”

When you're considering laser therapy, the device matters. The wavelengths matter. The power and dose matter. How the energy is delivered matters. And the experience and judgment of the person using the equipment matter too.

Most importantly, the treatment needs to make sense for you and the problem you're trying to address.

That's why when someone calls Laser Therapy of Oregon and asks, “Do you think laser therapy could help me?” I don't want to give them a canned answer.

I want to know what's going on.

Because not all lasers are created equal.

And neither are the people I'm treating.