Thor Laser Treatments

What is Cold Laser Therapy?

Cold Laser Therapy is a colloquial term for photobiomodulation or Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT).

It is a light therapy using lasers or LEDs to improve tissue repair, reduce pain and inflammation wherever the beam is applied. Usually applied by a doctor, therapist or technician, treatments take about 10 minutes and should be applied two or more times a week.

Cold Laser has been used for many years on sports injuries, arthritic joints, neuropathic pain syndromes, back and neck pain. Over 300 randomized clinical trials have been published on Cold Laser, half of which are on pain.

THOR customers include British and US military, Premier Division soccer teams, Olympic teams, Formula 1, rugby and cricket team therapists as well as specialist pain clinics in the UK and USA.

3B or Class IV Lasers? What's the difference?

Class IV (Class 4) lasers are stronger than Class 3B but they do not work as well because they can over treat tissue. Just like any medicine an overdose can be a bad thing.

Class IV beams need to be defocused so that they do not cut tissue, and so they work in the same fashion as 3B lasers, but even so the beams are still a bit too strong and do not work so well. Scientific evidence confirms that lower intensity is more effective for inflammation and healing. High intensity is however good for analgesia so THOR have both high and low intensity lasers / LEDs.

In the last 4 years six systematic reviews have found in favour of LLLT

BMJ sports medicine journal, systematic review of surgical and conservative interventions for frozen shoulder found "strong evidence" for LLLT. (2010)

The International Association for the Study of Pain (Global Task force on musculoskeletal pain) found "strong evidence" for Low Level Laser Therapy on myofascial pain syndrome. (2010)

The BMJ clinical evidence recommendations for tennis elbow 2011 now include LLLT

American Physical Therapy Association guidelines recommend LLLT for Achilles tendonitis. (2010)

Lancet systematic review: "LLLT reduces pain immediately after treatment in acute neck pain and up to 22 weeks after completion of treatment in patients with chronic neck pain". (2009)

World Health Organisation (Bone and Joint Task Force) for neck pain Low Level Laser Therapy "more effective than no treatment, sham, or alternative interventions" (2008)

In August 2010 The Lancet reported that the systematic review of LLLT for neck pain was in their top 20 most downloaded papers for 2010.

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