Laser therapy shines a handheld laser on the sore area to help calm pain and swelling in injured tissue. Your physician picks the laser class, 3B or 4, and your technician runs it with you one-on-one.
You get this treatment only if your physician orders it, and your physician also sets how strong it is.
What is laser therapy?
A technician moves a handheld laser over the hurt area. The device is a Class 3B or Class 4 laser; your physician’s order says which.
How does it help after a crash or fall?
Injured cells take up the light energy, and that helps quiet pain and swelling.
What does it feel like?
A mild warmth, or no feeling at all. You and your technician each wear goggles matched to that laser. The handpiece never stays parked in one spot, and every minute your technician checks how warm it feels. The door to the laser room stays shut and carries a warning sign.
One-on-one: a technician never leaves your side during this treatment, and the clock times it begins and ends are written into your visit note.
Who should not have it?
- Never aimed at the eyes, even with goggles on
- Never over the thyroid gland at the base of the throat
- Never on a pregnant belly or lower back
- Cancer in the treatment area
- Taking a medicine that makes skin react to light
- Tattoos or dark moles where the laser would go (your physician decides first)
Each session opens with your technician reading the safety questions aloud to you. A changed answer sends the decision to a physician before the machine is turned on. Saying stop ends the treatment, any time.
How long does it take?
Roughly 5 minutes per area, around 10 minutes altogether.
What to remember
- Goggles stay on from start to finish.
- Warm is okay. Hot means tell us.
- Started a new medicine? Tell us, since some make skin light-sensitive.
Show us you have it: Describe what would make you ask us to switch it off. If any part is unclear, ask us to go over it again; there is no limit on that.
Laser is often used on sore muscle knots; see myofascial pain and trigger points, and on a hurt shoulder.
Other treatments in the program
- Heat and cold therapy
- Vibration therapy
- Traction chair
- Neck decompression
- Shockwave therapy
- TENS (gentle electrical stimulation)
This page belongs to the Gateway Midwest physician-directed physiotherapy program. On Natural Bridge Road, the physician who examined you signs each order, and no treatment runs without a physician on site.
Hurt in an accident? Start here.
You do not need a lawyer, a police report or a referral to be seen. Bring your symptoms and we will work out the rest.
Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Same-day appointments are often available for new accident and injury patients.