Laser therapy      For sale outside of the United States only!
Mary Dyson PhD, FCSP
Emeritus Reader in the Biology of Tissue Repair, Kings College London, UK; Former Professor, Department of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, USA.

INTRODUCTION
Red light delivered by low intensity lasers, has been used to stimulate tissue repair for over 30 years. Its uses now include the alleviation of a range of skin conditions including
Acne (Hirsch and Shalita, 2003)
Scarring (Patel and Clement 2002)
Skin deterioration due to aging and sun damage (Alam & Dover, 2003)
All these conditions involve tissue injury, sometimes acquired over many years. Their improvement is achieved by tissue repair, which can be initiated and stimulated by exposure to low intensities of red light and to some other forms of electromagnetic radiation such as infrared (IR) radiation. Exposure to red light increases blood flow to the skin thus improving its metabolism, and stimulates the manufacture of collagen, the protein that gives strength to the skin (Bjerring et al 2002). Other uses of red light include accelerating the resolution of inflammation (Dyson 2004) and the reduction of pain (Moore et al 1988).

The laser technique used to deliver this light is usually termed low level laser therapy (LLLT), also referred to as low intensity laser therapy (LILT), low energy photon therapy (LEPT) and phototherapy. Unlike the high intensity medical lasers used to cut and coagulate tissues, LLLT involves the use of medical lasers such as the Beurer SoftLaserTM that operate at intensities too low to damage living tissues. Unlike most LLLT devices that are relatively large and designed for clinical use, the Beurer SoftLaserTM is a small, hand held, device designed for home use.

LIGHT
Light consists of those wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum that are visible to the human eye. This part of the spectrum extends from violet (the shortest visible wavelength) to red (the longest visible wavelength). Infrared (IR) is just beyond the visible range. The perceived colour depends on the wavelength. White light is a mixture of all the visible wavelengths. For photons to reach the skin, all that is required is that it be either exposed to air or, if injured, to be covered by a transparent dressing. Exposure to red light and/or infrared radiation can stimulate the healing of both chronic injuries of the skin (Mester et al 1985) and acute injuries (Dyson & Young 1986).

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