LOW-INTENSITY LASER THERAPY - STILL NOT AN ESTABLISHED CLINICAL TOOL

The surgical, ophthalmological, and dermatological applications of hig h power lasers are well known and easily understood. What is neither a s well known nor as easily understood is that lasers at powers that ar e orders of magnitude smaller have also been used in the laboratory an d clinic for nearly 30 years to modulate cell function, lessen pain, a nd accelerate healing of soft tissue injuries. This article analyzes t he rationale of this approach, examines the utility of laser therapy i n its most common clinical applications, reviews and synthesizes the f indings, and concludes that although laboratory findings seem authenti c, clinical utility remains unestablished. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.