The clinical utility and status of laser biostimulation

Low-energy laser radiation is widely used to treat a variety of soft tissue and musculoskeletal conditions. Despite this use, its clinical benefits remain controversial, its theoretical basis is unclear, and its experimental underpinning incomplete. On a cellular level processes such as proliferation, protein metabolism, and immunological function are reported to be altered by irradiation intensities too low to produce significant heating. In animal and human work, many investigators find benefits in applications such as wound healing, musculoskeletal pain, and rheumatoid arthritis. Unfortunately, these latter studies are difficult to perform and have not been rigorous enough to convince the disbeliever. It is expected that over the next few years, clinical trials should be able to clarify the benefits of laser therapy for at least rheumatoid arthritis and some soft tissue injuries.