Is the laser total bullshit?

[Fluidic Kimbo]

In my day job I program microscopes that interact with lasers. The laser is used to kill cells in a sample and then the camera observes how the sample reacts. There's all sorts of laser safety involved in my job, because some of the lasers can blind you, and others can give you a bad burn on the skin that leaves a scar.

A few months ago I went to a chiropractor for my shoulder, and he used a laser on my shoulder, he said that the laser stimulated healing.

Knowing what I know about lasers, I am extremely skeptical that there is a laser that doesn't burn the skin, yet can penetrate beneath the skin and somehow stimulate healing.

It sounds like complete and utter hogwash to me, but I'm open to being persuaded if anyone here can tell me any different.

[s1nc1ty]

There is laser therapy for golfers elbow that i know, my doc referred me to it. I havent gone though . The laser causes inflammation and brings blood to the area, making it heal faster. It might be somrthing similar. If you were so sceptical, why didnt you ask how it works

[almostgone]

I went through a few sessions of Class IV laser therapy and got a little relief, but as far as healing, I felt I got more from my IR lamp.

[Fluidic Kimbo]

There is laser therapy for golfers elbow that i know, my doc referred me to it. I havent gone though . The laser causes inflammation and brings blood to the area, making it heal faster. It might be somrthing similar. If you were so sceptical, why didnt you ask how it works

He gave me a brief explanation of how it worked, saying it brought blood into the area and stimulated cells.

So whether the laser is infrared, visible light or ultraviolet, it's going to have to penetrate the skin first before reaching muscle or tendons. If the laser doesn't irritate the skin at all then I really don't think it's going to do much underneath the skin. I mean if he cut a little pinhole in the skin and then shone the laser through the pinhole directly onto a tendon, then maybe.

I might get the make and model of the laser and see exactly what kind of electromagnetic radiation it emits. I think I wrote it down when I was in his office.

I was also very weary of the sound of the fan in the laser too. I work with electronics all day, I know a cheap fan when I hear one, they hum at a high pitch and sound airy. This laser device sounded like a $5 toy.

[s1nc1ty]

Maybe you came across a con artist with a toy laser. Was the chiropractic a gypsy by any chance?