For those with chronic pain problems effective relief can be hard to come by. Strong pain medications can simply mask problems and are highly addictive, so are not really suitable for long term use. One of the newest alternative pain treatments is laser therapy.

Laser therapy was recently approved by the FDA for limited use in pain management but it has been in use in Europe for over thirty years. The lasers used in this kind of treatment are called low level lasers and they are used for a number of different purposes.

Many of those who have undergone laser therapy have reported a significant amount of relief from musculoskeletal pain and inflammation and do not report that the procedure is too uncomfortable or invasive.

These low level lasers, which are also called cold lasers, have also shown promise in the field of wound and tissue healing. The FDA has also deemed that cold laser therapy is appropriate for use in treating lymphodema, bringing relief to many.

There are a number of ongoing medical trials into the use of low level laser therapy as even many in the world of conventional medicine feel that its potential for good may be going untapped.

One of the less conventional ways that laser therapy is being utilized is to help patients stop smoking. This is far from proven but there are those who claim that it has helped them do exactly that. The procedure is somewhat akin to acupuncture, but using the lasers point instead of needles on “key areas” of the body. In addition when used as an alternative to traditional acupuncture in this manner some practitioners also believe that laser therapy can help people achieve their weight loss goals and even reduce stress.

There are currently no real licensing requirements for those who use low level lasers in such treatments so it is rather up to the consumer to ask the therapist what kind of training and experience they have and ask to be shown proof. As the practice becomes more mainstream though it is very likely that mandatory licensing will begin sooner rather than later.

Low Level laser therapy should not be confused with laser surgery. Laser surgery involves the use of “hot lasers” and is increasingly in use of all kinds of branches of medicine.