Author Archives: James Carroll

This excellent paper from Mike Hamblin’s team at Harvard Medical School reviews the LLLT mechanisms and the biphasic dose response. This paper neatly summarises the molecular and cellular mechanisms of LLLT, it gives a scientific explanation for the biphasic dose response, why a low dose has a stimulatory effect and why a high dose inhibits. Low power densities tend to get better healing and anti-inflammatory effects where higher power densities are more likely to inhibit (which may be useful if you just want an analgesic effect). I have to disclose an interest in this paper because I am a co-author.

Biphasic Dose Response in Low Level Light Therapy

Ying-Ying Huang, Aaron C.-H. Chen, James D. Carroll, Michael R. Hamblin

The use of low levels of visible or near infrared light for reducing pain, inflammation and edema, promoting healing of wounds, deeper tissues and nerves, and preventing cell death and tissue damage has been known for over forty years since the invention of lasers. Despite many reports of positive findings from experiments conducted in vitro, in … Continue reading →

30 more papers for your review including: two systematic reviews, one on tendionpathies the other on wound healing. A nice summary by Rochkind on nerve regeneration and several papers on LLLT dose response, dose rate response and dose interval response papers.

Low Level Laser Treatment of Tendinopathy: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis.

Tumilty S, Munn J, McDonough S, Hurley DA, Basford JR, Baxter GD

1 Centre for Physiotherapy Research, School of Physiotherapy, University of Otago , Dunedin, New Zealand .

Abstract Objectives: To assess the clinical effectiveness of Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) in the treatment of tendinopathy. Secondary objectives were to determine the relevance of irradiation parameters to outcomes, and the validity of current dosage recommendations for the treatment of tendinopathy. Background: LLLT is proposed as a possible treatment for tendon injuries. However, the clinical effectiveness of this modality remains controversial, with limited agreement on the most efficacious dosage and parameter choices. Method: The following databases were searched from inception to 1(st) August 2008: MEDLINE, PubMed, CINAHL, AMED, EMBASE, All EBM reviews, … Continue reading →

This has been a long time coming, Steves research to which I have referred may times highlights the importance of treatment parameters. The paper reveals that there is such a thing as too much power density and too much energy density. An important read for everyone in musculoskeletal medicine.

Photomed Laser Surg. 2009 Aug 26. [Epub ahead of print]    Related Articles

Low Level Laser Treatment of Tendinopathy: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis.

Tumilty S, Munn J, McDonough S, Hurley DA, Basford JR, Baxter GD.

1 Centre for Physiotherapy Research, School of Physiotherapy, University of Otago , Dunedin, New Zealand .

Abstract Objectives: To assess the clinical effectiveness of Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) in the treatment of tendinopathy. Secondary objectives were to determine the relevance of irradiation parameters to outcomes, and the validity of current dosage recommendations for the treatment of tendinopathy. Background: LLLT is proposed as a possible treatment for tendon injuries. However, the clinical effectiveness of this modality remains controversial, with limited agreement on the most efficacious dosage and parameter choices. Method: The … Continue reading →