THOR Photobiomodulation Therapy Products & Training

The paper “High-intensity versus low-level laser therapy in the treatment of patients with knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial” Kheshie et al 2014 pitches the 3B BTL laser against the HIRO class IV “High intensity” laser. The results appear to show that the HIRO class IV “High intensity laser” was more effective than the “Low Level Laser”. HOWEVER, the HIRO class IV “High intensity” laser was delivered over a large area (not adequately defined but approx 100cm2 by my estimation) so the intensity was actually very low (about 13mW/cm2 which is less than most LED systems), and the 3B BTL “Low Level Laser” was actually very high (4 x 200mW small, high intensity beams) and were held stationary on the patella for over half an hour, YES, HALF AN HOUR IN ONE SPOT! This is insane.

This paper leads people to think that the class IV Hiro laser was more effective because it was higher intensity when in fact the beam distribution meant the average intensity distribution was low (13mW/cm2). The 3B laser was not so effective because it was held stationary such that it would cause an overdose. If the 3B laser treatment had been delivered in using same scanning technique as the class IV then they would likely have achieved the same result. (I am not a fan of scanning because you can never be sure how much energy you have delivered to an area, better to use a low intensity device and hold it still in my view).

This paper misdirects the reader towards favouring class IV lasers rather than 3b or LED by misinforming the reader.

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At the NZ2008 laser meeting  we debated  LLLT nomenclature, many scientists prefer to call it Photobiomodulation (and I agree this is the best name). Laser Biostimulation was used for some time by the American Society for Lasers in Surgery and Medicine, who recently adopted Photobiomodulation instead. Pubmed have chosen LLLT (stands for Low Level Laser Therapy) as the MeSH term (MeSH stands for Medical Subject Heading) however they have used that label for almost every form of medical laser treatment (low level or otherwise). Low Level Laser Therapy was a term coined by Oshiro and Calderhead back on the 1980’s.

Here are some words and phrases I have collected over the years:

Bioregulating Laser
Biostimulating Laser
Broad Band Radiation Therapy
Class IV laser Therapy
Cold Laser Therapy
Diode Laser Therapy
He-Ne Laser therapy
Helium-neon laser irradiation
HILT (High Intensity Laser Therapy)
Infrared laser light
Laser Acupuncture
Laser Biostimulation
Laser Irradiation
Laser Phototherapy
Laser Therapy
LED phototherapy
LED therapy
LELT (Low Energy Laser Therapy)
LEPT (Low Energy Photon Therapy)
Light Therapy
light-emitting diode phototherapy
LILT (Low Intensity Laser Therapy)
LLLT (Low level Laser Therapy)
low fluence diode laser irradiation
low level light treatment
Low Light Laser Therapy
Low Power Laser Irradiation
Low Power Laser Therapy
Low Reactive Level Laser Therapy
lower-level laser therapy
Mid Laser Therapy
Moderate intensity light ( MIL)
Monochromatic Infra Red Energy
Monochromatic Infrared Photo Energy
Monochromatic Light Therapy
Monochromatic phototherapy
near-infrared light therapy
NIR laser therapy
nonablative laser therapy
PBM (Photobiomodulation)
Photo Irradiation
Photobioactivation
Photobiomodulation
Photobiostimulation
Photomedicine
Photon Therapy
Photoradiation
Photostimulation
Phototherapy
Physiotherapy Laser
Polarised Polychromatic Light
Polarised Radiation
Red light phototherapy
Soft Laser Therapy
Therapeutic Laser
Medium-level laser therapy

It is also common for laser wavelength and / or lasing medium to be added to the title . common examples are 810nm laser diode therapy for xyz. In case you are not familiar with the common wavelengths and materials used they are: 660nm 810nm 830nm 904nm

Full list as follows: 590nm 632.8 650nm 635nm 660nm 670nm 680nm 750nm 780nm 705nm 908nm 810nm 820nm 830nm 850nm 870nm 880nm 890nm 904nm 905nm 950nm 940nm 970nm 980nm 1064nm

Materials: GaAlAs, Gallium Aluminium Arsenide, GaAs, Gallium Arsenide, HeNe, Helium Neon, AlGaInP, Aluminium Gallium Indium Phosphide,

Some class IV surgical lasers are being detuned down to LLLT intensities (defused beam) so you will find other materials and wavelengths appearing CO2 and NdYag 940nm 970nm 980nm 1064nm

oh dear, I hope that none of this audience (you) are attempting to treat through clothing. Light does not go through clothing very well (if at all). You must treat the skin directly, preferably in contact (or very close).

These examples will not work