Not All Laser Therapy Is the Same: Why Wavelength, Dose and Delivery Matter

Laser Recovery Clinic

Sep 25

4 min read

You may have heard of laser therapy being used to support pain management, inflammation, injury recovery and rehabilitation. But there is an important distinction that is often overlooked:

Not all laser therapy is the same.

Different therapeutic devices can deliver different wavelengths, power outputs, pulse characteristics and treatment doses. Just as importantly, how that energy is delivered to the tissue matters.

At Laser Recovery Clinic, we specialise in Photobiomodulation (PBM) using

MLS® medical laser technology by ASA, Italy, with treatment selected according to the individual presentation, tissue involved and clinical objective.

What is Photobiomodulation?

Photobiomodulation, commonly referred to as PBM, is the therapeutic application of light energy to influence biological processes within tissue. Unlike surgical or ablative lasers designed to cut, heat or destroy tissue, PBM uses non-ionising light to interact with biological systems and influence cellular signaling associated with processes including inflammation, pain modulation and tissue repair. This is why clinical laser therapy involves much more than simply pointing a laser at the area that hurts.

Wavelength matters. Dose matters. Delivery matters.

1. Wavelength: Not all light interacts with tissue in the same way

Wavelength is measured in nanometres (nm) and is one of the factors that determines how light interacts with biological tissue.

Different wavelengths have different absorption and scattering characteristics as they travel through the body. This influences their interaction with tissue and is one reason why two devices described simply as “laser therapy” may not be delivering equivalent treatments.

At Laser Recovery Clinic, we use MLS® (Multi-wave Locked System) Laser Therapy, which incorporates two synchronised near-infrared emissions:

808 nm + 905 nm

The two emissions have different characteristics and are synchronised within the proprietary MLS® system.

For patients, the important message is simple:

The type of light being delivered matters.

A treatment using one wavelength, output or delivery system should not automatically be considered equivalent to another simply because both are called “laser therapy.”

2. Dose: More isn't automatically better

A common misconception is that the most powerful laser, or the treatment delivering the most energy, must produce the best result.

Photobiomodulation is more nuanced than that.

A therapeutic dose is influenced by multiple interrelated parameters, including:

wavelength
power and irradiance
energy delivered
treatment time
treatment area
pulse characteristics
frequency
application technique

In PBM research, a biphasic dose response is often discussed. In simplified terms, too little light may be insufficient to produce the intended biological response, while increasing the dose beyond an appropriate therapeutic range does not necessarily produce a greater benefit.

That means the objective isn't simply to deliver more.

The objective is to deliver an appropriate dose for the tissue and clinical goal.

3. Delivery: How the treatment is applied matters

Having sophisticated medical laser technology is only part of the equation.

How that energy is delivered is equally important.

Clinical laser treatment involves considering the tissue being targeted, the size and depth of the treatment area, the stage of the condition and the therapeutic objective.

Depending on the presentation, treatment may involve scanning a defined area, treating specific anatomical points, or using a combination of application techniques.

An example of scan modality

Image: Example of MLS® Laser Therapy in scan modality using ASA medical laser technology. Individual treatment settings are selected according to the clinical presentation.

There are multiple parameters behind a treatment.

For example, an acute Hamstring injury may require a very different clinical approach from chronic tendinopathy, osteoarthritis or post-operative recovery.

This is why at Laser Recovery Clinic, we don't simply “laser where it hurts.”

Treatment is guided by the clinical presentation and the biological tissue we are aiming to influence.

“I've tried laser before and it didn't work.”

This is something we occasionally hear.

But before concluding that all laser therapy will produce the same experience, it can be useful to ask:

What device was used? What wavelength did it deliver? What dose was applied? What tissue was being targeted? How was the treatment delivered?

LED devices, low-level lasers and higher-powered therapeutic laser systems can all have applications within photobiomodulation. However, they are not automatically interchangeable. Devices can differ substantially in wavelength, output, beam characteristics, pulse structure, treatment area and delivered energy.

This does not mean that one category of device is always superior to another. It means that the treatment parameters and clinical application need to be understood when comparing treatments.

Why we use MLS® Laser Therapy

Laser Recovery Clinic is a specialised clinic dedicated to the clinical application of laser therapy and photobiomodulation.

We use MLS® Laser Therapy developed by ASA, Italy, incorporating synchronised

808 nm and 905 nm emissions within its proprietary Multi-wave Locked System.

Our approach is not simply about treating the location of pain.

We consider the patient's presentation, relevant anatomy, tissue involved, stage of injury and recovery goals when determining an appropriate treatment approach.

Where appropriate, laser therapy may also form part of a broader recovery strategy alongside rehabilitation, medical management or regenerative medicine.

Technology matters. Clinical application matters.

The next time you hear the question:

“Does laser therapy work?”

There may be a more useful question to ask:

“What laser is being used, what is being delivered, and how is it being applied?”

Because “laser therapy” does not describe one single treatment.