Laser Therapy — Dr. Rawls’ Ratings
Efficacy: 4 stars
Safety: 4 stars
Cost: 3 out of 5 dollar signs
Ways to Administer: low-intensity laser on the skin
Bottom Line: Laser therapy may be a good modality to incorporate when musculoskeletal pain is present.

Overview

Cold laser therapy — or focused low-intensity light therapy — triggers biochemical changes in tissues without thermal damage. Cold laser therapy has been shown to reduce inflammation, alleviate pain, and promote healing. It has a number of FDA-approved therapeutic applications.

Efficacy

There’s some good data out there supporting the use of cold laser therapy for the symptom relief of musculoskeletal pain, so I think there’s definitely a place for cold laser therapy in your Lyme recovery protocol for easing this type of pain.

Safety

Many health practitioners use cold laser therapy, including chiropractors, physicians, physical therapists, and even dentists. A slight side effect that you might notice is mild tingling of the skin.

Cost

In some instances, your insurance may cover the procedure. If you have to pay out of pocket, the cost can certainly add up. You can purchase devices for home use, but there’s a definite difference between the quality of the units used in a practitioner’s office and the smaller ones you find online.

Dr. Bill Rawls Treatment Guide

Dr. Bill Rawls’ Treatment Guide

Want to see more Lyme disease treatment ratings? See What Dr. Rawls has to say about popular treatments and therapies in his Lyme Disease Treatment Guide.

Dr. Rawls is a physician who overcame Lyme disease through natural herbal therapy. You can learn more about Lyme disease in Dr. Rawls’ new best selling book, Unlocking Lyme.
You can also learn about Dr. Rawls’ personal journey in overcoming Lyme disease and fibromyalgia in his popular blog post, My Chronic Lyme Journey.

REFERENCES
1. Avci P, Gupta A, Sadasivam M, et al. Low-level laser (light) therapy (LLLT) in skin: stimulating, healing, restoring. Semin Cutan Med Surg. 2013;32(1):41-52.
2. Cotler HB, Chow RT, Hamblin MR, Carroll J. The Use of Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) For Musculoskeletal Pain. MOJ Orthop Rheumatol. 2015;2(5):00068. doi: 10.15406/mojor.2015.02.00068