Cold laser therapy at Augustine Chiropractic in Wesley Chapel, FL uses Erchonia handheld lasers as a drug-free, non-invasive part of your chiropractic care. We use it for pain that will not go away: a neck you cannot turn, a shoulder you cannot lift, swollen knees, a back or heel that hurts every morning. Your exam comes first, and laser goes into your plan only when it fits.
Cold laser therapy is the everyday name for low-level laser therapy (LLLT), also called photobiomodulation. A handheld laser shines specific colors of light (wavelengths) onto the area that hurts. It is “cold” because it does not heat, cut or burn the skin, and there are no drugs, needles or downtime.</p
Your cells make their energy in the mitochondria, which have receptors that absorb specific colors of light. “These receptors are like any drug receptor,” Dr. Augustine says: the right color sets off a reaction in the cell, without the drug. A review of low-level light therapy in the journal Dose-Response describes the pathway: light absorbed in the mitochondria (by cytochrome c oxidase) helps cells make more ATP, their energy currency. That is one way it is thought to ease pain and inflammation.
Stronger is not always better. Dr. Augustine draws the dose as an upside-down U: too little light does little, too much works poorly, and the best response sits in the middle. “It’s not the strongest laser, but it’s not the weakest one,” he says of Erchonia. “It has a sweet spot.”
You sit or lie comfortably while the laser is held over the area. Most people feel nothing, and some notice a light tingle. Sessions are short, and you go straight back to your day.
Get Checked Right Away
At our Wesley Chapel office, we use three handheld Erchonia lasers. Dr. Augustine chose the brand because “it’s well built” and “it’s been around for a while.” All three are FDA-cleared for the same use: as an adjunct (alongside other care) for temporary relief of minor chronic neck and shoulder pain of musculoskeletal origin.
Red light, 640 nm
Best for: chronic neck and shoulder pain, pain after surgery
The XLR8 is also FDA-cleared as an adjunctive treatment of postoperative pain.
The EVRL runs red and violet light together.
The GVL pairs green and violet light for the same use.
FDA clearance covers a specific use; it is not a promise that laser will work for everyone.
Injury Assessment
Patients rarely call asking for a specific laser. They call because they want out of pain: “I can’t move my shoulder,” “my knees keep swelling,” “the pain travels down my leg.” Only the neck and shoulder use is FDA-cleared; our chiropractic physicians may recommend the others based on your exam.
Neck, upper back, shoulder blades and shoulders
Think of a neck that will not turn when you back out of the driveway, or a shoulder you cannot lift to a high shelf. This is one of the best-studied uses of low-level laser, and it is often paired with chiropractic adjustments.
Knees, including arthritic knees
Swollen and arthritic knees are one of the most common reasons patients ask about laser. “Arthritis just means joint pain and inflammation,” Dr. Augustine says, and an old sports injury or accident can lead to it at any age.
Low back, sacroiliac (SI) joint, hips, and pain that travels into the legs
Whether your back pain is new or months old, laser can be part of a plan for low back pain, sprains and stiff hips, often with spinal decompression. When pain travels down the leg, our sciatica page explains how we find the cause. Fresh sprains may also get ice, support and sports injury rehab.
Heel and arch of the foot
Sharp heel pain with your first steps out of bed is a classic sign of plantar fasciitis. Laser may be part of your plan for the heel and arch.
The area around a healed operation
The XLR8 is also FDA-cleared for this, as an adjunct to other care. Tell us about any surgery at your first visit.
It is a fair question, and cold laser has its skeptics. The honest answer: it depends on the problem and the dose. A review of 16 randomized trials published in The Lancet found that low-level laser reduced pain right after treatment in acute neck pain, and for up to 22 weeks after treatment in chronic neck pain.
The reviewers urged caution, because the trials were small and laser settings varied. That is the sweet spot problem again: the wrong dose can make a laser look like it does nothing.
In our office, laser is one tool inside a plan, not a stand-alone cure, and results vary. As Dr. Augustine puts it, “it works fast, but it takes time to accumulate into the cells.”
Medical & Chiropractic Care
You will see three kinds of “laser therapy” around Wesley Chapel and online. Here is how they compare.
Usually nothing, sometimes a light tingle.
FDA clearance: all three of ours, as an adjunct for chronic neck and shoulder pain.
Chronic aches and fresh injuries, within a chiropractic plan.
Class IV (high-power) laser
Patients who prefer it, at an office that offers it.
People who want to try something at home first.
Dr. Augustine is blunt about home gadgets: “This is the real deal. It’s not a cheap laser.” If pain has lasted weeks or limits how you move, start with an exam. If laser does not fit, we will say so.
