Low-Level Laser Therapy vs. Stem Cells – Which is better?
Low-level laser therapy and stem cells are non-invasive and effective treatment options for a wide range of conditions. Both treatments can help relieve discomfort, inflammation, and pain.
The latest advances in laser therapy and stem cells offer faster recovery times for patients. Studies show that stem cells can cellular repair, regeneration, and healing. In today’s article, we will compare laser therapy and stem cell therapy. Read on!
Low-Level Laser Therapy
Low-level laser therapy, also known as cold therapy, uses photonic energies of wavelengths between 600 and 980 nm. The photons enter the soft and hard tissue to trigger cellular mechanisms that reduce inflammation, decrease pain, and promote regeneration.
Benefits of Low-Level Laser Therapy
Low-level laser therapy is an effective treatment option for a wide range of conditions, such as skin rejuvenation, inflammation, minor injuries, and sprains, wound healing, acupuncture, and post-surgery rehabilitation for pain management.
Health professionals also use laser therapy for precancerous growths, polyps, and tumor destruction. Research shows that low-level laser therapy can relieve cancer symptoms, remove kidney stones and part of the prostate, improve vision, repair a detached retina, and treat hair loss resulting from aging and alopecia.
It is also an effective treatment option for chronic back pain, including lumbar spine pain and sciatica. Low-level laser therapy has excellent potential for new applications. Researchers say that this type of treatment would treat spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease in the near future.
Downsides of Low-Level Laser Therapy
Low-level laser therapy is not useful for cancerous lesions, carcinomas, pregnant women, and thyroid patients. Studies show that it can cause impaired vision if the radiation penetrates eye cells.
Pregnant women must not undergo laser therapy because it can affect the fetus, leading to congenital disabilities. Another downside of low-level laser therapy is that patients do not relieve symptoms in one session.
Stem Cell Therapy
Stem cells can turn into different types of cells. Scientists use stem cells to replace damaged tissues and organs and correct internal structures of organs to make them function properly. Stem cells are also used to research causes of hereditary defects at cellular levels and test new medications for effectiveness and safety.
A health professional takes the patient’s blood and processes it in a specialized centrifuge. The purpose is to isolate a large number of protective proteins from the blood. The professional then inserts an isolated enzyme into the affected area to produce new stem cells.
Stem cells are extracted from different areas of the body. For example, stem cells taken from the patient’s abdomen area can be used to treat degenerative disc disease or optimize spinal discs.
The professional inserts platelet-rich plasma, proteins, and growth factors to neutralize your body’s acidity, which is caused by damaged discs. Stem cell therapy is an effective treatment for various spinal disorders, leading to reduced inflammation and pain.
Benefits of Stem Cell Therapy
Stem cells contain growth factors that function naturally in your body to accelerate its healing response. It reduced pain caused by injury or disease without using pain-relieving medications. Stem cells use in regenerative medicine has many benefits in medical procedures and pain management, such as:
- Effective pain reduction
- Increased flexibility and range of motion
- Quick injury reversal
- Prevents nerves damage
- Regulates the immune system
- Regenerate normal blood flow
- Replace damaged cells and tissues
- Promote intercellular and intracellular communication
Downsides of Stem cell Therapy
After harvesting stem cells from an embryo, they require a longer period for growth. Extracting stem cells from an adult bone marrow is not easy, leading to discomfort and pain. Besides, stem cell therapy has higher rejection rates than laser therapy.
Adult stem cells contain various abnormalities due to errors in the replication process, environmental hazards, toxins, etc. Therefore, adult stem cells are less adaptable and may lead to complications in receivers.
Final Words
Considering the benefits and downsides of low-level laser therapy and stem cells, we conclude that laser therapy is more effective, safe, and affordable. However, it can’t be used during pregnancy. On the other hand, stem cells have shown some promising results, but more research is needed to establish their efficacy.