Photobiomodulation
Laser therapy
Low-level
laser therapy

FAQ

• What is photobiomodulation (PBM) or laser therapy?
  "Photobiomodulation is a therapeutic method for strengthening the body's own regenerative processes. It is more than an alternative form of medical treatment - it is an entirely new method for controlling cellular processes and modulating living organisms through precise changes in the chemistry of biomolecules.
  Photobiomodulation therapy enables contemporary clinicians and therapists with a modern and multidisciplinary perspective to fight diseases in both humans and animals. Moreover, laser therapy is a way to stimulate or inhibit many different biological processes that occur in most (if not all) living things. One could even argue that the phenomenon of photobiomodulation is as old as life itself!"
  (Quote according to Prof. M.D. Hamblin, Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Harvard Medical School)
• Who uses photobiomodulation (PBM)?
  Photobiomodulation is used today by physicians and therapists of all specialties. These include orthopedics and sports medicine, rheumatology, neurology and psychiatry, dermatology, traumatology, internal medicine, carcinology, dentistry, rehabilitation medicine, veterinary medicine, and animal physiotherapy. Physicians and therapists use PBM either as a stand-alone measure or complementary to other measures.
• Is photobiomodulation or laser therapy scientifically recognized?

  Yes. The effects of photobiomodulation have been proven today for over a hundred different indications in clinical studies according to the rules of evidence-based medicine. In Pubmed alone, you will find close over 8,000 literature references on this topic. The modes of action of PBM are very well researched on the subcellular and cellular level as well as on the level of the different tissue types, although still far from conclusive.

• Since when is the therapy form of photobiomodulation available?

  Laser therapy or PBM has been practiced since the 1960s, but it is only in the last decade that it has gained an ever-increasing interest from the various medical communities due to the exponential increase in scientific literature dedicated to it.

• Does PBM or laser therapy also hold opportunities for other health care professionals?
  Absolutely. Occupational therapists, midwives, speech therapists, podiatrists, nurses and orthoptists also use photobiomodulation or laser therapy today for their therapeutic goals in an indication-specific manner.
• What are the requirements for the application of photobiomodulation or laser therapy?

  Photobiomodulation is a medical method for the treatment of physical disorders. The extent to which you are allowed to perform preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic work is determined by the professional regulations that apply to you.
  Irrespective of this, in Europe you must provide proof of special expertise, which is also required by law for laser users for the purposes of photobiomodulation (class 3R and 3B lasers). You will receive this proof in the form of a written „Appointment as a laser protection officer with specialist knowledge" according to the TROS (Technical Rules for the Occupational Health and Safety Directive on Artificial Optical Radiation) of the German Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (Bundesanstalt für Arbeitsschutz). You can obtain from us the certificate as a laser protection officer for lasers of class 3R and 3B according to the legal requirements of Germany in a time-independent online course in german language for 120.00 €.

• Where is photobiomodulation or laser therapy most widely used?
  In Germany, PBM is very widespread in veterinary medicine, traumatology and in dentistry, while it is only just gaining acceptance in other medical specialties. In the USA, it is most widely used by sports physicians, specialists in aesthetic medicine and veterinarians, while in France, Russia, India and Brazil, for example, it is used by traumatologists, rheumatologists, carcinologists, neurologists, psychiatrists, dermatologists, gynecologists and urologists.
• Benötigen Sie einen speziellen Laser oder ein bestimmtes Device zur Photobiomodulation, um die Anleitungen, Techniken und Parameter, die in den COLLL-Kursen vorgestellt werden, umsetzen zu können?

  The COLLL courses and trainings are manufacturer-independent. We demonstrate with devices from different manufacturers and transparently display the therapeutic parameters for each indication-based treatment protocol so that you can transfer them to your device.
  However, there are limitations: Since we only use Class 3R and 3B lasers, you cannot perform all treatments with a Class IV laser, nor various techniques presented in our courses. The range of indications that can be served with Class IV lasers for photobiomodulation therapy is less extensive than with Class 3R or 3B lasers. However, within the possible range of indications, you can easily transfer the recommended treatment parameters.