Effects of low-power light therapy on wound healing: LASER x LED

Abstract

Several studies demonstrate the benefits of low-power light therapy on wound healing. However, the use of LED as a therapeutic resource remains controversial. There are questions regarding the equality or not of biological effects promoted by LED and LASER. One objective of this review was to determine the biological effects that support the use of LED on wound healing. Another objective was to identify LED´s parameters for the treatment of wounds. The biological effects and parameters of LED will be compared to those of LASER. Literature was obtained from online databases such as Medline, PubMed, Science Direct and Scielo. The search was restricted to studies published in English and Portuguese from 1992 to 2012. Sixty-eight studies in vitro and in animals were analyzed. LED and LASER promote similar biological effects, such as decrease of inflammatory cells, increased fibroblast proliferation, stimulation of angiogenesis, granulation tissue formation and increased synthesis of collagen. The irradiation parameters are also similar between LED and LASER. The biological effects are dependent on irradiation parameters, mainly wavelength and dose. This review elucidates the importance of defining parameters for the use of light devices.

Anti-inflammatory effects of low-level laser in burn wound models in rats

“…The use of low level laser to expedite tissue healing has been examined and the photostimulation has been shown to promote reepithelization, synthesis of collagen, proliferation of fibroblasts, and angiogenesis to reduce inflammatory cytokine levels [32]. Bayat et al [33] examined the effects of low-level helium-neon laser on rats that had received third-degree burns and reported a significant increase in total quantity of mast cells and newly created epidermal cells at the burn lesion site in the group treated with laser therapy compared with the control group.…”

Laser therapy low intensity in wound care and practice nurses / Laserterapia de baixa intensidade no tratamento de feridas e a atuação da enfermagem / Terapia de láser de baja intensidad en el tratamiento de heridas..

“…Diante dos achados, reforça-se que é fundamental buscar "pelas melhores evidências disponíveis sobre as tecnologias para o tratamento de feridas" (20:66) . Adicionalmente, é de importância ímpar estabelecer um protocolo para o uso do laser, pois sãos muitos os efeitos biológicos e estes dependem de parâmetros utilizados como: comprimento da onda, da dose e número de sessões (13,11,(17)(18)(19)(20)(21) .…”

Comparative analysis of different doses of coherent light (laser) and non-coherent light (light-emitting diode) on cellular necrosis and apoptosis: a study in vitro

“…The effects of low level laser therapy (LLLT) and LED therapy (LEDT) at the cellular and molecular levels have been demonstrated in many studies, which showed that irradiation by laser or LED is absorbed by mitochondrial chromophores, including cytochrome c oxidase (Chaves et al, 2014). Irradiation affects the mitochondrial respiratory chain by changing the electrical power of cellular membranes and, consequently, the selective permeability of sodium, potassium, and calcium ions or through increased activity of enzymes, such as cytochrome c oxidase and ATP syntase (Koutná et al, 2003;Magrini et al, 2012).…”

“…It has been reported that LED and laser radiation produce similar effects in therapeutic applications Volume 32, Number 4, p. 372-379, 2016 (Chaves et al, 2014;Lev-Tov et al, 2013a;Park and Hong, 2015). LED radiation is clinically advantageous for several reasons, including the ability to irradiate a larger area in a short time (Park and Hong, 2015) safety, less painful, and superior portability which allow for patient use at home, with minimal side effects (Lev-Tov et al, 2013a).…”