High Intensity Laser Therapy (HILT)
Author: Kenneth R. Van Dyken, D.C.
Reviewed by: Dr. Paula DiMaio, D.C.
Medical disclaimer: This page is for general educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and reading it does not create a provider–patient relationship. HILT is not right for everyone — if you are on photosensitive medications, undergoing cancer care or are pregnant, you might not qualify. If you have severe or rapidly worsening symptoms, seek urgent medical care. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider about your specific situation.
What is High Intensity Laser Therapy or “HILT” for short?
HILT is a “Class IV” (FDA speak) laser that transmits light energy deep into muscles, joints and other tissues to speed up inflammation and relieve pain. In short: it’s a powerful light based therapy that relieves chronic pain, acute pain, helps heal injured tissues, including nerve, muscle and ligaments.
For those who are interested, here are some nerdy details about our machine.
- It uses two lasers, each a different wavelength. One is 810 nanometers and the other is 980 nanometers. It has a “pilot light” that is 610 nm, which also gives some mild therapeutic benefit.
- Our machine can put out up to 30 watts of power; we can customize the watts to the body type of our patient.
- HILT works by transmitting photons into the tissue, which is absorbed by the cells. This helps the cells produce more intracellular energy, which in turn, can lead to improved cell health and more broadly, tissue health. This can speed up healing.
- HILT also stimulates bloodflow which in turn can speed up healing time and provide pain relief.
Does it hurt?
Is it covered by insurance?
Is there any evidence for it? It sounds crazy.
Conclusion
High intensity laser therapy has proven to be a very helpful tool for our practice. We want to emphasize that word, "tool". As we said in our Q&A section above, nothing is out there that fixes everything. So, no, not everything can be fixed with this tool, just like a screwdriver is a bad tool for hanging pictures. We always match the tool to our patient and pair it with other tools to reduce pain and get patients better, faster.
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