Low Level Laser Therapy should not be applied to:
- Children
- rapidly developing tissues in children should be avoided
- Photosensitivity
- could develop a rash or worse (test patches to make sure)
- Eyes
- can be directly damaged by some wavelengths
- Pregnancy (low back, abdomen or pelvic region)
- Avila et al. (1993) studies in chicken embryos suggested damage to the fetus
- Malignancy
- lasers have been used in oncology studies with positive results e.g. Tamachi (1991), Podalskaya et al. (1995), Soldo et al. (1989), Funk, Kruse, and Kirchner. (1992), however they should only be applied by an oncologist.
- Open wound in people with blood clotting disorders
- lasers can increase circulation and hence bleeding
- Within 6 months of radiotherapy
- do not treat the area irradiated
- Directly to bacterial infections
- laser may encourage more growth
- DVT directly
- could increase size
- Reproductive organs (testes)
- potential to alter sperm development
- Over the thyroid gland
- rat studies have shown developments of thyroid disorders with light therapy
- Over the heart or vagus nerve
- certain light therapies can inhibit neural activity
- Persons with infections who have a compromised immune function
- lasers need good immune function to work correctly on infections
- Epilepsy
- pulsing visible red light in the 5–10 Hz range can trigger epileptic seizures Simunovic (1984) observed a patient that could only tolerate frequencies below 800 Hz with a GaAs laser