The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons is now including laser therapy in its guidelines for treating osteoarthritis of the knee.
The AAOS guidelines are recommendations to help form clinical treatment procedures, according to a Sept. 16 news release. Laser therapy promotes the regrowth of tissue and improves blood circulation around the knee. It also triggers the release of endorphins.
The guideline says, "Patients should expect to experience improvements in pain and function with the treatment. There have been no reports of serious side effects from laser treatment for pain control."