Contraindications for the use of therapeutic lasers · Pacemakers · Pregnancy · Epileptic seizures · Thyroid gland · Children · Cancer · Diabetes · Conclusion. The laser should not be used on the thyroid gland or on a pregnant uterus. However, the use of the laser away from the abdomen and uterus in the pregnant mother is safe. Relative contraindications include hypersensitivity to lasers and photosensitizing drugs or skin creams, although there are many that react with the UV spectrum, very few react with the infrared.
Some autoimmune disorders and severe lupus can cause hypersensitivity to laser therapy. The only absolute contraindication for laser therapy is direct or reflected exposure of the pupil to the retina. No irradiation should be performed on or near the eye. 16 Patients with special considerations are usually not eligible for laser therapy; however, if the specialized veterinary laser therapist believes that the treatment could provide any benefit, they must obtain a consent form.
If a site where a medication is to be injected is also being treated with a therapeutic laser, first treat it with a laser and then administer the injection. With the lens acting like a magnifying glass, the eyes are prone to injury with class 3b and class 4 therapeutic lasers. The laser beam should NEVER be directed toward the eyes or eye damage could result. Direct beam is also a hazard when using protective laser goggles.
Therefore, as a preventive measure, the official recommendation is not to use laser therapy treatment during pregnancy. Laser units may interfere with electronic implants, such as pacemakers and spinal cord stimulators. It may not be safe to use this technology in patients with these implants. Official recommendations are to avoid direct exposure to the thyroid to avoid a possible thyroid storm.
While high-power lasers have a significant advantage in penetrating deep musculoskeletal tissues and reducing treatment times, the potential risk of injury is greater with high-power lasers due to the higher energy density per unit area compared to low-power class III lasers. All class III b and IV lasers must come with their own set of safety glasses for use by the person administering the laser therapy (i.e., each clinic using a laser must have a person trained in the safe operation of laser therapy and a daily safety checklist must be observed). As a palliative treatment for terminally ill patients, laser therapy can act both as an analgesic and as a stimulant, making it therapeutic. Patients with very unstable epilepsy should not receive laser therapy because of the risk of seizures.
When creating a treatment protocol for the therapeutic laser, it is important to consider these effects to maximize patient outcome. In short, as long as you don't look directly at the laser light emitted by a class 3B laser, operators don't need to wear eye protection unless they want to. Each laser manufacturer manufactures their glasses specifically for their machine and will include a print on the corner of the lens to indicate the wavelengths they cover. It's not because laser therapy does not have a stimulating effect, but because the law only allows specialists treat cancer.
When treating the skull and paranasal sinuses, the laser light does not enter the eye directly, so there is no danger. Unproven contraindications to laser therapy have anecdotal evidence or the assumption that they are harmful due to an inappropriate association with another known hazard associated with a different physical therapy device. Unless the anecdotal contraindication has been denied, however, it is suggested that a certain degree of caution be taken or avoided when using laser therapy. However, when obvious sources of possible ignition, such as open volatile chemicals, are eliminated from the laser treatment area, the risk of fire is only possible if there is a very unusual failure of the equipment or if the laser is used extremely careless form.
All staff and patients in the nominal danger zone should wear protective goggles when operating with class IIIb and IV lasers.
