Power laser in the early treatment and recovery of the injured athlete.

Minor musculo-tendinous and articular traumatology are quite frequent events in sport's practice. It can also cause problems, even after some time, if it is not immediately and correctly diagnosed and cured. There have been great advances in diagnostics: muscular and tendinous ecography, for example, are invaliable for early diagnosis, being very easy to use and having a very good cost/benefit ratio. The same can not be said for the commonly used therapeutic procedures. A high power laser device has recently been developed: it emits a coherent light at a wavelength of 1064 nm. It is also possible to adjust the energy density, the energetic level and the emission cycle for each impulse. it means that with this device you can apply various energy levels in different ways, adjusting various parameters according to the patient's somatic characteristics. Of great importance is the possibility of administering laser energy: it guarantees, unlike other apparently similar devices, the absence of thermal accumulation and therefore possible consequent structural damage. We treated 97 professional and amateur athletes and 9 non athletes, having acute and chronic locomotory pathologies, using a Nd:YAG laser produced by DEKA MELA in Florence. It was applied electronically according to the individual characteristics of the patient. We clinically verified the validity of the treatment by means of subjective and objective evaluation of pain, tumefaction and degree of invalidity symptoms. A control using imaging (X-ray, Eco, CAT, RMN, isokinetic) was performed on 82 cases to confirm the diagnosis. Treatment has given excellent results in 73% of the cases, permitting an exceptionally rapid return to training and participation in agonistic activities. Fairly good results were obtained in 18% of cases, with regression of symptoms, especially for pain. No improvement was obtained in 7% of the cases. We can state that high power laser therapy with pulsed emission represents a remarkable therapeutic procedure owing to its effectiveness on pain and invalidity symptoms and on the oedematous component in the affected area. It is also very practical and easy to use.