Laser Therapy for Faster Knee Injury Recovery for Athletes
If you're a sports parent or an athlete yourself, you know that jumper’s knee (aka patellar tendinopathy) can derail an entire season, or worse, a promising athletic career. That persistent pain right at the kneecap just doesn’t go away easily, no matter how much you stretch, rest, or ice.
You’ve probably heard about Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) injections — where they take your own blood, spin it to concentrate growth factors, and inject it back into the tendon. Sounds high tech, right?
But now there’s a non-invasive option that has just been shown to work even better and faster than PRP.
A Look Inside the Study: Laser vs PRP Head-to-Head
In a recent 12-week randomized controlled trial, researchers worked with 60 athletes aged 18 to 40 who were dealing with ultrasound-confirmed jumper’s knee. They split the group into two:
Group 1: Got a single PRP injection.
Group 2: Got Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) - and just to clarify, this was LASER, not LED. That distinction is important because laser penetrates deeper and delivers energy in a more focused, controlled way.
Here’s the exact LLLT protocol they used:
Wavelength: 810 nm (near-infrared spectrum)
Power Density: 100 mW/cm²
Schedule: 3 sessions per week
Duration: 12 weeks (for a total of 36 sessions)
The laser was applied directly perpendicularly over the patellar tendon, ensuring the energy hit the right tissue depth, something LED panels can’t achieve.
Laser therapy reduces pain and improves recovery significantly.
Not only was laser therapy more effective across the board, but it also worked faster. Pain and function improved earlier, by around week 4, the laser group was already feeling and moving better.
Why This Matters to Athletes and Parents
Imagine this: a treatment that doesn’t involve needles, has zero downtime, and not only reduces pain but actually supports better tendon healing. That’s what LLLT offers.
And because we’re talking about a true laser (not an LED panel), the 810 nm wavelength specifically penetrates deep enough to reach the core of the tendon, stimulating mitochondria, reducing inflammation, and encouraging new collagen formation.
Study Limitations
I always like to balance the scales, so here’s what we need to keep in mind:
The PRP group only received one injection. Some protocols recommend multiple sessions, which might improve its results.
The follow-up was only 12 weeks, so we don’t know the long-term outcomes or reinjury rates.
Participants knew which treatment they were getting (because let’s face it, you can’t really blind someone to whether they’re getting light treatment or getting an injection!).
The Bottom Line
For athletes looking to get back in the game, faster and stronger, photobiomodulation using this specific protocol is showing some serious promise. It's non-invasive, science-backed, and particularly valuable if you’re looking to avoid the discomfort or risks of injections.
If you’re curious about how laser therapy could help your athlete recover faster (or even enhance performance recovery), this might be your sign to explore our services at Solasta.
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