Pain Relief & Cold Laser Therapy:

Pain is the body’s signal that something has gone wrong, but it is not always a warning of injury. In many cases, it is a sign that the body’s repair system has become trapped in a cycle of inflammation. Conventional medicine often addresses this by suppressing the pain signal with drugs, injections, or surgery. These methods can be helpful in emergencies, yet they do nothing to correct the underlying cellular confusion that causes chronic discomfort. Cold laser therapy, also known as photobiomodulation, offers a different and far more physiological solution. It restores the normal inflammatory process instead of silencing it. The goal is not to hide pain but to help the body complete its healing response.

Inflammation is the immune system’s natural reaction to tissue stress or injury. It is a coordinated process involving increased blood flow, the release of protective molecules, and the activation of specialized white blood cells. In the early stage, this process is essential because it clears damaged tissue and starts repair. The problem begins when inflammation fails to resolve. Chronic inflammation is the biological equivalent of an alarm that never turns off. It keeps tissues irritated, prevents proper blood circulation, and alters nerve function. The result is persistent pain, stiffness, and fatigue. Anti-inflammatory medications attempt to shut this alarm off chemically, but in doing so they also interfere with the very signals that would have allowed healing to complete naturally. This is why long-term use of such drugs often leads to recurring pain once the medication wears off.

Cold laser therapy works by reprogramming this process at the cellular level. The light energy from the laser interacts directly with structures inside cells called mitochondria, which serve as microscopic power generators. When tissue is injured, mitochondria produce less energy and more stress molecules known as reactive oxygen species. These molecules, often abbreviated as ROS, are necessary for normal signaling in small amounts but harmful when excessive. Laser light of specific wavelengths—most effectively red at 635 nanometers and near-infrared around 830 nanometers—activates an enzyme in the mitochondria called cytochrome c oxidase. This activation releases nitric oxide, a gas molecule that improves circulation by widening blood vessels and restoring oxygen supply to the area. It also allows mitochondria to produce adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, which is the energy that cells use for every function including repair.

As energy production increases, cells can once again regulate inflammation rather than being trapped by it. This happens through the control of small protein messengers called cytokines. Cytokines coordinate the activity of immune cells. In a chronic state, pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6 remain overactive. Photobiomodulation has been shown in numerous studies to reduce these while increasing anti-inflammatory cytokines like interleukin-10. This is the scientific foundation of true inflammation normalization. The therapy does not artificially suppress immune activity; it recalibrates it.

Another mechanism that contributes to pain reduction is the effect of light on nerve conduction. When nerves become irritated, their outer membranes develop altered electrical thresholds, meaning they send pain signals too easily. Laser light influences the distribution of calcium and sodium ions across these membranes, helping restore normal electrical balance. This process decreases the abnormal firing of pain pathways while improving the speed of healthy nerve transmission. Additionally, research has demonstrated that photobiomodulation increases the release of endorphins and enkephalins, which are the body’s natural pain-relieving chemicals. Together, these effects reduce pain perception without creating dependency or tolerance, as often occurs with medication.

Circulation also improves. Nitric oxide released from stimulated mitochondria causes small arteries and capillaries to dilate, a process known as vasodilation. The resulting increase in oxygen and nutrient delivery supports tissue repair and removes inflammatory waste. Laser therapy also enhances lymphatic drainage, which is the movement of fluid that carries away toxins and cellular debris. Patients often report that treated areas feel lighter and more flexible after a session. This reflects measurable physiological change. Thermal imaging and ultrasound studies have confirmed improved microcirculation within minutes of light exposure.

Cold laser therapy’s influence extends beyond the area being treated. Because blood flow, nerve activity, and immune signaling are interconnected, restoring normal function in one region can benefit others. For example, laser treatment to the lower back can improve hip mobility or relieve leg pain because the same nerve networks and blood vessels serve those structures. This systemic effect is one of the most remarkable features of photobiomodulation. Unlike localized drug injections, light therapy supports the entire communication system that governs pain and healing.

Safety is a defining advantage. 

Cold laser therapy is non-thermal, meaning it produces no heat. It does not cut, burn, or damage tissue. It does not introduce chemicals or rely on anesthesia. The light energy used is extremely low, measured in milliwatts, but it triggers profound biochemical responses. The biphasic dose principle ensures that small, specific amounts of energy stimulate repair, whereas excessive energy would have no benefit. In other words, more power isn't better; the right amount of laser light energy supports cellular function.

The Erchonia medical lasers used at the Liebell Clinic are precisely calibrated within this therapeutic window and have received FDA clearance for pain management applications. Each beam is collimated, which means the photons travel in a consistent, organized pattern that allows accurate targeting of tissue. 

In practical terms, patients experience the treatment as completely comfortable. They feel no heat, vibration, or discomfort—only a gentle red glow over the affected area. im Because the therapy works by stimulating normal physiology rather than forcing an artificial reaction, improvements continue after the session ends. Many patients report better sleep, reduced stiffness, and greater endurance as inflammation resolves throughout the body.

At the Liebell Clinic, we apply cold laser therapy technology as part of an integrated strategy. This includes addressing your body's "mechanical engineering" and "electrical engineering." So-called modern medicine has been obsessed with the human body's "chemical engineering" - the fundamental basis of the pharmaceutical-based philosophy of American healthcare. 

At the Liebell Clinic, it's PHYSICS before chemistry. The nervous system is the human body's electrical system. Dr. Breiten Liebell's chiropractic care addresses the mechanical engineering (spine and other joints of the body), which in turn, improves the electrical engineering (reducing interference to nerve conduction). 

Auricular Therapy (outer ear treatment) supports cranial nerve pathways, which is medically proven to be highly effective for a variety of health problems. Dr. Breiten Liebell provides auricular therapy with electrical stimulation. I (Dr. Donald Liebell) provide auricular therapy in the form of acupuncture for complex chronic neurological conditions, and especially support for natural resolution of allergies.

Laser Therapist, Evan Liebell addresses human electro-mechanical-chemical engineering on the cellular level with cold laser therapy. Our total-body, physics-based approach is for restoration of healthy function. 

Pain is rarely an isolated problem; it reflects multiple systems that have lost coordination. By addressing the structural, neuro-electric, and cellular biochemical aspects of inflammation, we help the body achieve sustainable balance. 

The evidence supporting cold laser therapy for pain management spans hundreds of clinical trials and decades of research. Conditions successfully treated include joint and muscle pain, arthritis, tendon injuries, nerve inflammation, and postoperative discomfort. Laboratory studies confirm that laser light accelerates the repair of collagen fibers, speeds nerve regeneration, and decreases markers of oxidative stress. These results have been reproduced consistently across medical and dental fields, making photobiomodulation one of the most thoroughly validated non-drug treatments in existence.

What distinguishes the Liebell Clinic is not only our use of this technology but our understanding of it. We treat the light as medicine, not as machinery. Each dose is applied with respect for the physics, biochemistry, and patient individuality that determine outcome. We tailor energy delivery to the nature of each condition and to the patient’s overall health. This is how we achieve results that are both measurable and meaningful.

Pain relief without drugs is not a dream; it is a scientific reality. The human body is "designed" to heal, but it sometimes gets stuck in a chronic loop of dysfunction, and needs some help. Cold laser therapy provides a subtle, safe, gentle, but powerful "reminder." By restoring the normal sequence of inflammation, circulation, and nerve function, it allows the body to do what it was meant to do. 

When Chemistry Fails... Physics Prevails!

This is not "alternative" medicine—it is medicine in its most natural form, guided by light and grounded in truth.

Selected Scientific References

Hamblin MR. Mechanisms and applications of the anti-inflammatory effects of photobiomodulation. AIMS Biophys. 2017;4(3):337–361.
Chung H et al. The nuts and bolts of low-level laser (light) therapy.Ann Biomed Eng. 2012;40(2):516–533.
Ahrabi B et al. Effects of low-level laser therapy on mesenchymal stem cells: a systematic review. J Lasers Med Sci. 2019;10(Suppl 1):S96–S102.
Tomazoni SS et al. Infrared low-level laser therapy before intense exercise protects skeletal muscle against damage. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2019;2019:6239058.
Neira R et al. Low-level laser-assisted lipoplasty: effect on adipose tissue and inflammatory mediators. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2002;110(3):912–922.
Mosca RC, Arany PR. Photobiomodulation therapy for wound care: a potent, noninvasive photoceutical approach. Adv Skin Wound Care. 2019;32(4):157–167.
Mester E. The biological effect of laser radiation. Orv Hetil. 1967;108:1012–1016.
Erchonia Corporation. Technical specifications and FDA clearances for therapeutic lasers. 2023.