Adelaide Cold Laser
The Equipment · Adelaide
Why not just buy one online?
It is a fair question, and it is the one we are asked most.
The honest answer is that the device is only half of it.
Here is what that means, what is actually in the clinic, and where a home device may genuinely make sense for you.
Go deeperTwo different tools
Laser and LED are not the same light.
Both are light. They are not the same kind of light. A laser produces a narrow, focused beam of a single colour with the waves lined up together. An LED produces a broader, softer spread of light that scatters as it leaves the source.
This describes how the two technologies differ. It is not a statement that LED devices have no value, and it is not a claim of any particular result from either. Individual responses vary.
The equipment
What is actually in the clinic.
Adelaide Cold Laser uses Multi Radiance equipment: the MR4, a corded console with a two-head setup, and the MR5 ACTIV PRO, a cordless handheld. Which one is used, where it is applied, and whether cold laser is used at all are decisions made during your consultation, not before it.
There are also two full-body red light panels here. So if red light is what you were looking for, you can have it in the clinic, without buying anything. You are not choosing between us and red light. You are choosing who works out what suits you.
Numbers on a specification sheet are not the useful part. How much light reaches a given tissue depends on the equipment, the tissue and the person, so the meaningful conversation is the one had in the room, with the equipment in front of you.
Illustration only, not anatomically accurate or exactly what happens in the body. Cold laser may reach some deeper tissues, but not all, and it does not pass through the whole body. How deep the light travels depends on the wavelength, power of the device(s) used and the tissue(s) involved. Cold laser is not suitable for everyone, and all care is provided subject to clinical assessment and individual suitability. Individual responses vary.
Before anything is switched on
The part a device cannot do.
A device bought online arrives knowing nothing about you. That is not a criticism of the device. It is simply the part that is missing, and it is the part you are actually paying for here.
At a consultation, Dr Sam Johnson (Chiropractor) takes a history, examines the area and works through what is most likely going on. From there the questions are practical ones. Is cold laser a reasonable option here. Is something else a better fit. Is there anything that should be looked at by your GP first. Where possible, treatment is provided on your first visit,* subject to that assessment.
Then there is the part that never appears on a product page. Someone has to choose the settings, decide where to apply the light and how long for, and change that as your situation changes. Dr Sam Johnson (Chiropractor) does that from the assessment, and keeps up with the research as it develops, which is a moving target in this field. A device you buy has one setting it always had: whatever you selected.
You may also be told that cold laser is not the right fit for you. That happens, and you will hear it plainly. We would rather say so than take a booking that was never going to help.
All care is provided subject to clinical assessment and individual suitability. Individual responses vary.
This is general information, not medical advice, and not a promise of any particular result. Cold laser may not be suitable for everyone. Dr Sam Johnson (Chiropractor) is a registered chiropractor. Individual responses vary.
Make up your own mind
Three ways to get light onto the problem.
All three are real options and we offer two of them. The difference is not really the box. It is who works out what suits you, and who changes it when your situation changes.
Option one
A device you buy online
Option two, here
Red light therapy with us
Option three, here
Cold laser with us
This compares how each option works in practice, not how well any of them works. It is not a claim that one produces a better result than another, and it is not a statement that consumer devices have no value. Cold laser and red light therapy are not suitable for everyone, all care is provided subject to clinical assessment and individual suitability, and individual responses vary.
An honest answer
Where a home device may genuinely make sense.
We are not here to talk you out of one. If you are curious, the cost is small to you, and you are comfortable weighing up the claims made for it, then trying one is your call to make. The decision is always yours.
What a home device does not come with is an assessment. Nobody looks at the problem first, so what you use it for is a judgement you are making yourself. That is a small thing when you already know what the problem is. It is a larger thing when the problem is persistent, changing, or you are not sure what it is.
So our view is a simple one. If you know what is going on and you would like to try light on it, a home device is a reasonable thing to try. If you do not know what is going on, start with the assessment, whether that is with us, your GP, or another practitioner you trust.
General information only. This is not advice about any particular product, and it is not a recommendation for or against using one. If you are unsure about a health concern, please speak with a health practitioner. Individual responses vary.
Before you book
The questions we actually get asked.
Does it hurt?
For most people there is very little to feel. The handpiece rests on the skin, and there are no needles and nothing is broken. Some people notice a mild warmth. If anything is uncomfortable, say so and it stops. Cold laser is generally well tolerated, though it is not suitable for everyone, and individual responses vary.
Why is it called cold laser? Is it actually cold?
The name separates it from the lasers used to cut or burn tissue. It is not about temperature and nothing cold is applied to you. Most people say it feels like very little at all, and some notice a slight warmth.
Who actually does the treatment?
Dr Sam Johnson (Chiropractor) does the assessment, decides what is appropriate, and applies the treatment. The person who works out what you need is the same person who carries it out.
Do I have to have chiropractic care as well?
No. Cold laser is its own service here and you are welcome to come for that alone. If the assessment suggests something else may suit your situation better, we will tell you what and why, and the decision is always yours.
I tried a laser somewhere before and it did nothing.
Please tell us that. Light therapy is a broad category covering very different equipment applied in very different ways, so one experience does not necessarily predict another. It also does not mean this will help you. We would rather hear what was done and give you an honest view than guess in either direction.
What does it cost, and can I claim it?
The initial consultation is $99, and $120 after that. There are no lock-in plans. Cold laser is a private service and health funds do not currently apply to it, so there is no rebate to claim on it.
Ready when you are
Not sure which side of that you are on?
That is exactly what a first consultation is for. We will look at the problem, tell you whether cold laser may be a reasonable option for you, and if it is not, we will say so. Where possible, treatment is provided on your first visit.* The decision is always yours.
Initial consultation $99 · no lock-in
Dr Sam Johnson (Chiropractor)
BSc, MChiro (Macquarie University)
Cold Laser: Initial Consultation
$99 · 30 min · Plympton Park
A first cold laser consultation with Dr Sam Johnson (Chiropractor) at 528 Marion Road, Plympton Park.
Your first visit
Book your consultation
- No lock-in plans
- Treatment on your first visit where possible*
- The decision is always yours
Book a Consultation
Prefer to talk first? Call (08) 8297 5277, or send us a message.
*Where possible, treatment is provided on your first visit. This is subject to clinical assessment and individual suitability, and cold laser may not be suitable for everyone. Individual responses vary.
Get in touch
Still weighing it up?
Ask us anything you like, including the awkward questions. We see people with a wide range of conditions and concerns, and we will do our best to let you know whether cold laser may be the right fit for you.
All care is provided subject to clinical assessment and individual suitability. This is general information, not medical advice. Individual responses vary.