Contraindications in noninvasive laser therapy: truth and fiction.

Objective: Noninvasive laser therapy is a treatment method employed in many disciplines. This review article points out instances when it appears to be effective to administer such therapy.

Materials and methods: Noninvasive laser therapy has a number of suitable applications that cause minimal damage to the patient. Many patients are not sent to institutions equipped with relevant instruments, since physicians are burdened by a number of contraindications, many of which are incorrect. The purpose of this article was to divide these contraindications into the following three groups: correct indications, indications doubtful under certain conditions, and incorrect indications.

Discussion: We consider the following contraindications as correct: history of a histologically demonstrated malignant carcinoma; irradiation of the neck region in hyperthyreosis; epilepsy; exposure of the retina; and exposure of the abdomen during pregnancy. The contraindications that are doubtful under certain conditions are as follows: fever and infectious diseases; certain blood diseases; heavy blood losses; neuropathies; and irradiation in the region of gonads. The other contraindications reported in the literature are considered to be incorrect.