FDA approved for home use, this sport laser isn’t cheap. But the therapeutic device gives athletes a new option for home-based injury treatment and sports recovery.
The GameDay Super Pulsed Laser is the first and only sport- and fitness-specific laser designed for home use, according to the brand. The FDA has cleared the over-the-counter personal laser. That means people can use it at home without a doctor’s prescription.
This type of medical laser creates concentrated light beams that can directly pinpoint damaged tissue, muscle, ligaments, and even bone. Medical professionals use them to encourage the return of oxygen and circulation of red blood cells, which helps reduce inflammation, relieve pain, and incent the body to heal itself.
Doctors and physical therapy clinics use deep tissue laser therapy to treat athletes for acute and chronic injuries. However, physicians and trained professionals have managed medical-grade lasers because highly concentrated energy can create a burn risk if you don’t know what you’re doing.
Who’s Using Lasers?
It’s hard to refute thousands of published studies on the effectiveness of laser therapies. Over time, concentrated light-wave technology has trickled down. What was once relegated to clinical settings has gone mainstream. I, for one, have been lasered by a massage therapist and a chiropractor for a gnarled IT band.
But putting a medical device in consumers’ hands is another story. Yet, Multi Radiance Medical made the GameDay handheld laser device specifically to help athletes alleviate pain and boost performance — all from the comfort of their couches.
To ensure safety, the brand asserts its engineers and scientists have spent “decades” putting the GameDay Super Pulsed Laser through “rigorous” clinical trials. And some 90 professional and collegiate sports teams have tested it. This due diligence led to the laser’s recent FDA clearance for home use.
The performance-sport laser’s super-pulse technology is most intriguing. The technology allows users to better control how much energy penetrates the skin. That’s a good thing for people worried about searing themselves.
Lasers for Before and After Exercise
Multi Radiance Medical touts the handheld personal laser as noninvasive. It has three settings to change intensity for before and after aerobic and anaerobic workouts. For example, the brand suggests that “weekend warriors” prepare for their big workouts by using setting one for about five minutes a day for ten consecutive days.
The GameDay Super Pulsed Laser is intended for two general uses: prepping muscles for optimal performance, such to set a personal record in a race, and for recovering from sports, especially repetitive activities that can lead to overuse pain.
Lasers have proven to stimulate blood flow, which is often tied to improvements in endurance, strength, and coordination. When used for recovery, lasers can help temper swollen muscles, relieve pain, and accelerate tissue repair.
The Game Day Super Pulsed Laser’s results are more compelling in the area of recovery. The brand claims its laser provided a 300-percent boost in recovery over placebo in trials. Lasers can work on both acute pain, such as an overtaxed IT band after a marathon, and chronic issues, like back pain from a curved spine.
That’s all great, and you can buy one online right now. But prepare for sticker shock: The GameDay Super Pulsed Laser will set you back $2,500. But if it really works, that’s a pretty nice alternative to ice.
