FAQ

No referral is required. Dr Geoff Catton is a General Practitioner with interest in Laser Therapy.

Low level lasers do not generate perceivable heat. Therefore, when the laser contacts the skin the patient experiences no burning as a result of the laser. Patients may feel a slight tingling or warmth during the treatment.

The initial consultation with Dr Geoff Catton requires up to 20 minutes where your condition is assessed along with your medical history. If your condition is amenable to LLLT the treatment is booked at the initial consultation.

The fee for an initial consultation is approx. $133.00. This includes a Medicare rebate for the GP consultation of $82.90, the out-of-pocket cost being $50.

For each treatment visit a varied fee of $129 – $ 169 applies. This includes a Medicare rebate for the GP consultation of $82.90, the out-of-pocket cost (gap fee) being $45 – $85.  An $15.00 surcharge applies to appointments after 6pm.

Fees may be subject to change and will be confirmed with you at the time of booking. No further rebate can be claimed from private health insurance. We are unable to offer bulk billing.

The effects of LLLT / PBMT are accumulative. Most patients usually require 6-12 treatments to achieve resolution of the problem or a lasting effect.

More severe conditions will require more treatments than less severe injuries. Since each person’s condition varies in severity the doctor will determine after reviewing your condition how laser treatments may benefit you and how many you might require

Low Level Laser Therapy not only helps injured tissues and wounds heal faster, it also makes them stronger and less vulnerable to re-injury.

Laser Therapy should be avoided in the following instances:

• Over the womb for women in pregnancy
• Over cancerous tumour, primary or secondary
• Direct Irradiation Of The Eyes

The answer is NO.

However what happens if I treat someone who has cancer and is unaware of it? Can the cancer’s growth be stimulated? The effects of LLLT on cancer cells in vitro have been studied, and it was observed that they could be stimulated by laser light. Experiments on rats have shown that small tumours treated with LLLT can recede and completely disappear, although laser treatment had no effect on tumours over a certain size. It is probably the local immune system, which is stimulated more than the tumour.

The situation is the same for bacteria and virus in culture. These are stimulated by laser light in certain doses, while a bacterial or viral infection is eradicated more quickly after treatment with LLLT

FDA has ruled that LLLT (Low Level Laser Therapy) is safe and the only contraindication (warning) is not to use it directly in the eyes.

For the past 30 years the technology of Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) has been formally accepted in many parts of the world such as Canada, USA, Brazil, Europe, Scandinavia, Russia and Japan. In all this time there have been no recorded long-term adverse effects from its use. It is considered to be non-invasive, painless and safe.

Laser Therapy is non-invasive, non-toxic and non-thermal. Unlike other forms of radiation, Laser Therapy is beneficial rather than harmful to tissue. LLLT also improves healing and reduces muscle fatigue, muscle damage and delayed onset muscle soreness.

There are normally no adverse effects from LLLT, however, patients occasionally experience mild discomfort/ache after treatment. This is due to a restimulation of the inflammatory phase and should settle down after 24 – 48 hours.

• American College of Physicians Guidelines include a “strong recommendation” for Low-Level Laser Therapy as a non-invasive Treatments for Acute, Subacute & Chronic Low Back Pain. (2017)
• BMJ LLLT for chronic non-specific low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials found “moderate quality of evidence” and “clinically important benefits” in the short term. (2016)
• BMJ sports medicine journal, systematic review of surgical and conservative interventions for frozen shoulder found “strong evidence” for LLLT. (2010)
• The BMJ clinical evidence recommendations for tennis elbow 2011 now include LLLT
• American Physical Therapy Association guidelines recommend LLLT for Achilles tendonitis. (2010)
• Lancet systematic review: “LLLT reduces pain immediately after treatment in acute neck pain and up to 22 weeks after completion of treatment in patients with chronic neck pain”. (2009)
• World Health Organisation (Bone and Joint Task Force) for neck pain Low Level Laser Therapy “more effective than no treatment, sham, or alternative interventions” (2008)

Yes.  LLLT has been in active and beneficial use in Europe for nearly 30 years. There are more than 200 double blind positive studies confirming the clinical effect of LLLT.
Published in the world’s top scientific journals: Nature, Pain, PNS, Blood, BMJ, Spine, Muscle and Nerve, The Lancet, Circulation, BJSM

Over 2,500 clinical studies and published research reports have shown the effectiveness of LLLT for a variety of health issues. LLLT has been a staple in veterinary practices for decades. In the past 6 years, professional sports teams have begun utilising LLLT.