Class IV Laser Therapy · Podiatry & Physiotherapy
Class IV laser therapy for pain, inflammation and stubborn injuries.
Drug-free, deep-tissue infrared laser. Most people feel real relief within three sessions — especially for joint pain, plantar fasciitis and lingering soft-tissue injuries.
What Class IV laser actually does.
Class IV laser therapy — also called high-intensity laser, photobiomodulation or HILT — uses concentrated infrared light to drive a measurable healing response deep into tissue. Class IV machines push more power than the older Class III “cold laser” units, which means deeper penetration and shorter treatment times.
The light energy doesn’t burn or cut. It’s absorbed by cells in the painful area and triggers three useful things: a drop in local inflammation, an increase in cellular energy production (ATP), and a measurable boost to blood flow and tissue repair signalling. That’s why pain often eases within the first session, and why injuries that haven’t shifted in months sometimes start to.
We run a Coelas medical-grade diode laser. Non-invasive, no needles, no anaesthetic, and you walk in and out the same.
What we treat
Six conditions where Class IV laser earns its keep.
Class IV laser is broader than most modalities — it helps both acute injuries and long-standing chronic conditions. These six are where the evidence is strongest.
01
Plantar fasciitis & chronic heel pain
First-step heel pain that’s lasted more than a few weeks. Laser pairs especially well with orthotic correction and a stretching programme — most people feel a real drop in pain inside five sessions.
02
Achilles tendinopathy
Mid-portion and insertional Achilles pain. Class IV laser reduces the chronic low-grade inflammation that keeps the tendon irritated, while loading work rebuilds the structure.
03
Knee osteoarthritis & joint pain
The condition where Class IV laser shines. OA-related joint pain, stiffness and morning swelling all respond well — without the GI side-effects of long-term anti-inflammatories.
04
Acute sprains & strains
Ankle sprains, calf tears, hamstring strains. Treated early, laser shortens swelling time and gets you back to walking and training faster than rest alone.
05
Shoulder bursitis & impingement
Subacromial bursitis, rotator-cuff tendinopathy, frozen shoulder in its inflammatory phase. Laser quiets the inflammation so the physio rehab can actually take hold.
06
Diabetic neuropathy & nerve pain
Peripheral neuropathy in the feet, post-injury nerve pain, and persistent neuropathic burn. One of the few drug-free options with evidence behind it for chronic nerve pain.
How it works at our clinic
Five to ten sessions. Real relief usually inside three.
01
Assess and map the area.
First visit covers history, palpation, biomechanical or movement assessment, and any imaging you’ve had. We identify the specific tissue we’re treating and confirm laser is the right tool for it.
02
Five to ten sessions, twice a week.
Each session is short — usually five to fifteen minutes, depending on the area. You feel a gentle, deep warmth where the probe sits. No pain, no recovery time, and most people are back to work or the gym within the hour.
03
Maintenance, not dependency.
Once you’ve cleared the acute issue, we taper. Chronic OA or neuropathy cases sometimes do best with a maintenance session every few weeks; acute injuries finish a course and stop. Either way, we don’t string you out.
The honest comparison
Why laser-plus-rehab beats laser-only or pills.
01
Ace — laser plus the rehab plan.
Class IV laser drops the inflammation; the loading, mobility and biomechanics work fixes the cause. Dual-trained as podiatrists and physiotherapists, we deliver both in the same appointment.
02
Laser-only or beauty-clinic lasers.
Some places sell laser as a standalone fix or use lower-power Class IIIb “cold laser” units that don’t penetrate deeply. You’ll feel something but the underlying problem is unchanged.
03
Anti-inflammatories & cortisone.
Both work short-term but have real downsides — gastric, cardiovascular and tendon-weakening risks with repeat use. Laser does the same anti-inflammatory job without the systemic load.
Is this you?
If this sounds like you, book in.
01
Your joints ache more than they should.
Knee, hip, shoulder or ankle pain that flares with activity and lingers afterwards. Especially useful if you’d rather not take daily anti-inflammatories.
02
An injury hasn’t resolved on its own.
Ankle sprain, hamstring strain, plantar fascia or rotator cuff that should’ve healed by now but hasn’t. Adding laser often unsticks the recovery.
03
You have nerve pain or neuropathy.
Diabetic peripheral neuropathy, burning feet, or stubborn nerve pain after surgery or injury. One of the few drug-free options with genuine evidence behind it.
Questions we get asked
Common Class IV laser questions.
01 Does it hurt?
No. You feel a gentle, deep warmth where the probe sits, and that’s about it. Most people find it relaxing. If anything ever felt hot or sharp we’d adjust on the spot, but in practice that doesn’t happen with a properly-set Class IV unit.
02 How quickly will I notice anything?
About a third of people feel a difference after the first session — usually less pain or a bit more movement. For most, the real shift comes between sessions two and four. Chronic conditions sometimes take longer; we’ll know whether it’s working by session three or four either way.
03 How many sessions will I need?
Five to ten for most things, depending on how long it’s been there. Acute injuries clear faster; chronic OA or neuropathy can need a longer course, sometimes with periodic maintenance afterwards. We’ll tell you up front, and we’ll stop if it’s not working.
04 Is Class IV laser the same as the laser you use for fungal nails?
Different machine, different goal. The Class IV unit is a multi-wavelength medical laser used for inflammation, joint pain and tissue repair. Fungal nail laser is a separate 1064nm device tuned specifically for clearing onychomycosis. Both live in the same clinic but we don’t use them interchangeably.
05 Are there any side effects?
Very few. Class IV laser is non-invasive, non-thermal in clinical use, and doesn’t produce the GI, cardiovascular or tendon risks that come with NSAIDs or cortisone. We don’t treat directly over active malignancy, the thyroid, a fresh fracture or a pregnant abdomen — standard contraindications — and we’ll screen for all of them before starting.
06 Can I claim it on private health?
Yes — under your podiatry or physiotherapy extras. We HICAPS on the spot with all the major funds. You pay the gap, the fund covers the rest.
HICAPS on the spot with every major fund — plus DVA, NDIS & WorkCover.
Less inflammation. More function.
