One of the many other names (see below) for LLLT is Cold Laser. It is ‘cold’ because the lasers/LEDs are so dim that they do not heat up tissue. Note: I can just barely notice a temperature increase when I shine my 1 watt LED flashlight on my lips. I am not able to feel 20 milliwatts emitted by our LLLT – however many horses can sense LLLT.

In early 2008 I discovered LLLT and then researched the topic on the internet and thru medical publications. 
LLLT appeared to be an excellent solution for my wife's lymphoedema.
We did not want to pay many thousands of dollars to a set of LLLT treatments which would provide relief for perhaps 6 months.
I designed an LLLT based on the best research I could find.
There are 20+ parameters for LLLT, including wavelength, power output, number of treatments per week, frequency of dark periods, length of dark periods, etc.
We have been amazed at the results, what we have to call magic LLLT on not only lymphoedema, but also for many other ailments, including her 60 year old ankle pain which disappeared after a single LLLT session.  Have been using it since Aug 2008

Updates at end of this page  with description of model 2.0

My LLLT design took 6 months to design, construct, and debug.  It can is basically an improvement on that made in Australia.
http://www.riancorp.com/ makes the only Laser which the FDA has approved for lymphoedema
Excellent power-point summary of the Australian LLLT
Lymphoema forum 2007 discussion on Riancorp LLLT

Similar: Wavelength = 905 angstrom, Laser diode, 5 watts peak output IR per each diode, Applied to lymph area for 1 minute
5,000 pulses per second – thus applying about 300,000 pulses in 1 minute

Different:
1) Use 4 Laser diodes instead of 1,
2) Diodes are positioned about 1" above the skin
  – so as to allow spreading to cover about 40% of the area with the 4 diodes instead of 2% of the area with the single diode on the skin.
   This spreading reduces the peak power per sq. cm. at the skin to about 1/20.
3) Treatment area, with about 40% of it illuminated, is 12 sq cm at the skin surface,
   which is 60X larger total area and 24X larger illuminated area than the 0.2 sq. cm for commercial single Laser Diode.
4) Cannot press the Laser Diodes into tissue, so as to minimize the light loss in fatty tissue.
5) Included 20 "dark times" of 1/10 second each during the 1 minute.
    {Tina Karu: Ten Lectures on Basic Science of Laser Phototherapy – page 69 shows 2X increased attachment with "dark times of 1/10 second.
    So we thought that we would include "dark times" in our design.
   We intuitively feel that while the body cannot respond to changes in light at the rate of 5,000 per second,
   there is a possibility of the body responding to 1/10 second dark times every 3 seconds.
   Perhaps coherent laser speckle produces a modulation of the light better than what we use.}
6) Have LLLT just before having a lymph massage and then go to sleep.

http://www.laser.nu/lllt/lllt_editorial.htm  from 2003 has a good list of the many parameter for LLLT.  Scroll down to "Why laser therapy fails - and succeeds"

I do not expect the company in Australia to improve their LLLT since they have just spent $250,000 on a clinical double blind trial to prove the device and the protocol to the US FDA (and regulatory agencies in other countries) They irradiate 17 points for 1 minute 3 days a week. After 3 weeks their point laser will likely have irradiated every lymph node in the area. Ours irradiates all lymph nodes in a 12 sq cm area in a single minute.

Healing Light - the miracle of cold laser therapy 2006 book by Dr. David Hirschenson. Very low cost but lacking detail.  Describes use of the Bioflex system. 
Chart of Bioflex success rate on page 77 includes the following: Osteoarthritis 86%, Muscle tears 96%, Rotator Cuff 84%, Tendonitis 96%, Herniated Disc 91%, Myofascitis 100%, Carpal tunnel 53%, Plantar Fascitis 78%, Rheumatoid arthritis 90%, etc. You can use the Bioflex web to see if there is a Bioflex LLLT near you.

The Laser Therapy Handbook by Jan Tuner in Sweden 2007 (first edition 2002) - my favorite - 35 Euros
The scientific data on therapeutic lasers encompasses some 2500 titles.
Tuner and Hode have read 1200 in the original included in the bibliography in this book.
Mini-abstracts have been written on 400 of these, the majority of which concern studies showing the positive effects of laser therapy.
This is an excellent reference for those interested in reviewing the clinical work done to-date
http://integratedlasertherapies.com/laserbooks.html  is one of many companies selling the book

http://www.laser.nu/lllt/lllt_editorial.htm  scroll down to "Why laser therapy fails - and succeeds"
This is a list of LLLT variables from the Laser Therapy Handbook that make comparisons between LLLT articles difficult to compare

He has authored a smaller/lower cost book which is probably also good, Lasers That Heal - see prima-books below

http://www.prima-books.com/  Publisher with the most and best LLLT books that I am aware of

http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1424302331/ref=sib_dp_pt/103-0315063-9545424#  Light and Laser Therapy  $70  can look inside the book at Amazon

Kahn (CEO of Bioflex) June 2008. His 3 books cost $400+, but I have no reviews of them or even a table of contents.

http://www.amazon.com/Low-Intensity-Laser-Therapy-Clincal/dp/0981770126/ref=pd_bbs_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1220051291&sr=8-4
http://www.amazon.com/Pretika-ST197-Lightsonic-Pulsating-Therapy/dp/B000F5EGFA/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1220051291&sr=8-3

Obama requested -- by didn't appear to get -- $4.8 million for a project in 2003 to use LEDs to heal. Strange as it may sound, military medicine specialists have known for years that the LEDs can play a role in healing wounds, building muscle, turning back the worst effects of diabetes and repairing blinded eyes. http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/03/obamas-pet-proj.html

http://www.pol-us.net/lllt/fda.html   FDA and LLLT

Biomodulation Laser, Bioregulating Laser, Biostimulating Laser, Cold Laser Therapy, Diode Laser Therapy, helium-neon laser irradiation, Infrared laser light, Laser Acupuncture, Laser Biostimulation, Laser Irradiation, Laser Phototherapy, Laser Therapy, LED therapy, LELT (Low Energy Laser Therapy), LEPT (Low Energy Photon Therapy), light-emitting diode phototherapy, LILT (Low Intensity Laser Therapy), LLLT (Low level Laser Therapy, Low Light Laser Therapy), Low Power Laser Irradiation, Low Power Laser Therapy, Low Reactive Level Laser Therapy, Low Energy Laser, PBM (Photobiomodulation), Photo Irradiation, Photobiostimulation, Photomedicine, Physiotherapy Laser, RLT (Red Light Therapy) for Rosecia, Soft Laser Therapy (differentiate from ‘hard laser’ = surgical laser) Therapeutic Laser

Search term from WALT 2009: LLLT, Laser Biostimulation, Laser Irradiation, Low-Power, Laser Therapy, Low-Power, Low-Level Laser Therapy, Low-Power Laser Irradiation, Low-Power Laser Laser Therapy.

WALT also noted that there were 20 studies published in PubMed in 2000, and 250 in 2008

For quick web searches I use 4 names:
   (LLLT OR "cold laser" OR "Soft laser therapy" OR "low power laser")

lack of standardization in applying Laser Therapy to various tissues, therefore it is impossible to draw conclusions from many studies.
http://www.walt.nu/images/stories/files/walt_standard_for_conduct_of_randomized_controlled_trials.pdf is a recommended guideline for LLLT trials

LINKS

Rent/Lease LLLT device from a few of the suppliers
http://www.laser.nu/lllt/manufactures.htm Has a list of some of the LLLT manufacturers

Buy LLLT device for $500 to $20,000.  A few newer infrared LLLT systems sell for $1300 and have 4 or more laser sources, along with some devices which only have red light sources
http://www.apollopt.com/compare.htm  Matrix comparing 12 features of 10 Cold Lasers: including price, wavelength, power, ...
http://coldlasersupplies.com/  sells a variety of cold lasers

Some comments clipped from LymphPeople Feb 2011

Laser is not a magic cure for lymphedema
For your information; From practical experience and statistical information laser therapy is best when used with other lymphatic drainage therapies.
It is not a magic cure to control lymphedema.

What laser has the potential to do for lymphedema
Laser will assist in improving lymphatic flow and softening hard fibrotic tissues. This in turn normally will help to reduce the associated swelling of lymphedema.

Laser normally works faster with arm lymphedema than with leg lymphedema.

The results of laser therapy can be truly amazing.
Some people respond quickly after just one 60 minute session.
With other people it may take many applications to have a similar effect and provide the desired result.

Recorded information and statistics indicate Laser treatment is ongoing.
If no other therapy is concurrently combined into a lymphedema treatment regimen, then laser therapy is often required every 2-3 weeks for a one hour session.

Given the requirement of ongoing treatment it becomes cost effective to purchase a hand held laser for self administration or share among 3 or 4 people living nearby suburbs where the laser may be used at home.

Laser therapy for treating lymphedema works best when combined with Complex Physical (lymphatic) Therapy (CPT). CPT consists of lymphatic drainage massage, self massage, compression bandaging, compression garments, skin care and eating the best choice foods to promote lymphatic health with dietary considerations.

How Low Level Laser Therapy Works (by a Chiropractor)

Low Level Lasers are also called (Cold lasers) because there is no heat produced with this type of device, unlike the lasers used in surgeries. These lasers increase cellular energy and help produce faster cellular activities like cell reproduction and regeneration. The laser stimulates an increase in cellular mitochondrial ATP production, which enhances and moderates cell activity. The cold laser has a positive influence on cell proliferation, immune cell function and the lymphatic and vascular systems. The result is greatly improved wound and injury healing, in dramatically less time.

HEAD1: average intensity per diode = 5 milliwatts.