Abstract: A method of treating a patient, includes providing a laser source for emitting a laser light, diagnosing an afflicted area of the patient, delivering the laser light to the afflicted area for at least one treatment cycle, the laser source being operable on the afflicted area at a level of 1 Joule/cm.sup.2 per treatment cycle, monitoring the afflicted area after the treatment cycle has been completed, and repeating the steps of diagnosing and delivering the laser light to the afflicted area based on the monitoring step. Each treatment cycle preferably has a duration of 33 seconds and the wavelength of the laser light is preferably between a range of 800-870 nm, and more preferably is substantially 830 nm.