Hungarian physician Endre Mester (1903–1984) was a pioneer of laser medicine, especially the use of low level laser therapy (LLLT).
In 1967, only a few years after the first working laser was invented, he started his experiments with the effects of lasers on skin cancer.
He is credited as the discoverer of positive biological effects of low power lasers, which have been advocated as alternative medicine for use in wound healing, smoking cessation, tuberculosis, temporomandibular joint disorders, and musculoskeletal conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis.
LLLT devices are popular and may bring about temporary relief of some types of pain, but conventional medical authorities have found no reason to believe that they influence the course of any ailment or are more effective for pain control than other forms of heat delivery.