Hilterapia® in Sports: The Clinical Experience of Rok Žabkar

Hi, my name is Rok Žabkar and I am a physiotherapist working in a private sports clinic in Slovenia. Previously, I worked at the Football Club Domžale, where I was also the head physiotherapist. In summer 2025, I opened my own private sports clinic. At the moment, I am working alone, with a little help from my girlfriend.
I first heard about Hilterapia® from my girlfriend, who is a professional judoka and experienced its benefits firsthand.

Hilterapia® and Sport: what role does laser therapy play in promoting sporting activity in the prevention and/or post-performance recovery phases?
Hilterapia® plays an important role in both prevention and rehabilitation. In terms of prevention, I have observed good effects in reducing muscle fatigue. However, the greatest impact is seen in rehabilitation, where improvements can be noticed very quickly.

What are the tangible benefits of using Hilterapia® in the clinic's daily rehabilitation processes?
The main benefit of daily use is the rapid reduction of pain and inflammation, which results in faster and more effective rehabilitation.

During your experience as Head Physiotherapist for the NK Domžale football team, and later in your private practice, did you have the opportunity to treat football players using Hilterapia®? For which conditions and with what results?
Yes, I have treated players from the Domžale football club using Hilterapia® in my private clinic. I mainly used it for muscle injuries, where very good results were achieved after just a few sessions.

Rok Zakbar treating a wrist with HIRO laser device
Rok Zakbar treating a knee with HIRO laser device and DJD

Your girlfriend, a professional judoka, has also benefited from Hilterapia®: what is her point of view as a sports patient regarding the effectiveness of the therapy?
My girlfriend loves Hilterapia®. She regularly uses it on her hands and fingers, as she often experiences sprains. When she has pain or issues, she usually undergoes 1–3 sessions and the pain disappears. Of course, we also treat other areas such as shoulders and elbows, but mostly her fingers.

With the implementation of Hilterapia® among the services you offer, do you think the quality of treatment for patients has improved? If so, in what way? 
The introduction of Hilterapia® has certainly added value to the treatment process. It is very effective in reducing acute pain and speeding up rehabilitation. I would also like to emphasize that although rehabilitation is faster with Hilterapia®, the quality of treatment remains very high.

If you had to name two or three conditions for which you consider Hilterapia® to be exceptional or unrivalled, which would you choose and why?
Muscle tears or strains, ankle sprains, and shoulder calcifications.

How do patients perceive the use of Hilterapia®? What feedback do they give you after treatment?
Patients give very positive feedback, especially regarding what they can directly feel, which is mainly a significant reduction in pain.

HIRO: If you had to describe the device in three words, which would you choose and why?
Powerful, reliable, effective.

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