When it comes to baseball players, though, you don't think about repetitive motion being a problem.

But it is.

Take the case of Diamondbacks third baseman Matt Williams, who takes upwards of 100 swings a day during the season and more than that in the offseason. All those swings take their toll on the 37-year-old's left elbow.

"With all that swinging, it sometimes gets hyper-extended and sore," Williams said.

What baseball players like Williams can develop is commonly referred to as "tennis elbow."

During the offseason, a company called SportLaser® approached Williams' agent, Joe Longo, with a possible solution to Williams' ails. The company had developed a device that utilized a cold laser to help increase cellular activity within damaged tissue, reducing inflammation and subsequent pain while accelerating the recovery time.

Williams tried the portable device, which is the size of a flashlight, and was so impressed he agreed to become a spokesperson for the company.

"It works," Williams said. "It's as simple as that. I noticed a difference right away."

Williams certainly made use of the device during the offseason. After being told Craig Counsell would be the starting third baseman, the slugger was nearly dealt to the Colorado Rockies. He responded by spending hours in the batting cage working with hitting tutor, and former big league manager, Jim Lefebvre.

All the work paid off, as Williams impressed manager Bob Brenly enough during Spring Training that he was in the starting lineup on Opening Day.

"I just think given the kind of offseason that Matty's had, what he had to go through this winter and the way he came into Spring Training with a clear mind and a healthy body and the way he went about his business he deserved it," Brenly said of the opening day start.

Williams purchased one of the laser devices and left it in the training room during Spring Training for several of his teammates to try. He says several did, including pitcher Curt Schilling and outfielder David Dellucci.

The SportsLaser is easy to carry around and administer. Most treatments have to be applied by a trained technician and can only be done safely in certain doses.

"There's absolutely no risk," said Dr. Chadwick Smith, a professor of orthopedic surgery at the University of Southern Califrnia and chairman of the medical advisory board to the USC Keck Medical School. "Even with something as simple as aspirin, there are risks. Not with this."

Williams uses the device every day. He places it on his elbow and allows it to go to work. According to Smith, there is no limit as to how often you can use it, though the optimum amount of use is still being studied.

In order to win approval from the Federal Drug Administration -- a 12-year process -- Smith put together a detailed study on how the laser helps those with carpal tunnel syndrome, an ailment that drains an estimated $300 billion from the world economy each year. If just one percent of sufferers were to use and be helped by the laser, Smith says, that's a $2 billion to $3 billion change in the economy.

"We've done numerous studies," Smith said. "It's our job to communicate its effectiveness and we think we can."

And so can Williams.

Steve Gilbert is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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