By: Kristi Sharpe, DVM
Laser therapy has been a rapidly evolving treatment option in veterinary medicine for several years. This mode of therapy has been used in human medicine since the mid 1960’s when it was discovered that certain wavelengths of light had positive effects on tissue healing. With the development of more affordable and efficacious laser therapy units, many veterinarians are incorporating its use in their day-to-day practice for a variety of conditions.
Laser stands for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. It is a very focused wavelength of light. If you think about ordinary light, like from a flash light, when you click it on the light spreads out over a distance because there are multiple wavelengths being scattered in different directions from the light source. With laser light, there is one wavelength of light and all the particles are moving in the same direction in sync. This means the light doesn’t scatter and is much more intense than ordinary light. The increased intensity and narrow focus of light allows the energy to penetrate into deeper tissues instead of just skin.
There are a variety of different lasers in use in veterinary medicine today. Most commonly lower power lasers are used for photobiomodulation therapy. This is a scientific term that basically means you are using light to stimulate the body to function better/more efficiently. This may seem like sci-fi level fiction, but it really isn’t. Humans and animals were made to live in a light-filled world. There are many body systems that react to or are triggered by light.
Laser therapy uses a specific wavelength of light to penetrate into the tissues of the body. The energy carried by that beam interacts with the cells of the body and ramps up their normal activity. In healthy tissue, this isn’t likely to cause any noticeable changes. However, in injured or inflamed tissue this significantly shortens healing time and reduces associated pain.
Laser therapy is most beneficial for wound healing and treating pain which is a symptom of inflammation. It can be used on hot spots, ear infections, lick granulomas, etc. It is used extensively in physical therapy type settings for a myriad of orthopedic pain like cruciate ligament tears and intervertebral disc disease. If the tissue is injured or inflamed in any way it could likely benefit from laser therapy.
Laser therapy has few, if any, side effects when used correctly. Some of the more powerful lasers designed to penetrate deep into tissues can cause superficial burns if used incorrectly but with quality equipment and trained staff the risk of side effects is very low. The vast majority of patients tolerate laser therapy with no ill effects. Most actually enjoy it because there is a slight warming effect when using the laser.
We are very excited here at Rocky Hill to finally be able to offer this treatment to our patients. Many of our staff are familiar with laser therapy since they’ve used them at other clinics in the past with great success. We want to make sure our patients are healing as quickly and painlessly as possible. If you have questions or are interested in setting up your pet for laser therapy, feel free to contact the clinic and we’ll be more than happy to assist you.