Cold Laser Therapy
Cold laser therapy is
also known as soft laser therapy, low power laser therapy, low level laser
therapy, bio-stimulation laser therapy, therapeutic laser therapy, and LLLT.
Cold laser therapy is a treatment that uses a low-powered laser, that
does not produce heat, to treat conditions and injuries in dogs. It is also
used on other domestic pets, horses and humans.
Conditions
Commonly Treated with Cold Laser Therapy
Cold laser
therapy is used to treat multiple ailments and injuries and is also beneficial
to dogs recovering from surgery. The treatment is particularly useful for dogs that have a painful condition or
injury. Treatable ailments include:
·
Joint
injuries
·
Ligament
or tendon injuries
·
Bone
fractures
·
Muscle
sprains or strains
·
Skin
lesions or abrasions
·
Hematoma
(swelling of blood in body tissue)
·
Post-trauma
wounds
·
Post-surgical
wounds
·
Arthritis
·
Musculoskeletal
diseases
·
Nerve
injury
Cold laser
therapy has become a popular alternative to acupuncture treatment because it
achieves the same stimulation without the insertion of a needle.
How
Cold Laser Therapy Works
The laser is
applied directly to the surface of the skin or it can be held just above the
skin surface if direct contact is too painful for the dog. It is rare that a
dog requires sedation for cold laser therapy because treatment can be
administered without discomfort or restraint. Another benefit to cold laser
therapy is that it is not necessary to shave the fur in the region of
treatment. The laser can be set for shallow or deep tissue penetration for
different time periods of treatment depending upon the condition that is being
treated.
Cold laser
therapy usually needs to include multiple administrations within the first week
of treatment, followed by weekly or monthly treatments until a veterinarian
determines that the condition has adequately improved. It is most beneficial
when used in conjunction with other treatment methods, which depends on the
condition that is being treated.
The beam of the
laser consists of wavelengths with photons that penetrate into the tissue. The
photons are absorbed by cells that are not properly functioning due to
injury or disease. The photons help to initiate cellular processes by
increasing the productivity of ATP, the energy source for
cells. This increases overall cellular function, allowing for more
rapid absorption of nutrients, elimination of wastes and
reproduction of new cells. The reproduction of healthy cells and efficiency of
cellular function aids to:
·
Alleviate
chronic or acute pain
·
Reduce
inflammation of soft tissue
·
Reduce
edema (fluid trapped in body tissue)
·
Activate immune cells
·
Reduce
bacteria in region of treatment
·
Increase
blood flow to region of treatment
·
Speed
healing and recovery
The
effects of alleviating pain and reducing inflammation allow the dog to regain limited mobility and activity
earlier in the recovery process. The laser also directly affects joint fluid
and cartilage. This can benefit dogs suffering from arthritis by increasing the
range of motion in joints. Increased range of motion allows a dog with
arthritis to engage in more moderate and comfortable exercise.
The photons
emitted by cold laser therapy have also shown improvement with neuronal
regeneration and neural activity. Dogs that have suffered nerve injury may show
an improvement in neurological function and range of motion with cold laser
therapy.
There are no
known side effects from administration of cold laser therapy.