Laser for Cats, Dogs, Rabbits and Horses!
A lot of our clients ask – What is Laser? And when can it help my pet?
Laser is used for Healing as well as Pain Relief
Through light energy from a laser a vet can reduce the pain and inflammation that your pet might be experiencing as well as accelerate healing in damaged tissues, relax muscles, and stimulate nerve regeneration. It has been scientifically proven. At our Vets On Wheels Clinic in Marsa, we treat every surgical incision with laser and offer follow up visits when incisions are particularly large or in difficult areas that normally take longer to heal.
“Wavelength and power determine the capacity of the laser to penetrate into the body. Once you are in the infrared spectrum and above 800 nanometers in wavelength, laser energy penetrates like X-rays, but to achieve depth you need significant power or energy,” says Bruce Coren, D.V.M., founder and CEO of Technological Medical Advancements LLC, a manufacturer of therapeutic lasers.
Properties of High-Power Laser Therapy
Coren says some beneficial properties of laser therapy include:
Pain Relief: “Laser decreases nerve sensitivity by decreasing bradykinin, a pain-eliciting chemical. It normalizes ion channels [cellular gatekeepers] and releases endorphins [body’s natural pain reliever] and enkephalins [related to endorphins] that produce an analgesic effect. It also has a pain-blocking effect on certain nerve fibers.”
Anti-inflammatory/Healing: “Laser increases ATP, which is stored energy [ATP is the acronym for adenosine triphosphate]. This increased energy accelerates the repair processes of the cell. Laser also causes a widening of the arteries and veins around the injury, which helps to remove damaged cellular debris and increase nutrients and oxygen. White blood cell activity is enhanced, leading to a more rapid repair process. Also, some molecules that increase inflammation are reduced, and beneficial antioxidants like superoxide dismutase are increased.”
Accelerated Tissue Repair and Cell Growth: “Photons of light from lasers penetrate deeply into tissue and accelerate cellular reproduction and growth. As a result of exposure to laser light, the cells of tendons, ligaments, nerves and muscles are repaired faster.”
Improved Vascular Activity: “Laser light increases the formation of new capillaries in damaged tissue, which speeds up the healing process, and closes wounds quickly.”
Trigger and Acupuncture Points: “Laser is particularly effective in extinguishing painful trigger points. It is also an effective way of stimulating acupuncture points without the discomfort associated with needling.”
Reduced Fibrous Tissue Formation: “Laser therapy reduces the formation of scar tissuefollowing tissue damage from repetitive motion injuries, cuts, scratches, burns or surgery.”
Faster Wound Healing: “Laser light stimulates the building blocks of collagen, which is important in the wound healing of damaged tissues. Collagen is the essential protein required to replace old tissue or to repair injuries. As a result, the laser is effective on open wounds and burns.”
Stem Cell Activation: LLLT “increases the number of stem cells, which enhances healing.”
Leave a reply