Light therapy is becoming more and more accessible.
Medical therapy lasers are becoming more commonplace in treating people as well as pets. These lasers use light energy to offer a safe, non-invasive and pain-free treatment. Their use is not at all stressful and is often soothing. Although light therapy in pets offer a drug-free alternative to treating many conditions, tsahe best results in promoting a pet’s recovery is achieved by what I call “multi-modal therapy”. That means including the therapy laser along with some medicines and supplements. It can be used with an improved diet and lifestyle changes as well.
There is a reason that all professional sports teams use therapy lasers as a part of their training regimen! The Tampa Bay Bucs, Rays, Lightning and Orlando Magic use them. The Florida Gators football team has three of them. The sports medicine specialists that work with all of those teams want their athletes back on the field as quickly as possible after an injury or a strenuous workout that results in soreness.
Why is light therapy in pets helpful?
Therapy lasers not only reduce pain and inflammation while minimizing discomfort, but they also speed healing, reduce swelling and increase mobility and motion in joints. By reducing pain and speeding healing, an athlete-or your pet- can recover days sooner from injuries. For pets with chronic conditions, such as arthritis, a therapy laser treatment can give them the ability to enjoy life with much less pain and to run and play again like when they were much younger.
Therapy lasers work by sending out photons of laser light that penetrate deep into body tissue. These photons are absorbed into the cells, which initiates a photo-chemical response. This response in the cells blocks nerve impulses, accelerates tissue repair, increases circulation and reduces swelling. If your pet is in pain, is experiencing inflammation or has a wound, the therapy laser can be extremely beneficial. This includes patients who have the aches and pains of old age, who have just had a surgical procedure or who have an open wound or recent injury.
What can be treated with light therapy?
The list of conditions that can be treated successfully with a therapy laser is incredibly long, but includes: Arthritis (no matter how chronic or severe), Wounds (including bites, burns, scrapes and cuts), Hip Dysplasia, Post-Surgery Care (from spays and neuters to amputations and major internal surgeries), Post-Dental Cleanings, Severe Periodontal Disease, Conjunctivitis, Pancreatitis, Cystitis, Sprains and Strains, Snake Bites, Ear Infections, Intervertebral Disc Disease, Feline Acne, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Skin Infections, Abscesses, Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Tears, Bruising and Swelling and many other common conditions.
Using the light therapy in pets in conjunction with other treatment programs will enhance results, shorten healing time and reduce your pet’s discomfort. Because so many conditions readily respond to this non-invasive therapy, it is an ideal “first step” in the treatment program. You will see results after just one treatment! Custom treatment plans are created for each pet, as the ideal program is unique to each pet’s condition. The number and frequency of treatments will be determined based on the veterinarian’s assessment of your pet’s medical condition.
How does light therapy work?
The best results come with the use of a veterinary-specific therapy laser. In the last decade, research and development has come a long way. What used to take up to several hours for a proper treatment session now takes only a few minutes to deliver the proper dose of photons. The veterinary-specific lasers also have special tools and software to better and more quickly deliver the ideal dose to your pet in the most efficient manner possible. At Parkway Veterinary Center, we now have a Class IV therapy laser designed specifically for companion animals. And this is helping numerous patients enjoy a higher quality of life. Please feel free to call or come by and visit to learn more about this wonderful new treatment alternative.