Beam Me Up! The Magic of Therapeutic Lasers in Animal Healing

JDP has a new laser! Not the spy type - guarding our clinic and  requiring a gymnastic routine of back bends and flips to navigate, not the hair removal type - I don’t think our patients would quite appreciate that, and not the night club type - although that might be fun. We have a new therapeutic laser! Not sure what that means? Read on…

What is a therapeutic laser?

A therapeutic laser delivers focused light to living tissue at a very specific wavelength that is proven to alter cellular and tissue physiology. This is called photobiomodulation. In simple terms, we deliver energy in the form of light to the tissues, and the tissues can then use that energy for good. A therapeutic laser is stronger than a laser pointer, or a barcode scanner, but not strong enough to burn or cut the tissue. It is non-thermal, so it does not warm the tissue directly, but it does increase blood flow to the area which may make the treatment area feel a bit warmer.

Laser vs red light therapy.

 We often get asked by owners if the red light machine they have seen online is the same thing as our laser. It’s very important to note the difference in these two types of light therapy. Red light therapy uses low-power light-emitting diodes (LEDs) for broad, surface-level treatments (think skin level - ideal for anti-aging), while laser therapy uses highly concentrated, high-intensity laser light for targeted, deeper treatments (these can penetrate down to muscle, tendon and joint level - ideal for musculoskeletal issues). For laser therapy to be efficient and effective for musculoskeletal problems,  we would recommend a class 3b or 4 laser that is operated by a trained veterinary professional or physiotherapist.

What does it do?

So we put the energy into the tissue via the laser… then what? The absorbed light stimulates right down to the electron level, and through this the cells are energised to grow, repair, move and proliferate. Endorphins (our in built pain relief) are released, and blood flow to the area increases as the blood vessels dilate. These mechanisms mean pain relief, decreased inflammation, muscle relaxation, and increased healing and tissue repair. It’s like magic! 

When do we use it?

Laser is appropriate for a wide range of conditions that we see here at JDP. As we’ve discussed, laser can help with both pain relief and healing. Some common conditions that we might use laser on include:

• Osteoarthritis 

• Traumatic soft tissue injuries

• Surgical wounds 

• Tendon pathologies

• Trigger points or "knots" in muscle

When don’t we use it?

There are a few scenarios where laser is contraindicated, and part of our assessment includes screening for these. This may include:

• Eyes, or any risk of the eyes being exposed to the laser beam

• Active infection

• Cancer

• Pregnancy

• Inflammatory skin conditions

• Epilepsy

What to expect from the session? 

Therapeutic laser is a safe and non-invasive treatment option.  A laser therapy session at JDP will start with a full assessment of your dog so we can fully understand what we’re targeting. We have a handheld device, and can treat your dog in whichever position they are most comfortable, given we can access the treatment area. We need your dog to be relatively still during the session. The settings on the laser, including the length of time of the treatment, are adjusted to best target your dog’s specific injury. However, you can expect it is likely to be between 5-15 minutes. The laser does not make any noise as it works, and there is no evidence the dog can feel anything at the time of treatment. 

Summary 

Laser is such a valuable tool that JDP has now been able to add to our treatment options. It is safe and effective for a wide variety of conditions, and is a non-invasive and pain-free modality. If you think that your pet would benefit from laser or physiotherapy input, please contact us and have a chat!