What is Laser therapy?
Laser theraphy is a non-invasive, painless therapy that uses specific wavelengths of light (red and near-infrared) to create therapeutic effects that can benefit your pet.
Did you know? There are thousands of published studies demonstrating the clinical effectiveness of laser therapy covering many conditions. For many years in humans, laser therapy has been used to ease patient symptoms.
How does laser therapy work?
The therapy stimulates the body’s inherent healing mechanisms via a process called photobiomodulation. The energy produced from the laser increases circulation, drawing water, oxygen, and nutrients to the targeted areas. laser therapy technicians use bespoke wavelengths, power and frequency of laser light. This helps to improve healing times, reduce pain, increase circulation, and decrease swelling. Laser theraphy does not treat conditions itself but eases symptoms.
How can laser therapy support my dog and what does it help with?
Laser therapy can help ease symptoms of many conditions; because the treatment is non-invasive, it’s a great way to help your pet ease symptoms associated with the following conditions:
- joint pain and osteoarthritis
- chronic pain
- neck or back pain
- fractures
- sprains or strains
- hip dysplasia
- infected wounds
- burns
- recovery after surgery
- trauma injuries
- some skin conditions (dermatitis).
What should I expect during a session?
Pets normally feel relaxed during the therapy and often an improvement is seen after the first session. Pets can be slow or stiff the day after; this is expected and resolves relatively quickly. The therapy is non-invasive, which means sedation and restraint are usually not required. Some of our regular pets use the time to have a quick nap on our comfy pet bedding.
The sessions are usually less than eight minutes in total, but this depends on areas treated, your pet’s size and what condition your pet has. The schedule of treatments will vary depending on the condition; however, most cases require six treatments delivered over a three-week period. Lase therapy is also used in conjunction with medication treatment, acupuncture, physiotherapy, or hydrotherapy.
Are there any side effects to laser therapy?
During more than twenty years of laser use in human healthcare worldwide, very few side effects have ever been reported. On occasion, old injuries or pain syndromes may occasionally become aggravated for a few days. This is the healing response that is more active after a treatment session. Usually, after a couple of days, these symptoms go away on their own.
Did you know?
It’s not just dogs that can be treated with laser therapy; we can treat cats and small mammals such as rabbits, guinea pigs and hamsters.
If you would like to know more about laser therapy or have any questions, you can contact our Oak Barn Wellness Centre team or click here to arrange a referral.
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