What is Laser therapy?
What is low-level laser therapy?
LASER stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation, meaning that the laser produces a light which is able to stimulate cells below the skin. Laser therapy is a form of phototherapy which uses photons to transmit energy into the cell membranes and mitochondria, thereby increasing cellular activity which can only work if light is directly targeted at the site of injury due to the effects of light refraction and absorption into the environment (Ryan and Smith, 2007). Laser is absorbed best by the superficial tissues or those which have the greatest vascular input to create photobioactivation effects. When used for tendon and ligament healing the effects reduce pain, heal tissue and reduce inflammation. Veterinary physiotherpaists use a category 3A or 3B laser to maintain a safe cellular environment using low doses of 10Jcm2 which gradually increase to 40Jcm2 when the patient is comfortable with treatment (Watson and Nussbaum, 2020). The benefits of laser therapy are pain management, reducing inflammation, wound healing, activates phagocytes and fibroblasts, alters action potentials, alters cell membrane potentials and cell proliferation.
A whole range of animals can benefit from low level light therapy.
Most conditions seen during treatment can benefit from some form of laser treatment due to the quick, non-invasive, effective treatment provided by the laser. There is a lot of research to support the use of the laser both in animals and in humans.
There are lots of different sorts of lasers available on the market, at Lily Moffatt Veterinary Physiotherapy the Omega Laser is on offer to all clients. Omega laser is a class 3B which delivers up to 500mW of energy. Class 3B low level lasers have the ability to assist in the healing process of deep tissue and joints. There are two ‘probes’ used during treatment, the red-light probe and the infrared probe, both have different advantages during treatment. Red light is readily absorbed by the mitochondria and can then provide energy to the cells and help promote healing and growth. Infrared is absorbed through the cell walls and penetrates deeper through the tissue to provide pain relief directly to the cell. Your veterinary physiotherapist will control the wavelength, energy density and pulsing rate of the laser to achieve the desired results to the correct area of focus.
Laser therapy on a horse to treat myofascial pain associated with poor saddle fit
