Therapeutic Laser Therapy at VRSVA
By Dr. Meg Hammond, DVM
One of the first pieces of equipment purchased at VRSVA was the Class IV therapeutic laser — a non-invasive, non-painful treatment modality. In the words of Dr. Johnson, “I didn’t expect a laser to help improve our treatment outcomes to such a degree, but it has made a drastic difference!” We use the laser on a majority of the equine and canine patients that come to rehab at our facility and are repeatedly impressed by the accelerated rate of healing, the strength of healing, and the pain control that we are seeing in these animals.
Not all lasers are created equal. They are classified according to their power output. Class IV lasers are powerful therapeutic lasers that deliver a high dosage of energy to the tissue over a short period of time. The effect of the laser is also related to the wavelength of light emitted. The type of injury and location of injury determines the wavelength of light used in treatment and the energy dosage that is ideal for healing.
Therapeutic lasers penetrate deeply into tissue and act at the cellular level. They affect the mitochondria within cells to increase cellular metabolism, initiating a complex cascade of events resulting in improved blood flow to the area. This helps to decrease swelling, flush out waste products and toxins, and improve tissue oxygenation and nutrition. Growth factors increase within treated tissue, encouraging the development of new blood vessels and nerves, and speed tissue regeneration. Laser therapy also has anti-inflammatory effects by reducing inflammatory mediators and analgesic (pain control) effects by up-regulating the release of endorphins and bradykinin.
Laser therapy is used to help heal acute injuries such as severe wounds, tendon and ligament injuries, muscle injuries, hairline fractures, and post-surgical sites. It can be used in chronic conditions such as osteoarthritis, and with neck and back pain to improve comfort and mobility. It can also be used in both acute and chronic laminitis, and can even be used to stimulate acupuncture points.
Laser therapy is part of a multi-modal approach at VRSVA to help our patients come back from injury faster and stronger. By decreasing inflammation and pain — and encouraging faster and more organized healing of an injury — we see animals return to their normal routine in a shorter period of time and with less chance of repeat injury.