No, it’s not some made up thing out of Star Wars. Laser therapy is quickly becoming recognized as a quick, effective choice for adjunctive treatment of a wide-variety of conditions in our pets.

A lesson in lasers

While the word “laser” brings to mind certain images, laser therapy is really not so scary. The basis of this technology is the delivery of light energy in little packets called “photons” to selected tissues. The photons then are able to elicit changes to the tissue on a cellular level.

Some of these changes include increased blood flow to the area, dilation of lymphatic vessels, decreased delivery of pain messages from the nerves, and discouragement of bacterial growth. This results in faster healing, decreased swelling, decreased pain, and control of infection.

During a treatment, the photons are delivered to a certain area using a handheld probe. This does not hurt and the animal typically does not need to be sedated. Most treatments take only a few minutes.

Depending on the nature of the condition being treated, several treatments may be recommended and some animals may have immediate results. Perhaps the best part of laser therapy is that there really are no side effects!

Beaming with solutions to common problems

So what types of conditions are we able to treat using laser therapy? Pretty much anything that causes pain, inflammation, or needs healing. Some of the more common applications include:

  • Arthritis
  • Soft-tissue injuries
  • Post-surgical healing/pain relief
  • Skin conditions
  • Ear infections
  • Wound healing

Many times, laser therapy is a great tool to use in addition to other therapies. If you think your pet might benefit from laser therapy, or if you have any further questions, be sure to give us a call. We are happy to set up a consultation to develop a treatment plan for your individual pet’s needs.