The Healing Powers of Laser Therapy
Peak Animal Wellness is happy to say that we offer cold laser therapy as a natural and alternative modality for pain management and wound healing! Cold laser therapy is a noninvasive, convenient, and tolerable option for pain relief for your dog or cat.
What is cold laser therapy? How does it work?
Cold laser therapy uses laser beams to create heat, and penetrate layers of tissue. These laser beams are composed of light waves. The different wavelengths of light stimulate tissues at various depths in the body. Stimulating these tissues draws water, nutrients and oxygen to cells which enhances cell regeneration. Faster cell regeneration leads optimal/faster healing of damaged cells, therefore, faster healing after injury.
What are the medical benefits of cold laser therapy?
Because cold laser therapy regenerates damaged tissue quickly, it has many benefits including increased circulation, reduction of swelling and inflammation, decrease pain and stiffness, faster wound healing, and stimulates cell regeneration. Results are often truly amazing!
Another amazing benefit of cold laser therapy is that it is noninvasive and has very few side effects. Treatments can be done without sedation, shaving/clipping and can even be done in your home! Patient do not normally feel the laser, but may feel some warmth or a tingling sensation. Treatments can be done up to three times a week to every 2 weeks.
Are all classes of lasers the same?
There are several different classes of lasers. All classes of lasers can penetrate tissues at various depths in the body, however the time it takes for the wavelengths to reach each layer determines the class of the laser. In other words, the strength of the wavelength differentiates one class of laser from another. For example, a class III laser can penetrate skin, fat and muscle in a fairly short period of time (approximately 10 minutes), but will take a long time to reach bone. A class IV laser can penetrate to the muscle within seconds and deep into the bone tissue within minutes.
What should I expect at a laser therapy session?
Laser treatment is non-invasive and is normally a very relaxing treatment. The laser itself is a small, portable machine that looks like a pen. During the appointment, your pet can relax wherever they are most comfortable, enjoy a snack or attention from you. We will guide the laser in a figure-8 motion over the area that needs treatment (however some probes work best directly on the skin). This usually takes about 5-10 minutes, depending on how many sites we are addressing and how many cycles we plan on using.
To learn more about cold laser therapy and its benefits or to set up an appointment, please email us at [email protected]
On a personal note:
Marcy has been doing laser treatments every 2 weeks for her own dog for about a year. She is 11 years old, and has been suffering from arthritis for a long time. She is on a multitude of supplements and medications, but after starting regular massage and laser treatments, she is doing better than ever. At this time 2 years ago, she struggled with the Sanitas Valley trail and would lag behind all of the other dogs. Today, she can hike Sanitas ridge trail twice a week!
