Today's Veterinary Practice

MAY-JUN 2014

Today's Veterinary Practice provides comprehensive information to keep every small animal practitioner up to date on companion animal medicine and surgery as well as practice building and management.

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tvpjournal.com May/June 2014 Today's Veterinary Practice 61 RECOVERY & REHAB Peer reviewed David Dycus, DVM, MS, Diplomate ACVS (Small Animal) Regional Institute for Veterinary Emergencies and Referrals (RIVER), Chattanooga, Tennessee Laser Therapy in Companion Animals What It Is, How It Works, & When It Benefits Patients T he use of laser therapy in small animal patients has been on the rise over the last several years. More and more information is becoming available about the different uses and benefits of lasers. Unfortunately, from an evidence-based medicine per- spective, there is very little information in the veterinary literature. Therefore, current thoughts regarding therapeu- tic benefits of laser therapy are mainly derived from human and laboratory studies and subjective experiences, that is, anecdotal evidence. Lack of objective, evidence-based observations and studies makes it difficult to evaluate the true therapeutic value of lasers. The intent of this article is to: 1. Introduce the basic properties of lasers 2. Explain their proposed mechanism of action, particu- larly for rehabilitation 3. Review several treatment protocols for various condi- tions that have been derived from other sources. 1 Each reader is encouraged to seek evidence-based studies to determine whether your patients can benefit from laser treat- ment, not only for rehabilitation, but for other uses as well. 1 WHAT IS LASER THERAPY? The light produced by a laser, which is an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation, has the ability to be absorbed by tissues, creating both photothermal and photochemical reactions that create a therapeutic benefit. The initial form for rehabilitation purposes used low- level laser therapy (LLLT) 1 as opposed to the high power used in surgical lasers, which apply heat to cause thermal destruction of cells and tissues. New therapeutic lasers have recently emerged that deliver more power than LLLT, but less power than surgical lasers. For rehabilitation, exact interaction between lasers and tissues is not completely understood. However, lasers have been shown to modulate cellular functions. For example, LLLT helps modulate various biologic processes that enhance: • Muscle regeneration 2 • Wound healing • Joint healing 3 • Control of acute and chronic pain. 4 HOW DO LASERS WORK? Lasers are created by activating electrons to an excited state. 5 Once the electron moves from an excited state to its ground state, release of photons occurs, and they form a beam of light. Laser Light Properties Lasers consist of a monochromatic, coherent, collimated light; these properties help distinguish between laser light and light generated by other sources, such as sunlight. Monochromatic • Essentially, when light is emitted from the unit, it is a single wavelength, unlike natural light, which is emitted at varying wavelengths. • This property allows production of light targeted for ab- sorption by a specific tissue and for a specific use. • Depending on the unit, several wavelength options may be available for different therapeutic uses. Coherent & Collimated • Coherence is characterized by photons that emerge from the unit and travel in the same phase and direction. • Collimation describes light that is emitted from the unit and does not diverge. • Coherence and collimation allow the laser to penetrate M any types of lasers are available for purposes ranging from industrial to medical; in veterinary medicine, they are most commonly used for sur- gery, rehabilitative therapy, management of chronic conditions, and pain control. TVP_2014_0506_RecovRehab_LaserTherapy.indd 61 5/23/2014 6:02:06 PM

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