The Low Down on Laser Therapy

Therapeutic Laser is an immensely helpful tool to accelerate healing and relieve pain, but as it has become more popular, low quality devices have flooded the market. So how do you know if your dog is getting the real deal or just a flashing red light? Do any of these devices actually work? Read on to find out!

How Does Therapeutic Laser Work?

In order to distinguish snake oil from legitimate medical treatment, you’ll need a good understanding of what Laser Therapy does to the tissues it is applied to. Laser is an acronym for Light Amplification of Stimulated Emission of Radiation and Laser Therapy involves applying that focused light into the tissues to achieve Photobiomodulation (the alteration of cellular function). When Photobiomodulation is achieved, healing is accelerated, circulation is improved, and inflammation is reduced, all of which decreases pain and stiffness. 

Pain relief from Laser Therapy may be dramatic and substantial, lasting for hours, days, or weeks.

The primary effects of Photobiomodulation are increased circulation, the release of more oxygen from the bloodstream, and enhanced utilization of that oxygen to increase ATP production. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) provides energy to drive and support living cells. Mitochondria are a likely site for the initial effects, leading to increased ATP production, modulation of reactive oxygen species, and induction of transcription factors. These effects lead to increased cell proliferation and migration, modulation of cytokines levels, growth factors and inflammatory mediators, and increased tissue oxygenation. Cell permeability is also enhanced/increased. 

In short, Photobiomodulation can help with tissue repair, most notably in patients with chronic pain and/or injury. Studies have also shown that Laser Therapy promotes accelerated nerve regeneration and improved functional recovery of peripheral nerves.

What Does Laser Therapy Feel Like?

Therapy is commonly described as a very soothing, warm sensation. Since, our lasers are Class IIIb devices, your pet’s skin will get warm during the treatment. Many patients feel a significant reduction in pain after the first treatment, but some patients need multiple treatments to start feeling the effects. Most owners report their pets are relaxed or even sleepy after laser therapy. The effect of Laser Therapy treatments is cumulative, so patients that get successive treatments will benefit more than a patient that only gets one treatment every once in a while.

Classes of Laser Devices

Before pursuing Laser Therapy for your dog, find out what class of Laser Device will be used. This is one of the easiest ways to confirm that your dog will be getting safe and effective treatment. The wavelength that the Laser Device emits determines its ability to penetrate and achieve photobiomodulation, but also the potential hazards of using a device.

Class I & II

These are considered safe for everyday use such as barcode scanners and laser printers and pose no more hazard than regular light. Because they are such low power devices, they would take an extremely long time to achieve Photobiomodulation if they can even manage to penetrate deeply enough into the tissues, therefore they are not utilized for therapeutic purposes.

Class IIIb

Sometimes referred to as “Cold Laser” this is the best studied and most commonly utilized class. They can heat tissues and materials but are considered a low risk for burns. This class can cause eye injury and depending on the device’s power level, protective eyewear may be recommended. Because they are powerful enough to achieve Photobiomodulation while being a relatively safe device, they are the device of choice for human Physical Therapists and Veterinary Physical Rehabilitation Practitioners, including the CROC Team. 

Class IV

This powerful class of lasers deliver treatment more quickly than lower classes, but they also have a much higher risk for injury and must be used with extreme care. Protective eyewear is required as any eye exposure will cause significant injury. In addition to therapeutic purposes, this class also includes surgical lasers used to cut soft tissues.

Why Does the Class Matter?

The power required to effectively penetrate the tissues can only be produced by Class IIIb & IV lasers, but these devices can only be purchased and utilized by licensed medical professionals because they can be hazardous when used incorrectly.

Lasers that are available over the counter (typically Class I) are generally safe enough for someone without medical training to use, but this also means that they often do not provide any benefit as they are too weak to achieve Photobiomodulation.

We have met with many pet families who were sold expensive over the counter lasers to use on their pets. By an overwhelming majority, their feedback was that they spent hours applying these devices to their pets but saw no improvements in their pet’s comfort or mobility. They have been extremely frustrated and their faith in Therapeutic Laser as a modality completely undermined. Unfortunately, this also means that many patients who would greatly benefit from a medical grade Therapeutic Laser never get that opportunity for pain relief and healing.

Contraindications

Because Therapeutic Laser alters and accelerates cellular function, it can be problematic in certain situations. If Therapeutic Laser is applied to a puppy’s growth plates, it can cause those cells to stop growing. The rest of the puppy’s growth plates will remain open and continue to grow like normal while the lasered growth plate closes prematurely, causing permanent skeletal deformity. 

Cancer cells are cells that replicated incorrectly from normal cells, then continued to proliferate. Therapeutic Laser stimulates cellular function and increases blood flow to support those cells so if it is used on cancerous cells, it can encourage those cells to spread and proliferate more quickly.

For this reason, any lumps or bumps on your pet should be examined before Laser Therapy commences.

Pregnant animals are chock full of rapidly reproducing cells growing new life in their wombs, but those new cells are also extremely sensitive to the effects of laser. Risks include deformities or even miscarriage, and due to these risks, there are limited studies as to safety of Laser Therapy in pregnant animals, therefore it is avoided as much as possible.

End of Life Care

During a dog’s senior years, it’s important to start prioritizing quality of life over length of life. If a senior dog is suffering from pain that cannot be adequately controlled with medication, other modalities should be considered in conjunction with pain medication. These modalities include Thermotherapy, Massage, Stretching, Acupuncture, and Laser Therapy. If the dog in this example also has a history of cancer, Laser Therapy should only be pursued with the understanding that it can increase the risk of cancer returning or spreading and that choosing to move forward with Laser Therapy is choosing to address the pain the dog is definitely feeling now rather than worrying about the possibility of future cancer. These are tough decisions and should only be made after thorough discussion with your dog’s medical team.

Key Takeaways

• Class IIIb and IV Therapeutic Lasers used by licensed medical professionals to achieve Photobiomodulation offer significant healing and pain relief effects.

• Lasers that are safe enough for anyone to buy are not powerful enough to make any real impact on your pets comfort or mobility.

• If Laser Therapy has been recommended for your pet, be sure to ask what class of device will be used to ensure your pet receives effective treatment.

• Pets that receive Laser Therapy on a regular basis will benefit more than pets that only get Laser Therapy occasionally. 

• Laser Therapy should not be used on pregnant animals, animals with open growth plates, or those with a history of cancer or untested masses.

• In special circumstances, such as end of life care, Laser Therapy is a viable and effective pain relief option as long as it is understood that it may increase risk of cancer returning or spreading.

If you have any questions about Laser Therapy, you are welcome to reach out to the CROC Team. We are happy to share our knowledge and help you to make educated decisions for your pet’s medical care.