As Jo Parry will be joining me once a week to offer laser treatments, I thought it would be helpful to share a bit about what laser therapy is, and how it works. I’ll admit, Vinnie has had laser therapy and whilst I’ve asked questions when it happened I’ve not really delved in to the details. So I spent some time chatting with Jo, and asked her to share some information with me.
Jo says ‘Laser therapy uses light that is amplified which is basically ‘organised and parallel’; this means it travels deep into the tissues where the light travels to the photo receptor molecules. The light targets these molecules and pain receptors in the body. When they take on the light energy there is a photo chemical reaction causing vasodilation that removes debris and excess fluid which in turn stimulates the body to heal.’
Wow – there’s a lot going on in this paragraph! Another way of describing it is to say that laser treatment for dogs employs deep-penetrating light to promote a chain of chemical reactions known as photobiostimulation. This process helps relieve pain through the release of endorphins, and it stimulates injured cells to heal at an accelerated pace.
Although improvement is often seen after the first visit, your dog's condition will influence how often and long laser therapy is necessary. Treatments vary in length, but most sites require 3 to 8 minutes. Laser treatments for dogs are cumulative, so each additional treatment facilitates a greater improvement in your dog's condition. The length and frequency of treatments vary by condition.
Jo uses a spectra vet laser that is a cold laser, thus no risk of any heat damage to the skin. She uses three different probes:
‘Deep probe - this is a Class 4 Laser that is great for the pelvis or any other areas that are deeper in the body. This probe is very precise and can directly pin point an area. It is great for pain relief.
Multi probe – this is Class 3B Laser, and is my go-to probe. This heals, soothes and speeds recovery. This probe is good for wounds, oedema, trigger points and relieving tightness.
Lastly, I have my super pulsed 12 diode probe - this is a Class 3R Probe. This is a powerful probe emitting a strong laser, this probe is a pulsating wave rather than a continuous wave length; this allows the body to receive and process the laser. This is the laser that is used for chronic conditions, post-surgery and arthritis. As there are12 probes it can cover a much larger area faster.’
To find out more about Laser Therapy, please get in touch with Jo. She will be at Compass Canine every Tuesday starting 3rd December 2019.
You can find Jo on Facebook, call her on 07939 980871 or email jopesmt@gmail.com