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Click here for more Information on - K-Laser therapy
K-Laser therapy
Over the last decade, laser therapy has emerged as an
outstanding new tool in veterinary medicine. MVH is proud to offer our K-Laser
to compliment, or in some cases replace, traditional therapy. Laser therapy is
especially beneficial to pets who experience negative side effects with certain
drugs. Please read the FAQ below to learn more about our K Laser.
WHAT IS THE K-LASER USED TO TREAT?
There are numerous conditions that respond well to laser therapy, including:
- Osteoarthtitis, joint pain, and hip dysplasia
- Ligament sprains, muscle strains, and fractures
- Puncture and bite wounds, post-surgical pain
(incisions), lick granulomas, feline acne, and burns
- Neck and back pain and intervertebral disc disease
- Ear infections
- Pain relief following tooth extraction, stomatitis, and
sinusitis
- Cystitis, inflammatory bowel disease, and anal sacculitis
Basically, laser therapy has the
potential to help any condition in which decreasing inflammation and pain and
speeding up healing would be beneficial.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Laser therapy works through a process called photobiomodulation,
which basically means that the photons, or light energy packets, put out by the
laser are absorbed by cellular components and enzymes involved in oxygen
utilization and the production ATP, which is what the cell uses to power all of
its functions.
Through this process, more oxygen is delivered to the cells, and thus, more
energy (ATP) is produced for the cell. This increased energy production for the
cell leads to the cell functioning at a higher level.
Increasing cellular function leads to the following beneficial effects that
have been documented through research and clinical trials:
- Anti-inflammatory effects
- Analgesic (pain-relief) effects
- Increased healing of tissue through angiogenesis
(formation of new blood vessels in damaged tissue)
- Increasing cellular reproduction and growth
- Increasing cellular metabolic rate
- Increasing fibroblast development to heal damaged
tissue
- Increasing stimulation of cells of the immune system
WHAT IS THE TREATMENT LIKE FOR MY PET?
Laser therapy is not painful to your pet. A mild warm or tingling feeling is
most common, and pets usually experience this as pleasant and comforting. A
very painful or inflamed area may be sensitive to the laser initially, but this
usually subsides quickly followed by pain reduction.
HOW LONG DO TREATMENTS LAST?
Treatments typically last 3-8 minutes, depending on the size of the area being
treated. Multiple treatments may be needed if both hips are being treated, for
example.
HOW OFTEN DO I HAVE TO BRING MY PET IN FOR TREATMENT?
How often your pet is treated depends on if the condition being treated is
acute or chronic in nature. For example, an acute condition (acute neck pain
from muscle strain, painful ear infection, bite wound) may be treated daily,
but more chronic conditions tend to respond better to treatments that are
spaced out (e.g., 2 to 3 treatments a week).
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO SEE RESULTS?
The length of time it takes to see results, like pain relief, depends again on
the nature of the condition being treated. For some acute conditions, 1 or 2
treatments may be enough to see resolution of pain. More chronic conditions,
like osteoarthritis, may require 5 to 8 treatments to see pain relief. In
addition, they often require ongoing treatments (e.g., once or a few times a
month depending on the pet) to control pain long-term. The results of
treatments are cumulative, so it is important to allow more than one session to
assess for positive results.
IS LASER THERAPY SAFE TO USE WITH OTHER TREATMENTS?
Yes. In the case of osteoarthritis, laser therapy can be used alongside other
treatments, like acupuncture, massage, physical therapy exercises, and oral
anti-inflammatory medications. Our long-term goal with incorporating laser
therapy into a multi-modal approach to pain relief for osteoarthritis is to
decrease the need for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like Rimadyl due to their potential for adverse effects.
HOW MUCH DO TREATMENTS COST?
Pricing for laser therapy is based on the type of condition we are treating.
For a chronic condition like osteoarthritis, we offer a package of 6 treatments
for $112.50. The treatments are given 3 times the first week, 2 times the
second week, and 1 time the third week. After these six treatments, then we can
recommend a maintenance schedule for your pet. For some pets, good pain relief
may be achieved with 1 treatment per month, while other pets may benefit from 1
treatment per week. It depends on the individual pet's response.
For acute conditions, in which we start with 1 or 2 treatments and then assess
the response, individual pricing is set at $18.75 per session.