In medicine, one of the best feelings stems from the ability to help someone when all hope is lost.
The use of acupuncture laser therapy for animals is creating several opportunities for treatment which were not prevalent before. Acupuncture is an aspect of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine that focuses on restoring the energy balance in the body to promote healing, becoming crucial in rehabilitation. The technique consists of therapeutic lasers which use light waves of a specific wavelength on acupuncture points (specific locations in the body to stimulate therapeutic effects) to cause the alteration of cellular and tissue physiology. Light absorbed by cellular components stimulates electrons and activates cells to promote growth and repair. The healing effects are also due to the increased ATP production by the laser light in diseased tissues which have high energy requirements. It also repairs mitochondrial DNA (mDNA) and messenger RNA (mRNA), used to support and direct metabolism in the cell. The type and depth of tissue that responds to laser therapy depends mainly on the wavelength of the light that is delivered but can also rely on the power output and frequency of the laser. Most therapeutic lasers use red or near-infrared light, which has a wavelength of 600–1070 nanometers, although units with green, blue, and violet light, which have lower wavelengths, are being used more often. Laser beams of lower wavelengths are absorbed by superficial tissue, such as the skin, whereas beams of higher wavelengths penetrate deeper to muscles and bones.
Dr Garthe who is certified in veterinary acupuncture stated “I knew that rehabilitation is in the forefront. It’s starting to take off. And why not? You know, we have physical therapists when we have injuries. That’s part of our protocol. Why isn’t it for them?”. It is clear why laser acupuncture is becoming more popular. Acupuncture improves blood flow by vasodilation, which increases oxygen delivery to the tissues and removes waste products more efficiently. Acupuncture can relax muscles where the laser is targeted and elsewhere in the body, relieving pain caused by muscle tension. By stimulating the release of naturally occurring, pain-relieving, and anti-inflammatory substances, it may decrease the amount of pain medication needed to treat these animals. This is especially useful for animals who cannot tolerate needles as originally the needles were inserted in the acupuncture points rather than the laser or for animals with liver disease who cannot take medications. Most importantly, it has no side effects unlike other pain relief medications. Although this procedure is relatively new, it has been used to treat dogs with arthritis, joint inflammation, hip dysplasia or degenerative joint disease. Even though acupuncture reduces pain and inflammation, traditional medicine is the first option of treatment for infection, cancer, and major organ disease. However, acupuncture may help some issues associated with cancer, or the side effects of cancer treatment. Veterinary acupuncturists have treated patients with metabolic diseases associated with impaired organ function. Dogs with diabetes, kidney or liver failure, pancreatitis, Cushing’s disease, and Addison’s disease have experienced a decrease in nausea and increase in appetite after acupuncture sessions. Such technologies are broadening the field of veterinary medicine and providing animals with a better deserved life.
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