Well, not really but after recently returning from the World Association of Laser Therapy (WALT) meeting in Brisbane, Australia I was amazed at the amount of research that was progressing around the world. Though primarily a meeting for doctors in the human field, I was asked to be a speaker at the meeting and presented three actual cases from our hospital. One involved a cat with arthritis, a second case a dog with a herniated disc in her neck and finally a Boxer with a non healing eye ulcer that resolved within a week of Low Level Laser Therapy. While my presentation dealt with the day to day practical use of Laser for many kinds of conditions, the research papers were fascinating in their scope. Treatment of injuries of Olympic athletes in London, using light therapy to reduce the side effects of radiation treatment and a variety of applications in the practice of dentistry were but a few of the topics. Besides the scientific aspect of the meeting it was also a heartwarming experience to see doctors from around the world collaborating in an effort to make the world a healthier, better place to live.

Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) is not a new modality of treatment. We have been utilizing it at the Brockton Animal Hospital for about five years now however it seems to be gaining in popularity in the past year or so. Those of you who have pets we have taken care of have probably seen or heard about our frequent use. We use light therapy for wound healing, injuries, traumatic brain disease, corneal problems, burns, arthritis ear infections,……..etc. etc. The list seems to get longer every day. The treatment works much in the same way that a plant responds to sunlight. Inside the cells (remember those?) of the body there are small structures called mitochondria. When we bombard them with an appropriate wavelength of light it increases their ability to make ATP, the energy source for the cell. With increased energy in the cell all kinds of good things happen such as accelerated healing, decrease in inflammation and reduction in pain. As we say in our office, if there is inflammation of any kind in the body and we can get the light to it, we can significantly improve it with Laser.

If you would like more information on this state of the art medical treatment feel free to call us. Though it is not useful for every medical problem it is becoming the most often used piece of equipment in our practice. Hopefully in the future, we will continue to see the acceptance of this effective therapy gain even wider acceptance.