Update from WALT conference 2018

Update from the WALT (World Association of Laser (Photobiomodulation) Therapy) 2018 International Conference

It is the first day back in the office since co-chairing and attending the WALT 2018 Conference in Nice, France (how lucky to attend a medical conference there!). Again, I am amazed at how far the science and medicine of Light Therapy has come in the nearly twenty years since we have been working in the field. When we first began to treat animal companions in our practice with Laser and LED therapy, it was mainly used to treat arthritis and injuries. It didn’t take long before our medical staff realized that we were only scratching the surface. As the mechanisms of Photobiomodulation (formerly Low-Level Laser Therapy) became better understood at the Brockton Animal Hospital, it was obvious that there were a multitude of conditions that might respond to treatment with light. We added one condition at a time to our treatment guidelines evaluating the effectiveness in several cases until we were certain that we had the optimal dose and treatment for a specific medical condition. Interverbal or Degenerative Disc Disease was the first condition we worked with after establishing effectiveness in joint arthritis. From there our work progressed to many other areas of medical treatment. We reported several years ago on the use of LED’s and Lasers to treat Chronic Renal or Kidney Disease with a chapter in a recent human medical school textbook dedicated to that work. As the result of our efforts as well as those of many others, the diseases that now show promise using Photobiomodulation Therapy (PBMT) include:

1. Disc Disease and Spinal Stenosis

2. Chronic Kidney Disease

3. Traumatic Brain Injury

4. Dementia and Alzheimer Disease

5. Pancreatitis

6. Parkinson’s Disease

7. Depression

8. Hepatic (Liver) Disease

9. Seizure Disorders

10. Pain Management

11. Macular Degeneration

12. Post-Surgical healng and recovery

to name just a few. The research is ongoing in so many areas that it is truly breathtaking. Two of my colleagues in the field testified in Washington D.C. this week before a congressional hearing regarding the benefit of Light Therapy in reducing the impact of the opioid crisis. Photobiomodulation is an effective, totally drug free treatment with no known side effects. It certainly doesn’t get much better than that.

If you have any questions regarding PBMT or Low-Level laser Therapy, whether it relates to your pet or is just plain informational, please do not hesitate to contact us. Our goal, as always, is to improve the health of your four-legged companion and to make our contribution to the global community. Your questions help us in that goal.