Posted on June 6, 2023 by Ronald Hirschberg
Laser Therapy (Photobiomodulation) …. My How Things Have Changed
For those who visit this site with regularity, I am certain you notice my passion for treating many medical conditions with laser therapy. For those of you who are clients of the Brockton Animal Hospital, I am equally certain that at times, you receive “TMI” (too much information) about the field of medical laser with even the simplest and most innocent of questions. And to all of you who fall under BOTH categories, I offer my sincerest apology as you surely get the worst of both worlds. The next time you sense I am beginning to teach a short course on Photobiomodulation (previously termed Low Level Laser Therapy) when you ask even the most basic of question regarding this treatment, just stop me mid sentence before I get too wound up. The problem with light therapy is its efficacy in treating so many medical conditions without side effects, that it is worthy of all the accolades it receives. As the growth of this field of light based medical treatment gains momentum, consider this. In addition to the original application of light therapy for painful joints, Photobiomodulation is now being utilized or researched for the following conditions (this is only a partial list):
1. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
2. Chronic Depression
3. TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury)
4. CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, the disease that NFL players eg. Junior Seau, develop because of repeated head trauma)
5. Degenerative Disc Disease and Spinal Stenosis
6. Acute Kidney Injury and Chronic Kidney Disease (focus of our research at Brockton Animal Hospital)
7. Acute Liver Injury and Chronic Hepatitis
8. Pancreatitis
9. Osteoarthritis
10. Acceleration of bone healing
11. Inflammatory diseases of the eye
12. Soft tissue injury and non-healing wounds
13. Acceleration of wound repair
14. Dental applications
15. Oral Stomatitis and Mucositis (a disease that nearly all bone marrow transplant patients suffer, that is curable with Light)
16. Fibromyalgia
……………and on and on and on……..
When we at the Brockton Animal Hospital began our journey with this technology twelve years ago, it was used for two conditions and two conditions only: arthritis and soft tissue injury. Twelve years later it seems as if nearly every patient we see, regardless of disease, can benefit significantly from light therapy. If you have any questions regarding a disease condition your pet may be suffering from and whether Laser Therapy (PBM) can be useful in treatment, please feel free to contact us. But first remember one thing…….the conversation is likely to be a bit long as we get carried away espousing the positive of this, at times, seemingly miraculous therapy. So grab a drink, turn on some music, sit in a comfortable chair and get ready to have a conversation that could change your life. I know it has mine as well as thousands of my patients.