Veterinary Laser Therapy for Pain Relief After Surgery: Part 1
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When choosing a treatment plan for veterinary patients, the decision to pursue surgery is made knowing that the predictable result after healing will provide benefit to our patients. However, due to the nature of surgery and the tissue trauma that occurs during any procedure, pain and inflammation are expected consequences of surgery.
Efficiently mitigating these effects and controlling post-operative pain in patients can require a multimodal plan of action to help maximize patient comfort and return them home quickly after surgery. Many pet owners have an increased interest in providing non-pharmacological and side-effect-free therapies for their pets, along with more traditional pain control methods. Laser therapy, also known as photobiomodulation (PBM), is transforming how veterinarians manage common daily conditions, with the added benefits of being side-effect-free, non-pharmacological, non-invasive, and easy to implement.
In this two-part blog series, we will explore how PBM can be an effective and drug-free addition to typical post-operative pain relief and healing protocols. First, let’s explore the background of using PBM in veterinary medicine.
A Brief History of Photobiomodulation (PBM)
The positive effects of PBM were first noted more than 60 years ago by Dr. Endre Mester when he observed the changes in wound healing and hair growth after light application in rodents. PBM will restore injured or stressed cells to more normal function and allow the cells to do their job. The process works by applying specific wavelengths of light to the damaged tissue to stimulate cellular activity; mitochondria contain chromophores that react to the light, which increases ATP production, benefits local circulation, and normalizes metabolism. These effects lead to reduced inflammation, accelerated healing, and effective pain relief. All this is achieved through a drug-free, non-pharmacological, and side-effect-free modality.
Multimodal Pain Management in Veterinary Medicine
Veterinary professionals recognize the importance of multimodal pain management in patient care and recovery. The AAHA Pain Management Guidelines state that using only pharmaceutical management of pain is no longer adequate, and proactive, preemptive pain management is emphasized using multimodal therapies. PBM can easily integrate into an existing pain management plan for patients as an addition to pharmacologic treatments and as a drug-free alternative for those patients sensitive to medications. As PBM quickly reduces inflammation and pain in tissues, post-operative laser treatments can speedily improve comfort so patients feel better faster. Adding post-operative PBM treatments may reduce the dose and duration of pain medications patients need at home during recovery.
A Brief History of Photobiomodulation (PBM)
The positive effects of PBM were first noted more than 60 years ago by Dr. Endre Mester when he observed the changes in wound healing and hair growth after light application in rodents. PBM will restore injured or stressed cells to more normal function and allow the cells to do their job. The process works by applying specific wavelengths of light to the damaged tissue to stimulate cellular activity; mitochondria contain chromophores that react to the light, which increases ATP production, benefits local circulation, and normalizes metabolism. These effects lead to reduced inflammation, accelerated healing, and effective pain relief. All this is achieved through a drug-free, non-pharmacological, and side-effect-free modality.
Multimodal Pain Management in Veterinary Medicine
Veterinary professionals recognize the importance of multimodal pain management in patient care and recovery. The AAHA Pain Management Guidelines state that using only pharmaceutical management of pain is no longer adequate, and proactive, preemptive pain management is emphasized using multimodal therapies. PBM can easily integrate into an existing pain management plan for patients as an addition to pharmacologic treatments and as a drug-free alternative for those patients sensitive to medications. As PBM quickly reduces inflammation and pain in tissues, post-operative laser treatments can speedily improve comfort so patients feel better faster. Adding post-operative PBM treatments may reduce the dose and duration of pain medications patients need at home during recovery.
A New Standard in Veterinary Pain Control
With progressive pet owners seeking non-pharmacological, non-invasive, and side-effect-free treatments, it takes a multimodal pain management treatment approach to supply excellent results to patients and improve pet owner satisfaction. From surgical incisions to open wounds, post-procedure veterinary laser therapy treatments provide a scientifically based and efficacious approach to pain relief and healing and give veterinary teams a flexible and low-stress addition to their toolbox.
In the second and last part of this series, we will dive deeper into how laser therapy can be beneficial for post-operative pain relief, incision healing, wound healing, and post-procedural recovery.