The most common laser mistakes – #3
It’s been said that expectations are the precursor to disappointment. Maybe that’s true with some things, but laser therapy is not one of them.
With laser therapy, expectations are extremely important. And not having them is the third top mistake I see professionals make. What are the other expectations we should be looking at; they are equally important? In this video, I walk through what to expect when targeting muscles, nerves, tendons, wounds and burns, discolored tissue, and urethras.
Not knowing what to expect is the 3rd top mistake that I see
Without an understanding of what to expect with a laser, you are likely not getting what you could. It’s similar to getting into a Ferrari with the belief that it drives just like any other car. Sure you can drive it that way, but you will be missing out on a lot of performance.
A clear understanding of what you’re treating and what you’re measuring is key with laser Therapy
If, for example, you are only looking at pain management as the parameter with your treatment, then you may not be watching at how quickly the wound you are treating is healing. You could also miss noticing that the effusion in the stifle is gone (remember it is chronic inflammation in the stifle that is the biggest predeterminer of a torn CCL).
High Doses vs. Low Doses of energy
With laser therapy, high doses of energy are used to treat pain because it decreases ATP production, which reduces nerve impulses and creates a form of an axonal nerve block. But that high dose of laser energy does not actually aid healing. It has been shown that high doses of laser energy have been shown to reduce fibroblast migration.
Lower doses of energy, on the other hand, may not have as big of an effect on pain, but it can accentuate healing because it helps to increase ATP in the targeted cells, which allows them to do what they need to do faster and more efficiently.
Knowing your goal to set your dosing
In short,
Pain calls for higher doses
Tissue healing calls for lower doses
Learn more about laser power and ATP production in this Learn & Go.
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