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“Some cases really stand out,” Cook
says. “One involved a 17-year-old cat that had been extremely withdrawn and not eating well for the past 3–4 years. We identified arthritis in the back and hip, verified the diagnosis with X-rays, and used the laser to treat it. The client noticed improvement within a day. The cat now runs to the food bowl, appears to be more comfortable and is less prone to hide. “Another case was a dog with what
appeared to be a blood blister on the eye. After the first treatment, the lesion was about 90% resolved. After a week, it was completely resolved.” Although Michele Drake, DVM,
owner of the AAHA-accredited Drake Center for Veterinary Care in Encini- tas, Calif., is not wowed by her class IV laser’s ability to resolve chronic ail- ments, she is pleased with the effect on acute injuries.
“We use pharmaceuticals, supple-
ments, laser, diet, physical therapy — whatever tools best fit a particular patient, but I definitely pick the laser first for wound care, healing and pain,” Drake says. “We can almost see the dif- ference within hours of treatment.” Downing has used therapeutic lasers
since 2005 and reports impressive out- comes on patients with a wide range of ailments, including strains, sprains, osteoarthritis, and injured quadriceps and iliopsoas muscles. “The immediacy of the results is amazing,” she says. “I could not practice the way I do now without my laser. I’ll do a pain palpation before I do my laser treatment and a pain palpation immedi- ately after, and the patient does not react in the same way. Once we use the laser, I can add stretching, medical massage and my chiropractic adjustment, and the muscle isn’t going to object.”
For all the buzz, you might think this is new technology, but therapeutic lasers have been around a long time.
Safety Concerns Although most therapeutic lasers come with sug-
gestions for safe use, do your own homework before making the decision to test or buy even the least expensive equipment. Here is how:
1. Assign a staff member to research safety mandates. These are non-negotiable compliance standards your hospital must meet if class IV and some class III lasers are used on-site. Issues to investigate include: • Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards
• American National Standards Institute guidelines for Safe Use of Lasers in Health Care Facilities
• State safety requirements (if applicable) • Municipal safety requirements (if applicable)
Trends magazine, November/December 2010
2. Identify additional safety precautions that may or may not be required, such as: • Facility upgrades to shield windows or control for airborne contaminants
• Signage, fire extinguishers and employee training
• Appointing a laser safety officer • Protective gloves or clothing, in addition to safety goggles
• New or expanded client waivers
3. Evaluate the potential impact of adding a therapeutic laser on your practice’s fire, property, general liability and, if applicable, employee health insurance policies. If adding a therapeutic laser will increase your annual fees, ask if you can avoid or reduce higher premiums by employing certain safety procedures.
If this list gives you pause, do not worry. Laser
safety does not have to be onerous to be effective. “We employ simple safety strategies,” says Robin
Downing, owner of the AAHA-accredited Downing Center for Animal Pain Management, LLC, in Windsor, Colo. “We wear safety goggles appropriate for our laser’s wavelength. I do safety, operational, patient handling and delivery technique training with my technicians. We have the same respectful approach to lasers that we have for X-ray machines.”
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