Low level laser therapy in horses

Abstract

Nineteen horses mainly with chronic inflammation of tendon and/or ligament that had not responded well to conventional medicine and methodologies. were treated by contact or acupuncture technique using a gallium alluminium arsenide (Ga-Al-As) diode laser (10 mW. 790 nm) without medicament, The treatments were performed every day or every other week. for 20 to 40 s on the affected area or acupoints. Of 19 cases. 12 (63.2 per cent) were cured, five (26.3 per cent) were improved and two (10.5 per cent) were unchanged. It was concluded that clinical application of low-level laser therapy. such as contact and/or laser acupuncture technique. is non-invasive and not painful for animals and is effective in pain suppression and improvement of inflammatory reaction. especially in acute and mild cases. © 1989, International Phototherapy Association. All rights reserved.