Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Low-level laser therapy for pain in dogs with osteoarthritis
By Barale, Loris et al.·Published in Open veterinary journal·2020·Freelance Veterinarian, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Preliminary clinical experience of low-level laser therapy for the treatment of canine osteoarthritis-associated pain: A retrospective investigation on 17 dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 17 dogs with osteoarthritis (OA) and chronic pain underwent low-level laser therapy (LLLT) to see if it could help reduce their pain and the need for pain medications. Owners reported significant improvements in their dogs' pain levels after just one laser session, and these improvements continued over the six-week treatment period. By the second week, 13 of the 17 dogs were able to have their pain medications reduced due to their improved condition. No side effects from the laser therapy were noted, suggesting it could be a safe and effective option for managing OA pain in dogs.
People also search for: dog osteoarthritis treatment · low-level laser therapy for dogs · reducing pain medication in dogs with arthritis
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Osteoarthritis (OA) is common in dogs and causes chronic pain that affects the quality of life and may not respond to analgesics. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine whether low-level laser therapy (LLLT) would improve the quality of life and help reducing systemic analgesics, in dogs with OA. METHODS: Seventeen client-owned dogs diagnosed with OA and associated pain were included. The diagnosis of OA was confirmed by orthopedic and radiographic examination. Pain was evaluated in each dog with the canine brief pain inventory (CBPI), compiled by the dog owners, as well as with a visual analog scale (VAS) and the colorado state canine chronic pain scale, used by the clinician. The LLLT was performed weekly in each study dog, for a total period of 6 weeks. The CBPI was then repeated at 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks after the first laser session, whereas the VAS was reassessed at weeks 2 and 6. The dogs were observed for the occurrence of laser-related side effects. RESULTS: Both CBPI and VAS were significantly reduced after the first laser session (9.2 ± 3.8 and 5.2 ± 1.1, respectively) compared to pretreatment values (11.8 ± 3.6 and 7.6 ± 0.9, respectively; and= 0.018 and< 0.001, respectively) and continued to decrease over time until the end of the therapy. Based on these results and improved function, as assessed by the orthopedic surgeon, the pharmacological analgesic therapy was reduced by the clinician at week 2 in 13 of 17 dogs. Laser-related side effects were not observed. CONCLUSION: This retrospective report provides a basis for future investigations, needed to clarify whether laser therapy may be beneficial to treat canine OA-associated pain. The preliminary findings are promising and suggest that LLLT may help reducing the analgesic administration and improving client satisfaction and the quality of life of dogs with OA.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32426264/