Ligament injuries, especially cruciate ligament injuries, are common in dogs and cats. These injuries occur when a sudden force is applied to ligaments supporting a joint. Common signs include initial pain and inflammation, occasionally swelling of the affected joint, and variable degrees of lameness. While many doctors rush to recommend immediate surgery, the reality is most of these injuries respond nicely to our non-surgical holistic approach. The earlier and the more aggressively natural therapies are utilized, the greater the chance surgery will not be necessary. Because some ligament injuries can occur as a result of internal disease, blood testing should be done at the time of diagnosis.
Our therapies for ligament injuries include herbs, homeopathics, nutritional supplements, chiropractic, and cold laser therapy.
Laser therapy can offer some pets immediate relief from their problems; other pets may show relief after several treatments. In general, our patients with ligament injuries respond best when cold laser therapy is done 2-3 times per week for at least 4 weeks in conjunction with herbal injectable treatments and oral supplementation.
Laser therapy works to reduce inflammation, pain, increase cellular energy, and improve cell to cell communication in your pet’s body.
As with any therapy, your pet’s response is very much an individual one and will likely differ from other pets treated with laser therapy. Most pets respond positively to laser therapy.
As with acupuncture, there are many different laser therapy points and frequency settings that may help your pet. If your pet fails to respond to its initial treatment with laser therapy, additional points or laser frequencies may be tried until the desired response is achieved.
After the initial therapy sessions, your pet will be treated on a regular schedule (usually monthly) or as needed depending upon the specific problem.