Anyone used laser therapy to treat equine injuries?

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I know this is more Veterinary than CR but most people in here dont seem to venture elsewhere so sticking it in here to get the most views.

Have been leant a very fancy top of the range laser machine by a lovely man via work. I rehomed them a stray kitten we had at work tonight and in return he lends me his laser - bargain!

So, now I get to use it on Monty's tendon injury and was wondering if anyone had any success stories to tell me? Please :D I need all the hope I can get!
 
it wasn't for a ligament/tendon injury as such. Friend's mare slice her leg just below the knee basically to point vet said one of worst injuries he has seen. Prognosis was awful and at first were just hoping would be sound enough to be a broodmare. local back lady lent friend her laser and it was used twice a day every day for several weeks. How much was from Laser who knows but not only did horse come and stay sound but went back to competing up to 1m10+ and to look at her leg you would never even know, there isn't even a grey hair never mind a scar!
 
Yes, I've seen it used I would say successfully, given that we had no non-laser control to compare to.

Perhaps most interestingly, a friend of mine was rehabbing a horse with a laser at the same time as she herself was recovering from broken knee. She used the laser on herself and there was no doubt in her mind it helped her healing.
 
Yes used laser therapy on horse that had done tendons in both front legs. We had a program of laser, building up strength in his body and elasticity in the legs walking quite deep in the sea and uses the Horseware ice vibe boots religiously. Previous trainer had been going to put him down...he is now doing roadwork and starting canter work with us in a few weeks. Legs were scanned last sat by a vet who knew nothing about his injuries and he found nothing of significance in his legs
 
amage said:
Yes used laser therapy on horse that had done tendons in both front legs. We had a program of laser, building up strength in his body and elasticity in the legs walking quite deep in the sea and uses the Horseware ice vibe boots religiously. Previous trainer had been going to put him down...he is now doing roadwork and starting canter work with us in a few weeks. Legs were scanned last sat by a vet who knew nothing about his injuries and he found nothing of significance in his legs
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I bet that was a very satisfying feeling after all the hard work.

Laser was not offered to my horse with a hind check gone. I wonder if it's gone a bit 'out of fashion' ?

Years ago I had a overreach wound and proud flesh done and the results were impressive.

I would not be confident in using the machine myself, the OP says she has borrowed one, is it dangerous without the relevant training ?
 
My dissertation was on laser therapy as I worked at a yard with the lady who first pioneered it back in the early 90s. I've seen it used, and used it myself, on many tendon injuries, but more often than not, on open wound injuries. I'll try and scan my dissertation photos in (pre digital) as the results where tremendous. I've also seen it used on many top horses to keep them competing, Get Smart being one of them.
 
From experience ultrasound would be better,however there is really no short cuts time is the best healer every time.
 
popsdosh said:
From experience ultrasound would be better,however there is really no short cuts time is the best healer every time.
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This is exactly what my vet said when I asked about 'alternative' therapy possibilities.

Eleven months of standing in a barn we are now out walking and up to 40 minutes. Equiox was used if the leg flared. I am hoping the scan set for 6th July will be the one that allows him to go out into a tiny paddock.

I suppose I was disappointed there was nothing more offered. I felt I wanted to 'do' more for the poor horse and felt I should have been rubbing something in or using some sort of a machine on the wrecked leg. I guess that is a human feeling coming out. Vet said they could spend my money on various things but only time will heal a check ligament that showed on the scan as a (vets description) mush.
 
Not used one on a horse for years but my equine physio who had a pony on my yard, so was here each day anyway, kindly used one on my ligament injury:) a badly sprained ankle , it certainly made it feel good after each treatment and it healed very well:)
 
AdorableAlice said:
I bet that was a very satisfying feeling after all the hard work.

Laser was not offered to my horse with a hind check gone. I wonder if it's gone a bit 'out of fashion' ?

Years ago I had a overreach wound and proud flesh done and the results were impressive.

I would not be confident in using the machine myself, the OP says she has borrowed one, is it dangerous without the relevant training ?
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I'm a vet so used to handling various bits of technology but also I have been trained. The guy who gave it to me showed me exactly how to use it before just giving it to me. I wouldn't dream of using anything on my horse without knowing exactly how to do it - please give me some credit.
 
popsdosh said:
From experience ultrasound would be better,however there is really no short cuts time is the best healer every time.
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i do realise time is the best healer and he will have as much time as he needs but anything that might help in the quality of the healed tendon has got to be a good thing in my opinion. Time alone will result in a tendon that heals with scar tissue but there are definitely other therapies around that may help the quality of that scar tissue and make the tendon stronger for the future and that is my aim. I know that the proof behind a lot of these therapies is sketchy but as long as it wont cause any harm then I'm happy to give it a try.
 
amage said:
Yes used laser therapy on horse that had done tendons in both front legs. We had a program of laser, building up strength in his body and elasticity in the legs walking quite deep in the sea and uses the Horseware ice vibe boots religiously. Previous trainer had been going to put him down...he is now doing roadwork and starting canter work with us in a few weeks. Legs were scanned last sat by a vet who knew nothing about his injuries and he found nothing of significance in his legs
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great story - well done for giving him a new life :D
 
Custard Cream said:
My dissertation was on laser therapy as I worked at a yard with the lady who first pioneered it back in the early 90s. I've seen it used, and used it myself, on many tendon injuries, but more often than not, on open wound injuries. I'll try and scan my dissertation photos in (pre digital) as the results where tremendous. I've also seen it used on many top horses to keep them competing, Get Smart being one of them.
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definitely interested in reading this :D
 
star said:
i do realise time is the best healer and he will have as much time as he needs but anything that might help in the quality of the healed tendon has got to be a good thing in my opinion. Time alone will result in a tendon that heals with scar tissue but there are definitely other therapies around that may help the quality of that scar tissue and make the tendon stronger for the future and that is my aim. I know that the proof behind a lot of these therapies is sketchy but as long as it wont cause any harm then I'm happy to give it a try.
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Gentle controlled walking as soon as you can in my opinion gives the best conclusion as the fibres realign better.
 
Well, I have a bit of weird/frightening story.........I had thermal imaging done on my boy (when he wasn't quite right 18 months ago). The lady had this fancy laser and suggested we used it on his hocks (which were stone cold in the images) and his hind leg muscles which showed slightly poor circulation, to improve the circulation. Well she used it for a few minutes and then we lunged him to see an improvement.............well he was hopping lame, like on 3 legs lame, looked like had broken his hind leg!!!!!

Lady was absolutely devastated (I stayed pretty calm considering), we tried lasering again, no improvement. She stayed for hours trying to get an improvement! Finally she went home, but kept texting/ringing me, she came back 2/3 times whist he went on box rest on bute and she left her very very expensive equipment, including a cyclo-massage rug. She really was worried! And she also contacted numerous people trying to get an answer as to why this had happened.

I took him to the vets a few days later, as he wasn't improving and they were all baffled, couldn't understand it. He was okish in walk, but as soon as you asked him to trot, it was like he couldn't work out how to!!! So we put him on 2 weeks box rest with bute and thankfully he finally came sound around 7 days of box rest/bute.

He has since been 200% sound behind, like he always was before (had problems with foot balance in front which is also now sorted). Vet thinks the laser suddenly made the blood flow through his hocks, or something and it just felt wrong to him........that's the only thing we can think of!

It was very very scary, and to be honest I don't think I will ever risk it again! :(
 
When I worked in racing whilst living in Australia, lasers were very popular. I saw great results using them on sore shins, tendon injuries and cuts. I also used it on myself several times, due to a nasty fall and had a huge ragged cut on my fore arm. My doctor told me I'd have a bad scar, well I lasered it twice a day and the scar is there but is very faint, much smaller too. I also had an acupuncture book and used to laser the points for my period pains every month, it made a huge difference to that :)
 
We have a local Vet who is an independent practitioner so no group practice dynamics to contend with.She trained as a chiropractor to augment her practice,and also did an acupuncture course.She recently bought a laser pen which she uses on acupuncture points rather than use needles as she found some animals don't like needles,occassionally they can be painful.She used the laser on our WB who has coffin joint problems and a slight twist to his nearside foot,causing him to dish.With a combination of the usual chiropracty and the laser treatment he seems fine.She lasered different parts of his body due to the influence the foot problems have on his back and muscles.He loved it.
 
star said:
i do realise time is the best healer and he will have as much time as he needs but anything that might help in the quality of the healed tendon has got to be a good thing in my opinion. Time alone will result in a tendon that heals with scar tissue but there are definitely other therapies around that may help the quality of that scar tissue and make the tendon stronger for the future and that is my aim. I know that the proof behind a lot of these therapies is sketchy but as long as it wont cause any harm then I'm happy to give it a try.
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Your thoughts are so much like mine with my horse. I work on the basis if it can't do any harm then it's worth a go.
 
star said:
great story - well done for giving him a new life :D
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Well not really a new life he is back in racing training but his owners are leaving him with us rather than his previous trainer so very very different training systems and he will be given all the time he needs. The owners had heard of another horse we had rehabbed from bad training that subsequently won and asked us to assess him and see if we thought there was any hope. I am a firm believer in where there is life there is hope!
 
MillionDollar said:
Well, I have a bit of weird/frightening story.........I had thermal imaging done on my boy (when he wasn't quite right 18 months ago). The lady had this fancy laser and suggested we used it on his hocks (which were stone cold in the images) and his hind leg muscles which showed slightly poor circulation, to improve the circulation. Well she used it for a few minutes and then we lunged him to see an improvement.............well he was hopping lame, like on 3 legs lame, looked like had broken his hind leg!!!!!

Lady was absolutely devastated (I stayed pretty calm considering), we tried lasering again, no improvement. She stayed for hours trying to get an improvement! Finally she went home, but kept texting/ringing me, she came back 2/3 times whist he went on box rest on bute and she left her very very expensive equipment, including a cyclo-massage rug. She really was worried! And she also contacted numerous people trying to get an answer as to why this had happened.

I took him to the vets a few days later, as he wasn't improving and they were all baffled, couldn't understand it. He was okish in walk, but as soon as you asked him to trot, it was like he couldn't work out how to!!! So we put him on 2 weeks box rest with bute and thankfully he finally came sound around 7 days of box rest/bute.

He has since been 200% sound behind, like he always was before (had problems with foot balance in front which is also now sorted). Vet thinks the laser suddenly made the blood flow through his hocks, or something and it just felt wrong to him........that's the only thing we can think of!

It was very very scary, and to be honest I don't think I will ever risk it again! :(
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Wow that is very scary. Have never ever heard of someone lunging to see improvement that soon after treatment though. There can be swelling and a small bit of discomfort associated with lasering so we always allow a few easy days post laser and then assess
 
Yes - had fantastic results on fractured withers. Horse was back in ridden work within a month of fracturing 3 vertebrae and bone chips had reabsorbed. Luckily there was no displacement of the fractures. He is a very quick healer, but really believe the laser made a huge difference as it was done by my vet 3 x a week.
 
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