Chiropractic and Laser – A Perfect Match for Animals?
Structure determines function. This statement is the foundation upon which the body and chiropractic work. Optimum structure is important for your spine – just as it is for your house. After all, if the foundation of your house sinks in by a few inches I imagine you will see problems in your walls, floors, roof, and more. Animal chiropractors are like engineers for the spine that help restore the foundation. However, how do we repair the damage done secondary to structural shifts of your pet’s spine? Low laser therapy may be the solution.
What is low laser therapy?
Laser therapy utilizes the power of lasers to therapeutically treat ailments. Essentially, the concentrated energy penetrates the body and stimulates mitochondria in the cells of muscles, ligaments, organs and more. As you may recall from biology 101, the mitochondria produce energy for the body in the form of ATP. This stimulation helps promote cellular regeneration and healing by providing the cells with more energy to work.
What can laser help?
Laser therapy can help many problems in the body. After all, injured areas can always use more energy for healing. However, it is better known for treating the following conditions in animals:
- Muscle, ligament, and tendon injuries
- Post-surgical soft tissue trauma
- Back pain
- Ear infections
- Arthritis
- Degenerative disc disease
Many of these issues overlap with conditions that may benefit from chiropractic. Is this a coincidence?
Why does laser pair well with chiropractic?
Animal chiropractic focuses on normalizing structure in the body. The results of abnormal structure include inflammation, tendon and ligament injuries, arthritis, degenerative disease, and more. As we described previously, structural misalignments in the spine are like shifts in the foundation of your house. It can cause numerous problems throughout the body.
Once we fix the foundation, we still need to address the secondary conditions that are a result of the structural defects. This is where laser therapy is key. It will help flush out inflammation, repair soft tissue damage, help stimulate cells to heal themselves, and assist in treating more problems secondary to structural shifts of the spine. In a nutshell, chiropractic helps stabilize the underlying structure while laser enhances the repair of secondary problems.
As you now know, structure is important for function. To address the structural aspect, chiropractic is a great treatment. However, we still need to deal with all the issues secondary to problems with the abnormal alignment of the spine. That is where laser is the key to a well-rounded plan of care.