High-intensity laser therapy (HILT) can be used to reduce inflammation in horses that have tendon and ligament injuries, a study from Poland has found.
Drs. Paulina Zielińska, Jakub Nicpoń, Zdzisław Kiełbowicz, Maria Soroko, Krzysztof Dudek and Daniel Zaborski used 26 Warmbloods with tendon and ligament injuries to see if laser therapy could provide anti-inflammatory relief. All horses were between 5 and 24 years old and were patients at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences.
All horses were assigned to a group that received 15 HILT treatments or a group that received no laser treatments. All horses had the same 40-day rehabilitation program, which included one 20-minute walk on hard ground each day, followed by cold water application on affected tendons or ligaments. The injuries were assessed before and after treatment, and ultrasound images were taken.
The team concluded that HILT provided swelling and pain relief; the ultrasound images showed a reduction in lesion size in the horses treated with laser therapy, as well. The researchers say that HILT can be used as a supportive treatment for horses that have tendon and ligament injuries, reducing swelling and lameness, and improving pain. They note, however, that there is no protocol for the number of HILT sessions, duration, energy dose or frequency of treatment for horses that have tendon and ligament injuries.
Read more at HorseTalk.
Read the full study here.
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