| dc.description.abstract | Low output lasers have been increasing in usage in human and veterinary medicine, for these lasers have an analgesic action and a vasodilation action. They have been used successfully in the treatment of equine lamenesses such as bowed tendons, pulled ligaments, and bucked shins. They have also been used successfully in Physical Therapy treatments when combined with acupuncture. This study reiterates previous findings showing the stimulative effect of the low output laser on mechanically induced wounds. The research animal used was the shetland pony, and the lasers used were the Dynatronics 820 Helium-Neon laser, a 0.9 mW laser with a wavelength of 632.8 nm, and the Pegasus Infrared Theralaser, a 0.9 mW laser with a wavelength of 904.3 nm. Though both of these lasers were found to significantly stimulate the reparative process of epithelial tissue, there was no significant difference between the three treatments used. These treatments were a pulsed frequency of 80 Hertz on the Helium-Neon, a continuous beam on the Helium-Neon, and a pulsed frequency of 73 Hertz on the Theralaser. Two sets of controls were used: control wound sites on laser-treated ponies, and a control pony that was not treated with laser. At the end of the trial, the wounds on the control pony were significantly larger than the control wounds on the laser-treated ponies. This suggests a possible residual effect of the lasers that needs to examined further. Biopsies taken on the 5th and the 10th days of the experiment were inconclusive. | en |
