I've moved --to my new blog! Please visit me at:
BeverlyJacobsEquineMassage.com

Pain Reduction

A client being treated (successfully) for knee pain asked how the laser alleviated pain immediately. While there has been extensive research to show that the laser works to relieve pain, there are no definitive answers as to how. What is known is that cold laser therapy increases the release of endorphins, blocks firing of pain fibers, increases nitric oxide production, increases the levels of acetylcholine (which regenerates damaged nerves), and decreases levels of inflammatory chemicals.
Horses and dogs can't tell me that their pain is gone, but when I see them licking their lips and closing their eyes so peacefully, I get the message!

Combining Structural Integration Massage and Laser is Powerful!

There are more than 3,000 positive studies and 300 randomized double blinded clinical trials proving the benefits of cold laser therapy!

The benefits of laser therapy can’t be overstated. It not only hastens healing, it actually improves the way tissue repairs and renews itself.

In post-operative patients, laser treatments reduce the risk of complications.

Lasers can reverse muscle atrophy and improve tendon and ligament strength and resilience. Range of motion, function, flexibility and mobility are all enhanced. In addition, the probability of re-injury is significantly less. Pets get back on their feet and return to normal activities faster.

Patients don’t need to be sedated. No drugs are involved; there are no IV lines and no invasive clipping of hair or cutting into the skin.

Laser therapy treatments are cumulative, meaning each treatment builds on prior treatments and the animal’s condition improves continuously.

 

When combined with stress point and trigger point release through deep tissue massage, mobility and health can be restored. 

More Laser Info

I haven't posting lately as I'm in the process of setting up a new computer and a new blog address (to be announced very soon!). I have been reading many laser studies, and here are some of the exciting discoveries:

Lasers increase the production of new, functional cells, resulting in shorter recovery periods.

The tissues exposed to laser light have greater strength after healing, reducing the risk of re-injury.

Laser therapy reduces the production of scar tissue.

The body goes through 4 healing stages: inflammation, proliferation, remodeling, maturation. Laser therapy impacts each phase in positive ways.

In increase in the formation of capillaries (remember: every muscles fiber, and there are millions, has its' own capillary) which carry oxygen to healing tissue.

I will be posting more soon on pain reduction, and decreased inflammation.

Website for Horse Health and more

TheHorse.com is an excellent resource for information on all aspects of your horses' health. There is information on nutrition, injuries,caring for your aging horse,farriers, even how to properly blanket.

Finish Line Products

I had a chance to sample quite a few products at the Woodside Horse Trials this weekend. They are all formulated from natural ingredients and are very effective. Recommended!

http://www.finishlinehorse.com/products/

My Favorite Products

http://www.traumeel.us/default.aspx

This should be in every first aid kit

http://www.respondsystems.com: This is the laser I use.

/http://www.sorenomore.com/snmfs-11.html

Transfer Factor and Animals: Highly recommended!

http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/tf/s/pets.htm

More Cold Laser information

What is Cold Laser Therapy?
The word LASER stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Lasers DO NOT emit X-rays nor do they produce the damage of x-rays. The cold laser is also called soft laser to differentiate from hard lasers that are used in surgical procedures. The cold laser is a light or photon energy with the unique property of being able to penetrate two inches or more below the skin surface causing an increase in cellular metabolism without tissue damage. The cold laser produces healing benefits to treated tissue, without causing or producing heat. Cold laser therapy does not damage cells, but aides in the stimulation of cellular function aiding in healing. Cold laser therapy is safe and has been approved by the FDA.

What are the benefits?
Therapeutic applications which have shown promising results based on studies include:

Arthritis
Acupuncture Points
Back Pain
Enhances Lymphatic Drainage
Releases Tight Muscles
Soft tissue injuries, including sprains and strains, tendonitis and hematomas
Chronic Pain
Nerve Regeneration
Neuropathy Musculoskeletal Pain
Myofascial Pain
Tendonitis
Sports Injuries
Wound Healing (Speeds Healing)
Pain relief as a result of increased endorphin release
Suppression of nociceptor action (pain suppression)
Strengthening the immune system response
Application For Horses

Veterinarians and Equine Practitioners have and continue to utilize low level laser therapy for:

Pain Relief
To Reduce Swelling
Control Inflammation
And Speed Healing

And to treat conditions such as:

Acute Tissue Damage
Arthritis Pain and Inflammation
Back Pain/Lameness
Bone Healing
Burns
Joint Problems (Fetlock, Knee (carpus), Elbow, Hock, Stifle)
Nerve Damage
Swelling
Tendon/Ligament Injury
Family Pets

Cold Laser therapy can benefit the family dog as well. Some studies have been done on cats, and show beneficial results.
Application For Dogs
Veterinarians and Canine Practitioners have and continue to utilize low level laser therapy for:

Superficial ear cuts
Arthritis
Hip And Knee Pain
Hard To Heal Wounds

In my practice, I look at the whole animal. Every part of the body inter-connects with each other. One cannot treat just one part, the whole animal is treated. When doing a treatment, after the initial evaluation, the whole body is worked, making note of any area that is in need of extra attention. The cold laser is added to the treatment program to enhance the benefits of the body work, going deeper than merely my hands can obtain. The cold laser aids in taking a long treatment program and cutting the recovery time in half, benefiting the owner and the horse.
Let me share some cases with you:
Case #1
The first horse I used a cold laser on, outside my own animals since relocating to Illinois, is an older mare approximately 20 years old. The mare had fallen in February and was treated for muscle soreness. She was still having movement issues when I was referred to the owner. The evaluation and conversation with the owner found muscle tightness due to compensating from the fall and arthritis areas along the spine; this being confirmed by the owner’s veterinarian. A full body treatment was given and the owner was shown some exercises to aide in flexing and muscle rehab as well as some simple massage techniques. I believe in involving the owner in the treatment process. Another treatment was scheduled.
A second treatment was given approximately a week later, again working the whole body. The difference in this treatment was the addition of the cold laser, used over the whole body along with the body work. Again, the owner was given exercises and simple massage techniques to be done in between treatments.
The next day the owner called very excited. The mare was moving better than she had in a long time and in some ways better than before the accident/fall. She couldn’t believe the difference after one treatment with the cold laser. There had been some improvement with the first treatment. The addition of the cold laser got deeper into the muscle tissues aiding in the release of the tightness that was present. The owner is a believer in alternative therapies and the benefits it has had on her horse.
Case#2
Another example of the healing assistance that a cold laser can offer is with the case of an older horse with an abscess in a hoof. While dealing with the abscess he tripped and knocked a chunk out of the opposite knee causing pain in both front legs and hampering his ability to walk.
I always want to see if a piece of equipment will live up to all it says it will do. Since I board at the barn where the horse is, I asked the owner if she minded me working on her horse. She knew what I did for a living and was grateful for the offer.
Again, the whole body was treated, not only for the muscle stiffness issues from compensating from the abscess and lameness due to the abscess, but using the addition of the cold laser for the wound issues as well as the muscle ones. Treatments continued on the wounds daily for a week, then bi-weekly. The owner left me a note before the second treatment of the second week, saying how wonderful the horse was doing. That he was almost back to normal and the wound areas were almost healed totally. By the third week, the horse’s wounds were healed. He was walking and trotting again. His attitude was back to normal as was his appetite.
Other Cases:
There are several cases on the race track where the cold laser has assisted in horses returning to their training schedule in a matter of weeks instead of months as before treatments were administered. I have read some studies recently of how the cold laser is being used as a form of warming the muscles before a race and used afterwards to aide in recovery after a hard work-out.
Every case is as different as the individual animal being worked on. Each animal responds differently to therapies or a combination of therapies. Every client is treated as a separate case, treating the horse or dog as a whole, based on the findings of the evaluation and any information the veterinarian and caregiver can share.

Emu Oil

http://www.pure-emu-oil.com/

I don't have any experience yet with emu oil (if you do, please let me know) but it sounds like something worth exploring.

Book written for the "Good of the Horse"

Written by a veterinarian who also trained as a Bereiter in Germany, this book discusses correct and safe  training . He discusses hyperflexion or Rollkur (he is a founding member of Xenophon, an organization dedicated to fighting mistakes in equestrian sport):

Tug of War: Classical Versus "Modern" dressage, Why Classical Training Works and How Incorrect "Modern" Riding Negatively Affects Horses' Health  by Dr. Gerd Heuschmann

Organic Horse Products

Highly recommend products from this company:

http://seashoreacres.com/products.php

especially the Sole Paint and Green Sweat

How Cold Laser Therapy Works

This article explains the three main categories of Cold laser therapy: reducing pain, reducing inflammation, accelerating tissue repair:

http://singlemindedwomen.com/womens-health/cold-laser-therapy/

DMSO and it's healing properties

DMSO : fights inflammation, pain, acts as an agent for other topicals, softens scar tissue, and much more. Read this article!
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2007/jul2007_cover_dmso_01.htm

Homeopathy for Anxious Horses

For Anxiety - Argentum Nitricum, Metallicum Album & AconiteBach Flower RescueHerbs – Valerian, Chamomile & Lavender

The most important thing to remember when giving a horse a homeopathic remedy is that you must NEVER touch the pellets/tablets or drops with your hands as this may neutralise them and make them ineffective.

You can place the pellets or drops into a syringe or other container.
If that is too difficult, you can let your horse lick the pellets out of a dish or dissolve the pellets in a small amount of water and pour it (or the drops) on a small food item that will absorb it, like a small piece of bread or a sugar cube.
You must not feed anything else for at least 30 minutes after giving your horse his homeopathic remedy and not offer water for at least 15 minutes.

It is best if you only use one remedy at a time so that you can tell if that remedy is working.

Cold Laser for Equines

A short article explaining cold laser therapy. One of the benefits, is that laser therapy can be started at any point in the healing process:


http://suite101.com/article/cold-laser-therapy-a212072