Comparing Red Light Therapy vs. Other Pain Management Methods for Pets

Pets are our firstborns in many cases. Some people started their furry friendship in their teens and took it all the way until their middle age. Others adopted their first furry companion in their 20s or 30s and cherished them for an extended period. Caring for pets is just as important as caring for human health.

When it comes to treating ailments, medicine is doing wonders in recent times, and red light therapy is one of the most talked-about therapies for pets lately. However, what is it, and how does it compare to other pain management methods for your animal babies? Let’s find out.

As an alternative to intrusive procedures, red light therapy can assist pets with a variety of health problems. Photobiomodulation, low-level laser treatment (LLLT), or red light therapy entails exposing the patient to low doses of red or near-infrared light.  

Whether it's a person or an animal, this treatment can alleviate pain and inflammation while speeding up the healing process. When light enters the body via the skin and reaches the cells, it sets in motion a chain reaction that alleviates pain and promotes healing.

How Does It Work?

Red light therapy crates from some vendors are now available for pet owners to use, owing to advancements in LED technology. However, many vets still employ low-level lasers to provide the treatment. Red light treatment, in its most basic form, aids cellular-level tissue regeneration and energy production in animals.  

All mammals, no matter how big or small, rely on the four basic necessities for survival: water, oxygen, food, and light. The cellular respiration process, which all mammals undergo, generates energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP).

The mitochondria in an animal's cells absorb the red and near-infrared wavelengths of light when the animal is exposed to such light. Exposure to red light treatment may enhance mitochondrial function and increase mitochondrial number in mammals.  

Red light's photons excite mitochondrial electrons, which aid in the elimination of toxic nitric oxide (NO), which hinders cellular respiration. In the long run, this aids an animal's ability to repair by increasing its ATP energy production.

There are multiple benefits of using red light therapy for pets, including:

Fast Healing

It is common practice at animal rehabilitation centers of using red light therapy to aid in the healing process for injured or traumatized animals. Researchers found that compared to dogs who did not undergo red light therapy, those canines were able to walk more quickly and with less discomfort after surgery.

Reduced Pain

Red light therapy treatments are administered by veterinarians to alleviate pain without the use of drugs. Red light therapy was investigated in peer-reviewed research as a potential means of pain management for animals suffering from injuries to the mouth or tongue. Injured cats are expected to feel less pain after exposure to red and near-infrared light, according to a study.

Reduced Inflammation

Effective pain management and inflammation reduction are two of red light therapy's most notable advantages. Studies have shown substantial decreases in discomfort linked with arthritis, making this a very advantageous treatment for dogs afflicted with this ailment. Red light treatment reduces inflammation in muscles and joints, which in turn reduces pain and increases mobility.

Improved Skin Health

For pets with skin issues, red light treatment is a lifesaver. Conditions like pododermatitis benefit greatly from this treatment since it improves skin healing and general skin health. When it comes to skin problems, red light treatment really improves skin health.

Other Pain Management Methods for Pets

While RLT is worth the hype, there are some other pain management therapies and methods that one can explore.

Veterinary Laser Therapy

In recent years, veterinary laser therapy has grown in popularity as doctors realize its benefits.  Like acupuncture and massage, laser treatment may be used with or without medication for pain, inflammation, and wound healing.

Photobiomodulation, the modification of cellular and tissue physiology, is achieved by therapeutic lasers using light waves of a certain wavelength. When cells take in light, it activates their electron transport chains, which in turn encourage cell growth, migration, and repair. Some dogs who don't have many other medical treatment choices might benefit greatly from laser therapy, including:

• End stage liver disease
• Cats with fewer pain control meds options
• Exotic creatures that have a hard time or can't take medicine
• Dementia and other chronic conditions in older dogs

One laser therapy is Blue Light Treatment. In blue light treatment, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with blue light wavelengths of 400–490 nanometers are used. Blue light is great for surface skin issues since its shorter wavelengths mainly impact the skin's surface. Without damaging the skin's protective barrier, blue light may destroy acne-causing bacteria by creating oxygen radicals.

Holistic and Natural Pain Relief Methods

Holistic and natural ways to help dogs and other animals with pain have lately gotten a lot of attention, just as they do for people. It includes vitamins, herbal supplements, nutraceuticals, and natural medications. We can't be confident that these therapies are safe and effective since they haven't been tested in a scientific way.  

Some of them could be beneficial, others might be dangerous, and some might not be helpful or bad at all. Talk to your veterinarian to be sure the herbal or nutritional supplement you wish to give your pet won't interact badly with any other drugs they are currently on.

Several scientific research have looked at acupuncture as a way to manage pain in animals.  Massage and other types of soft tissue manipulation may also help with pain in the hips, back, and neck.

Safety and Consideration of Using Red Light Therapy

The success rate of using RLT for pets has been rising in recent years. However, when using such devices and methods, you should be careful to use only trusted names in the red light therapy panel manufacturer market. When it comes to LED treatment products, Sunglor is the name to trust.

Sunglor, the world's leading red light therapy panel supplier, develops treatments for animals using red light. Our main products include wraps for various parts of the horse's body, including the hood/poll, legs, feet, hocks, knees, hooves, boots, back, belly, solarium, etc.