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xvi Veterinary Laser Therapy in Small Animal Practice

collagen fibers, thickening of the skin layers, and carti-
lage and bone mineralization, depending on the tissue Note about the terms laser therapy
type. LT has been proven to influence these processes, and photobiomodulation
speeding up the rate at which they take place and In this book we use the term “laser therapy” (and its
improving the final result. abbreviation “LT”) almost exclusively in reference
This brief list of positive effects is intended to get to this beneficial, non-destructive, light-based
one thing off the table right away: we know that laser modality. The more robust and increasingly
works. That was a good question about 10 to 20 years popular term is “photobiomodulation,” which does
ago. We have enough evidence (a lot of which we will admittedly tell the story better since it is a story of
show in the coming chapters) that it works to promote light (from a laser, LED, etc.) enhancing the body’s
healing, modulate inflammation, and decrease pain. natural healing mechanisms. The reason we use LT
Of course experimental animal studies are more abun- instead of PBM is that, as you’ll be able to tell very
quickly, the tone of this book is very conversational.
dant and additional clinical studies should be carried And as such, we want you to hear us talking through
out, but there are actually high quality trials, reviews, the words. We don’t want you stumbling over the
and meta-analysis of LT that support this. Our goal mouthful that is the internal pronunciation of
from here on is to dig into how we can do things photobiomodulation. Laser therapy is much easier
better. to say (even in your head) and so we’ll stick with that.

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