Species: Dog
Breed: Dachsund
Sex: Female
Age: 1 YO
Name: Rachel
Clinical case: Rachel, 1 YO Dachshund, has been hit by a car and suffered multiple pelvic fractures; the owners decided not to perform surgeries on the dog, and preferred a conservative treatment approach. Following traditional pharmacological pain management, Rachel has been referred to start a MLS® Laser Therapy treatment cycle aiming at callus formation stimulation on the pelvic fractures, hoping on a gradual recovery of her normal lifestyle.
X-rays taken three weeks after the accident show fractures on both sides ileum, pubis and left acetabulum.
During the first visit, Rachel’s static evaluation shows an antalgic kyphotic stance and critical asymmetries due to the biomechanical imbalance mainly caused by those multiple acetabulum fractures.
Rachel’s reaction to paraspinal palpation is very painful, she can only move a few steps, and struggles relieving herself.
Therapy: MLS® Laser Therapy sessions started twice a week, mainly aiming at pain control in the lumbar-sacral and sacral-iliac paraspinal areas (scans with “acute pain” program), followed by the application of a specific protocol studied in order to encourage bone callus formation on the main fracture sites (point treatment, using increasing frequencies from 1 Hz to 73 Hz).
During the second week of treatment, Rachel doesn’t show her kyphotic stance anymore, and, if prompted, she moves a couple steps on a non-slippery surface, but she still doesn’t move the tail.
After the fourth session, Rachel walks a couple steps out of the carpet, and happily wags her tail walking towards her owner.
Due to the progressive improvement of Rachel’s psycho-physical condition, MLS® Laser Therapy sessions turned into weekly applications starting from the fourth week of treatment, and from the seventh session the applications focused only on fractures sites.
One month after treatment started, an X-ray exam has been performed, which showed encouraging signs of bone callus formation on pubic and right iliac fractures.
Weekly treatments have been further applied, using frequency of 73 Hz on fracture sites and on newly-formed bone calluses.
X-ray exam performed two months after MLS® sessions started, confirms stabilization of fracture sites that started forming bone callus, and static evaluation of the pelvis looks almost symmetrical.
Palpation of the spine tests totally negative, and Rachel recovered a great quality of life, having gradually restarted to happily perform all her previous activities.