Canine Healing: Barbed Wire Tear Post Surgical Healing Boosted with Deep Oscillation Therapy

Jack a one-year old Springer Spaniel lives on a farm with his Mum Stephanie, his Springer brother Harold, two years old and his Grandpy Zak, nearly fourteen.  They are surrounded by open farm land with lots of interesting and varied scents which are investigated at high speed.

13th March 2021

Whilst out walking, Jack became entangled in barbed wire, Mum Stephanie saw it happen but Jack managed to extract himself and ran off apparently unhurt.  Later that evening laying on Mum for cuddles in his favourite splayed position, it was horrifyingly apparent the barbed wire had caused a significantly, long ragged tear in Jack’s groin.  Due to COVID-19 restrictions veterinary visits are not straight forward, his Mum had cleaned the wound immediately with Hibiscrub (Chlorhexidine) which is used a lot on the farm.  Jack was not examined at the vets that evening due to an emergency, but was given antibiotics and a cone to wear around his neck so he could not lick or aggravate the open wound, surgery was booked for Monday.

Picture 1: Shows nasty barbed wire soft tissue tear

 

Picture 2: Shows close up of the length and width of the damage with tissue rolling back

 

Picture 3: Anxiously awaiting surgery

15th March 2021

Picture 4: Surgical repair. An anxious and tiring day for Jack who hates being separated from his Mum.

 

17th March 2021

Picture 5 - Wound prior to Deep Oscillation Therapy

Second day post op, Jack visited for Deep Oscillation therapy (with veterinary agreement).  The scar was erratic in appearance.  I would imagine due to the jagged nature of the tear bringing the wound together with clean edges was far from easy, requiring a fair amount of debridement of the torn flesh. 

Picture 6: After 20 minutes of Deep Oscillation Therapy

Jack was un-phased and lay back on his Mum in his favourite splayed position.  I was shocked and surprised to see the ‘tributaries’ of the scarring unlike scars I normally treat, Jack did not flinch as I applied the large applicator head to the wound at an initial Hz of 160, at the same time Jack’s Mum held the Quantum Wave Laser on a scar setting over the area.  Periodically I lowered the Hz and swapped with holding the applicator head in my left hand and working over the scar with a gloved hand.  I treated the area for about twenty minutes and in that short time it was remarkable to see the scar changing before our eyes. Jack had become quite sleepy so I laid the Magcell on the scarring for five minutes to encourage blood flow to the area and lent the Magcell and a red low level laser pen so Jack could receive some home treatment.

Picture 7: Back home relaxing after treatment

 

18th March 2021

 

Picture 8: The morning after the first Deep Oscillation Treatment

 

22nd March 2021

Picture 9: The scar looks engorged, aspirated at the vets.

Jack returned to the vets for routine inoculations and had a needle aspiration of the wound as they felt it had filled with fluid.  The nature and reason for the tear plus being a farm dog increased the possibility for infection to occur even with regular cleaning and keeping the area dry.

31st March 2021

Jack’s second session of Deep Oscillation using a lower Hz with the applicator head.  Again the area responded very positively to treatment and appeared to be healing well with no further indication of any fluid build up.

In Conclusion:

Although Jack only received two treatments with Deep Oscillation due to a lack of free time for his Mum to visit, those twenty minute sessions have shown to be advantageous to wound healing and the speed at which that occurs with this therapy.  

Christine Talbot

SRN BLS MLD UK, Vodder, Leduc, LTA Fill & Flush, Casley Smith MLD DLT Practitioner and Lymphoedema Bowen Practitioners. BA Member.

Stoborough Meadow
Wareham Dorset
BH20 5HR
Telephone 01929 556560
Mobile 07881 598 937

DEEP OSCILLATION

In contrast to externally applied, mechanical forms of therapy, (e.g. vibration), the therapy effect of DEEP OSCILLATION® takes place in the tissue itself and works through the entire depth of the tissue layers (skin, connective tissue, subcutaneous fat, muscles, blood and lymph vessels)

DEEP OSCILLATION® helps in speeding up and improving wound healing processes. Through the oedema-reducing and anti inflammatory effect, the local metabolic elimination and alimentation is improved in all tissue layers, whereby tissue regeneration and wound closure are encouraged on many levels. This is documented by the significant improvement in planimetric and biochemical parameters of the wound healing.

Magcell Information

Magcell Microcirc is a hand held device, based on pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMF) which permeates a 3-5 cm depth and is proven to encourage and increase blood flow to the area (Funk et al, 2014):

“MAGCELL® MICROCIRC significantly increases micro-circulation (p < 0,001) while nitric oxide (NO) has a blood vessel dilatory effect. The application of the rotating MagCell-SR to the HUVEC cultures leads to a rapid onset and a significant increase of Nitric Oxide (NO) release after 15 minutes. Thus, frequencies between 4 and 12 Hz supplied by the device improve microcirculation significantly. Therefore, this device can be used in all clinical situations where an improvement of the microcirculation is useful like in chronic wound healing deficits.”

Low level laser therapy (LLLT) Information

"Low level laser therapy (LLLT) is the use of low energy laser light in injuries and wounds in order to improve wound healing, reduce inflammation and alleviate pain. The laser light is monochromatic, coherent and in the red or near infrared spectrum (600 nm – 1000 nm). It is applied at low power density (1 mW to 500 mW/cm2) (“low energy laser”).

In contrast to other medical laser applications LLLT is not a thermal method (i.e. surgical lasers), but produces photochemical effects in the tissue in a similar way to photosynthesis in plants. LLLT is simple to use, effective and cost-efficient and free of side effects. Treatment takes a few minutes and depending on the indication is repeated at longer or shorter intervals and in accordance with healing success. The success of LLLT is based on the following general action principles: tissue regeneration, inhibition of inflammation, alleviation of pain, improvement in circulation, reduction in swelling" Low-Level-Laser-Therapy (LLLT) in Chronic Wounds - Ludwig-Maximilian University Munich, Germany.

References

DEEP OSCILLATION References

https://www.physiopod.co.uk/references.shtml

Magcell® 

Funk H.W., Knels L., Augstein A., Marquetant R., Dertinger H.F. (2014): Potent Stimulation of Blood Flow of Volunteers after Local Short-Term Treatment with Low-Frequency Magnetic Fields from a Novel Device. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2014. Article ID 543564, 9 pages. 

Funk R.H.W. (2018): Coupling of pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) therapy to molecular grounds of the cell. Am J Transl Res 10(5):1260-1272. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5992548.

Geiger G., Mikus E., Dertinger H., Rick O. (2015): Low frequency magnetic field therapy in patients with cytostatic-induced polyneuropathy: A phase II pilot study. Bioelectromagnetics 36(3): 251-254. doi: 10.1002/bem.21897.

Hitrov N.A., Portnov V.V. (2008): MAGCELL® ARTHRO in der Behandlung von Arthrose im Kniegelenk. Die Naturheilkunde 3, 25-27. - English translation (Hitrov N.A., Portnov V.V. (2008): MAGCELL® ARTHRO in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee joint. Naturopathy 3, 25-27.)

Leoci R., Aiudi G., Silvestre F., Lissner E., Lacalandra G.M. (2014): Effect of Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy on Prostate Volume and Vascularity in the Treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: A Pilot Study in a Canine Model. The Prostate 74: 1132-1141.

Reimschüssel A., Bodenburg P. (2009): Niederfrequente elektromagnetische Felder. Erfolgreich in der Therapie der Myoarthritis des Kiefergelenkes. Die Naturheilkunde 5, 28. - English translation: Reimschüssel A., Bodenburg P. (2009): Low-frequency electromagnetic fields. Successful in the therapy of myoarthritis of the temporomandibular joint. Naturopathy 5, 28.

Rick O., von Hehn U., Mikus E., Dertinger H., Geiger G. (2017): Magnetic Field Therapy in Patients With Cytostatics-Induced Polyneuropathy: A Prospective Randomized Placebo-Controlled Phase-III Study. Bioelectromagnetics 38(2): 85-94:. doi: 10.1002/bem.22005.

Tenuta et al, (2020) Therapeutic use of pulsed electromagnetic field therapy reduces prostate volume and lower urinary tract symptoms in benign prostatic hyperplasia. Andrology. 2020 Feb 23. doi: 10.1111/andr.12775. [Epub ahead of print]

Wuschech H., von Hehn U., Mikus E., Funk R.H. (2015): Effects of PEMF on patients with osteoarthritis: Results of a prospective, placebo-controlled, double-blind study. Bioelectromagnetics 36(8), 576–585.

Low Level Laser

Low-Level-Laser-Therapy (LLLT) in Chronic Wounds: Experience of using LLLT at the Wound Centre, Schwabing Hospital – Academic Teaching Hospital of the Ludwig-Maximilian University Munich, Germany

Mosca, R. C., et al. (2019). "Photobiomodulation Therapy for Wound Care: A Potent, Noninvasive, Photoceutical Approach." Adv Skin Wound Care 32(4): 157-167.

Machado, R. S., et al. (2017). "Low-level laser therapy in the treatment of pressure ulcers: systematic review." Lasers Med Sci 32(4): 937-944.

Tchanque-Fossuo, C. N., et al. (2016). "A systematic review of low-level light therapy for treatment of diabetic foot ulcer." Wound Repair Regen 24(2): 418-426.

Kuffler, D. P. (2016). "Photobiomodulation in promoting wound healing: a review." Regen Med 11(1): 107-122.