Treatment of Myofascial Trigger Points with Stretching and Laser in Dogs: A Prospective Study

Background: Trigger points (TPs) are a muscle-fascial condition, with stretching (ST) of the affected muscles considered the primary therapeutic approach to restore functionality to shortened muscle fibres, and LASER therapy (LT) is one of the most common techniques used in both human and veterinary medicine.

Materials and Methods: This study aimed to compare ST or ST and LT in dogs with hip dysplasia and to establish the TP locations in this group. Fifteen dogs (100 TPs) were randomly allocated to a group undergoing four sessions of ST of affected muscles (38 TPs), or to a second group with ST and LT (62 TPs) at a dosage of 5 J/cm² (GaAlAs Diode, power density 0.9 W/cm², 808 nm, continuous mode, power 800 mV, and point-to-point application technique).

Results: There was no difference between the groups at the end of the treatment, with both achieving over 30% improvement in pain compared to the initial assessment. The addition of LT at the dosage used did not enhance analgesia (p = 0.4642). The main affected muscles were the longissimus thoracic: 73% left (L), 83% right (R), longissimus lumborum (53% L and 40% R), quadriceps femoris (47% L and R). The main limitation was the subjective nature of pain assessment, mitigated by evaluator training and blinding.

Conclusion: ST the muscle groups is an effective technique for reducing myofascial pain in dogs. However, adding LT at the studied dosage and frequency did not contribute to analgesia. Future study is recommended with different LT dosages/frequencies to achieve results similar to those seen in human literature.

 

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No conflict of interest has been declared by the author(s).

Publication History

Article published online:
12 September 2025