Treating IVDD with Electromagnetic Waves (PEMF)

The Loop

Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) is a challenging and heartbreaking issue to deal with in your dog. Long and short dogs (like dachshunds, basset hounds, corgis, and other dwarfed breeds) are most susceptible to IVDD due to inordinate stress on their spine, but any breed of dog can develop disc disease due to poor genetics, trauma, or just plain bad luck.

IVDD occurs when spinal discs (the gelatinous substance between vertebrae that usually serve to cushion them) slip, bulge, or calcify, causing stress on the spinal cord, which then causes pain and occasionally paralysis. Symptoms depend on the severity of the pressure on the spinal cord, and can range from a reluctance to jump or crying out in pain, all the way to paralysis and urinary/fecal incontinence. It’s very difficult to have to see your dog in pain or even paralyzed, so many pet parents are willing to try just about anything to make it better.

Common treatments include acupuncture, anti-inflammatory and steroidal drugs, and lots and lots of crate rest. Sometimes surgery is even necessary to repair the herniated discs. A Wiggleless back brace can greatly reduce stress on the spine by stabilizing and supporting the back. There is another option available for pet owners treating IVDD, however: the Assisi Loop is a non-pharmaceutical and non-invasive option that can greatly help to reduce inflammation and swelling, and can therefore reduce pain and alleviate symptoms of IVDD.

Using targeted pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (tPEMF), the Assisi Loop creates an electromagnetic field that enhances the body’s own production of nitric oxide (NO). NO is a substance the body produces naturally when we are injured or exercise, and is a vital part of healing and reducing inflammation. The Assisi Loop enhances NO production so that the injured tissue is given a “boost” and begins to heal faster. Swelling is reduced, wounds close more quickly, pain eases – and overall, your pet feels better and better with every 15-minute treatment.

Simply place the Loop over the area of your dog’s back that is most affected by IVDD, and press the on button. A light will flash, which indicates that a treatment is being administered. After 15 minutes, the light will stop flashing – treatment is over. Some pet owners start to see improvements in just a few days, but for areas that have been inflamed or painful for a while, it could take a few weeks to see improvement.

The Loop can be used in conjunction with any other treatment for IVDD, though it should be used when your dog is not wearing its Wiggleless brace. Metal interference can weaken the treatment field of the Loop, and the Wiggleless brace uses stainless steel boning. Though Assisi has tested the WiggleLess brace with the Loop and there is little to no interference with the healing treatment signal

One case in particular, a dachshund named Lucky owned by Macy Maris, highlights just how much the Loop can help IVDD. Macy writes:  “Lucky is an 11 year old mini dachshund who developed IVDD. After using the Assisi Loop for only 9 treatments, I firmly believe that the Assisi Loop dropped my dog’s inflammation level by 75%. He no longer cries out in pain when I pick him up. With only 3 treatments per day, I have seen continued improvement in this little dachshund. The Assisi loop has also been used in conjunction with once a week acupuncture treatments.  A few months after starting treatment with the Assisi loop, Lucky is up and running again, catching the ball after having been paralyzed for 2 weeks. The Assisi Loop is really a life-saver.”

One year after starting with the Loop, Macy continues, “Lucky is back to his old self… Running after his silly little orange ball. He is not experiencing any pain and runs like the wind now.”

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