What is Shockwave Therapy?
Shockwave therapy is a non-invasive treatment that uses acoustic waves to stimulate healing in tissues. At Sports Med Vet, we use shockwave therapy as a valuable tool in conjunction with other therapies to aid in our rehabilitation programs and to help horses maintain peak performance.
What Shockwave Therapy Can Help With
Shockwave therapy is effective for both acute and chronic conditions. Some of the specific benefits include:
- Pain Relief: It is particularly beneficial for horses with conditions causing chronic pain or discomfort.
- Accelerated Healing: It speeds up the recovery process by stimulating natural healing mechanisms within the body, including increased blood flow and tissue repair.
- Increased Range of Motion: By improving tissue elasticity and reducing stiffness, shockwave therapy helps horses regain normal movement and flexibility.
- Reduced Inflammation: The therapy helps to decrease swelling and inflammation associated with injuries or joint issues.
Shockwave therapy is commonly used by equine vets to treat a variety of musculoskeletal issues in horses, particularly those involving soft tissue injuries and joint problems. Some of the most common indications for shockwave therapy include:
- Back Pain
- Tendon and Ligament Injuries
- Chronic Soft Tissue Injuries: Including proximal suspensory ligament pain and collateral ligaments of the foot.
- Bone Bruises and Stress Fractures: Used to promote healing in horses with bone-related injuries or stress fractures.
- Osteoarthritis: To reduce pain and inflammation in arthritic joints.
- Heel Pain: Such as navicular syndrome or other issues affecting the hoof.
For best effect, it is recommended to do an initial course of 3x treatments, usually with 2 week intervals. If you would like to book an appointment with our equine vet, please send us a message or call and we can discuss further.
