Shockwave Therapy
What is shockwave therapy?
Extracorporeal shockwaves are supersonic acoustic pressure waves. These waves are produced by a generator and applied to specific areas of the body. Shockwave was originally developed in human medicine as a non-invasive method of breaking up kidney stones. It was then discovered to be helpful for treating certain orthopaedic conditions in both humans and horses.
How does it work?
Shockwave therapy has been shown to relieve pain and accelerate healing in certain conditions, although the exact mechanism of how this happens is unclear. It is thought that the shock waves prevent pain ‘signals’ being transmitted from the injured tissue to the brain. It is also thought that the shockwaves affect the metabolism of the cells in the injured tissue, causing the tissue to increase its rate of repair.
What conditions does it treat?
Shockwave therapy can be useful when treating suspensory ligament injuries, sacroiliac ligament strains, certain tendon injuries and some back problems.
What is the procedure when carrying out shockwave?
Shockwave therapy can be carried out at any of our clinics or at your yard. Most horses need to be sedated for shockwave therapy, but some horses tolerate it well without sedation. The hair over the area to be treated is usually clipped and gel is applied to the area. The vet will then apply the probe to the horse’s skin and a number of shock waves will be emitted. Each treatment only takes a few minutes. Most horses will have a course of 3-4 shockwave treatments at 10-14 day intervals.