Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT)
What is it?
Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) despite its name does
not use actual electrical pulses. It is similar to lithotripsy to fragment
bladder stoned in humans. Using high intensity sound waves it initiates tissue
repair by stimulating new blood flow bone remodeling, reducing pain and
inflammation. In humans it is being used for plantar fascitis(heel pain), tennis
elbow and other tendon pain.
ESWT
has been proven effective in the treatment of:
Heel
pain (ie. Navicular Disease)
Bone
trauma (i.e. splints)
Arthritis (i.e ringbone or hock arthritis)
Ligament/tendon
problems (i.e. tendonitis, fibrosis)
Acupuncture
and trigger points
Stress
fractures
Typically the area is clipped, a gel is applied and the shock waves are applied. This non-invasive technique takes about 30 minutes with the horse under sedation.
Possible
Side Effects: Hematomas, swelling and possible redness
Pregnant
animals
Acute
inflammatory or infectious processes
Growing
animals
My not
be used on the head or over lungs
Is
sedation necessary? Yes, It is not painful but does feel like a shock and can startle
the horse.
How
soon can I begin riding? We recommend 2 days rest due to anesthetic response but really it
depends on the issue that we are treating.
How
many treatments does my horse need? You will need 3-5 sessions depending on the issue that we
are treating.
Will I see an improvement right away? No, Any tissue is going to require some good old- fashioned “time” to heal, but it will shorten the healing time considerably. Some horses may appear worse before any improvement due to temporary increased inflammation and discomfort as bone starts remodeling.