Shockwave Therapy

 

Shockwave therapy is used to dramatically enhance the rate of soft tissue and bone healing in horses. The "shock waves" are not electrical waves. Instead they are powerful positive pressure acoustic waves. These waves transmit energy to deeper structures in the body. Conceptually, shockwave therapy is a controlled re-injury to a specific structure. The shockwave reminds the body that there is an injury and stimulates new cell growth and improves circulation, which encourage healing. In addition to decreasing healing time, shockwave therapy also appears to cause the injured area to heal stronger than if the horse was simply rested. Injuries which respond well to shockwave therapy include certain arthritic issues (i.e. low hock arthritis), bone injuries associated with ligament attachments (i.e. high suspensory injuries), new and slow healing soft tissue injuries, and various back and pelvis injuries (i.e. kissing spines). Shockwave is done on an outpatient basis. The horse is sedated and usually twitched for the treatment. The veterinarian chooses a probe, power strength and the number of shocks depending on the location and severity of the injury. The treatment lasts approximately 10-15 minutes. Once the sedation has worn off, the horse can ship home. Shockwave therapy is also often combined with PRP therapy and is done before the PRP injection. Treatment protocols vary depending on the injury, but typically cost $425-475. Generally, horses are treated 2-3 times with roughly 14 days between treatments. We do offer shockwave on farm with our portable unit.