Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy
Extracorporeal shockwaves are supersonic, acoustic pressure waves. They are produced by a generator, applied to specific areas of the body, and focused at different depths within the body. There are two types of generators; non-focused (radial) and focused. The non-focused units create a pressure wave that radiates out from a point. The focused generators create a shockwave with a high-voltage spark that is bounced off a reflective dish inside the hand-held probe to a point at the end of the probe where it is focused to a specific depth.
They were originally developed in human medicine as a non-invasive means of breaking up kidney stones. In recent years this form of treatment has been applied to treat a number of orthopaedic conditions in horses. Clinically it appears to relieve pain and accelerate healing. The precise mechanism of this action is unclear, although it is thought that the shockwaves may interact with the innervations of the affected tissue, or alter the metabolism of cells within the tissue.
Extracorporeal shockwave therapy is applied by placing a hand-held probe onto the body surface and directing toward the target tissue. The hair over the area is clipped and a coupling gel is applied on the skin surface to get better transmission of the shockwaves from the probe into the tissue. The majority of horses will require sedation for this procedure.
Nixon Equine Veterinary Practice has been using focused extracorporeal shockwave therapy since 1998 and was the first practice in the UK to have one of these machines. We have used it successfully to treat a wide range of conditions including:
Tendon and ligament strains - including the sacro-iliac area
Fractures
Bony exostoses (e.g. splints, side bones, bone spavins)
Kissing spines
Joint arthroses including the spine
Jane Nixon has conducted a trial of greater than 100 cases of suspensory ligament injury over a 6 year period. The results show that under Nixon Equine care using this technique, combined with careful management, 99% of cases have returned to work. The results speak for themselves!
