Extracorporeal high-energy shock wave therapy is a non-invasive treatment modality that can speed the healing of many types of orthopedic and soft tissue injuries. It has been used in human medicine for many years with hardly any side effects and excellent results. Shockwave therapy has been successfully used in equine sports medicine to treat many soft tissue and bony problems, both acute and chronic. These include, but are not limited to:
- Suspensory ligament tears, avulsion fractures and strains
- Tendon tears and strains
- Osteoarthritis
- Collateral ligament injuries
- Navicular syndrome
- Ringbone
- Joint inflammation and pain
- Back pain
- Neck pain
- Muscle tears and strains
Prior to shockwave therapy initiation the exact site of injury on the horse must be determined by means of radiography or ultrasonography. Once treatment is to be initiated horses are lightly sedated intravenously. The shockwaves employ focused electrohydraulically generated shock waves with a large focal volume. The high energy waves are focused within the transducer head so that the shockwave can be directed to the precise area of the injury. When the shockwave reaches the area of interest the waves slow dramatically and a large amount of energy is released into the surrounding tissue stimulating new bone growth, new adjacent cell and blood vessel formation so that healing can be achieved.
The number of shockwaves and energy level used varies with the condition being treated, however most treatment sessions lasts approximately 10-20 minutes and are repeated two to four times every two to six weeks, depending on diagnosis and response to therapy. There are several machines currently marketed as shockwave machines, not all generate a true shockwave or are effective for equine patients.
Northwest Equine Veterinary Associates utilizes the SANUWAVE VersaTron® which was designed especially for equine veterinary application and has been used to treat thousands of horses with excellent results.