What are everyone’s experiences with using a Bemer for neck issues? My older gelding has mild OA between C4/C5 and C6/C7. He is also a cribber and a headshaker, so he holds even more tension through his neck because of that.
I am loosely considering getting just the Bemer neck piece because I’ve seen one listed at a reasonable price, but how much does it actually help? Has anyone here used it on their horse with neck issues (and accompanying symptoms!) and noticed a difference?
I have a BEMER and a horse with neck issues. Mineralization at the poll and mild degeneration at C6/C7. Overall, I find that it really helps him warm up, but the electrostim acupuncture and even moreso shockwave seems to be making the most noticeable difference.
I still use the BEMER nearly daily for overall support and will continue to do so, but I wouldn’t, and didn’t, expect it to be a cure for what we have going on.
How was this diagnosed? What were his symptoms?
Well, it was discovered because he started stopping at fences years ago, and during the vet exam when I rode they noticed that he was perfectly content to trot around with his head out but curling his neck into a frame he would get weird and bridle-lamey.
He has some other issues as well so his weirdness is not all totally his neck, and he has great range of motion through his neck with carrot stretches thankfully. But he does have the occasional mild stumble at the walk, and has never settled well into collection-the way my trainer describes it, most horses when they’re taught to go in a light frame are content to stay there, but he never settled into it. He’s also very one sided in that he is happy to bend right but gets really hard in the contact bending left.
His neck musculature is crazy-his neck is super thick for a tb (also partially because of cribbing I’m sure) and it’s all hard muscle.
For my guy, it was dramatic buckling at the knee. He went down on me once while I was on board. That was the most obvious symptom. We also had two flares that were likely NOT the assumed laminitis and were actually related to his neck issues. It never really fit a true laminitis diagnosis; hoof rads were clean every time we did them, he was MORE comfortable on harder footing than softer, and his recovery was MUCH faster than a typical laminitis case.
His thread on all that is here for anyone interested: Tripping Problem - Equine Fusion Ultra Boots + Shockwave Update
Same with my guy. His left lead is pretty nice most of the time, the right not so much. I will say after his second round of shockwave, he’s reaching more into the frame and his right lead canter is much closer to his left than it’s ever been.
@FjordBCRF is the shockwave done by your vet, or do you rent a device, or have someone else come out and do it? Not super familiar with shockwave for necks.
It’s done by the vet.
I tried the Respond Systems PEMF neck piece for my neck arthritis horse (Bemer wasn’t around at that time, and RS did rentals and I was already renting a laser for something from them). He loved most things bodywork, and he just wasn’t into the neck piece. He much preferred e-stim and acupuncture and steroids. But I have a horse with no neck pathology other than general tension who loves PEMF on his neck. I’d say see if you can try one out before committing.
My experience with C5/6/7 neck OA:
4th level dressage mare had some significant OA at c5/6 and 6/7. We did Alpha 2EQ 2x/year which helped the most. I had owned a Sport Innovations blanket (similar to Bemer) which covered her neck and back. It was good and helped us get through the times between the injections. However, she responded far better to a Spectra Therapy LASERwrap blanket and neck wrap. It created a much more noticeable difference, and resulted in me selling my SI blanket in favor of the Spectra equipment.
@eponacelt So I’m looking at this now, and noticing the neck piece says “A-100 Impulse Laser Units not included.” You had to order that separately? So you buy the neck wrap, and then buy a laser system too?
Yes. The neck wrap needs 2 laser controllers. I bought an entire set (blanket, wraps, neck cover + 9laser controllers). You should be able to buy just the neck piece with the needed lasers as a set. And do yourself a favor and buy the tendon wraps with them. It costs pretty much no extra money and you can use the lasers on the neck piece and the tendon wraps.
@FjordBCRF do you mind my asking how much the shockwave was each round roughly? Still hemming and hawing over what I should try, if anything.
Shockwave was $360 per session for us.
Reviving this thread for a follow-up neck OA question:
For those with a horse with neck OA who stumbled - did they ever walk/trot off lame afterwards? My guy had been going pretty well, and I always assumed his little left front stumble he has at the walk occasionally was either his extreme laziness at the walk (which could be because of neck OA), or his neck kind of zinging him when he moves his neck a certain way or something. But, the past two rides he has stumbled at the trot, and then actually trotted off lame afterwards. Sound again after a few steps (and sound on the lunge when I got off).
Just seems like that could maybe be less of a neck issue since he then jogged off lame? But neck stuff can be so strange, I’m not sure.
(He is getting checked by my vet, and I have not ridden him since this happened, nor do I plan to. He is most likely just going to retire, but if it’s some sort of arthritic issue in his knee/fetlock/etc rather than his neck then I would like to know!)
Stumbling can easily over-extend or tweak something, or they can whack a toe or clip themselves without you realizing it. I would assume the limp is secondary to the neck, but not to be ruled out as a sign of something having been tweaked.
You can spend the money hunting for zebras, but it sounds like this guy is having trouble compensating for whatever he’s got going on. It’s really common for these horses, and exceedingly common for neck issues to cascade into other problems. Sometimes it’s due to compensation and sometimes I think there’s an underlying connective tissue or some other issue we can’t yet test for or diagnose. I am sorry for anyone who has to deal with this 
The vet may have some insight, but I don’t think it’ll be a “it’s actually X issue and nothing else” kind of revelation. As nice as that would be! As you may recall, I have one of these horses and it’s always a game of tempering my hopes that “just one more thing” could fix him 100%. He is who he is, and he’s chilling in retirement.
ETA: I’d get the vet to flex him at least, maybe X-ray if a joint pings pretty off, but if so I personally still wouldn’t go into it thinking it’s the leg and NOT the neck. It’s likely both. BTDT and the horse still has neck/spine issues.
Yes, I’ve seen it where repeated stumbling resulted in a sprain to the fetlock that caused lameness.
Yeah, I think this is probably what happened - tripped because of the neck, and just tweaked something in the leg while tripping. Ugh!
I think you’re right - just the fact that it happened multiple times made me think maybe it wasn’t just tweaking something while stumbling. I think it’s probably time to call it quits on riding him sadly - has your guy deteriorated at all in retirement? I’m a little worried once he stops getting as much movement that he’ll get really stiff.
No actually, he looks ridiculously sound out there 
. I have him on gabapentin and 24/7 turnout, and he really looks good! Where we struggle is the winter - mud and cold seems to be more of an issue than being out of work.
ETA I used to take him on handwalks on the trails which he likes, but life has gotten busy. He doesn’t appear to be suffering any consequences for the lack of targeted activity, but he’s out on 7 acres.
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