Shockwave is bad??

[gumtree]

I’ve done more than my fair share of re-hab, tendon and ligament. I have access to some of the best in the field of sports medicine. The benefits of shock wave for “things” below the knees is still very much debatable. The vets I work with have never encouraged it, “save your money”. When it was the the latest and greatest I paid for the T-shits.

I have re-habbed horses the old school way also. Treat, stabilize with a few weeks of stall rest after the event is diagnosed. Then turn out for a year. Get an US to see how things look. I’ve done PRP, long term stall rest, the regimented walk, slow leg up etc, shock wave etc.

In the end the before and after US scans looked pretty much the same on both schools of thought on how to go about it.

Too each their own on this. Me I’ll still with my slightly updated old school methods. I have had excellent results and a lot cheaper and less labor intensive. Not just with the “odd” horse. NOTHING available at this time will speed things up and or improves the healing results, IME.

Haven’t seen Ghazzu around in the last few months. Always enjoyed her posts. One of the few “resident experts” around here.

[RedHorses]

My experience was using a series on an injured hind suspensory that had a high hind strain and the outer branch partially torn off the sesamoid bone. Four treatments at two week intervals. The vet said his ultrasound looked like that of a 6yr old (the horse was 11).

This horse will be 20 this year, so nine years later he is still happy, sound and had no further issues with that leg once healing and rehab were complete.

Someone I know had a broodmare with a non healing hole in one of her front tendons or ligaments - I want to say flexor tendon - which had been there for a number of years. It healed up with shockwave treatments, and the horse went on to jump and is still sound years later.

[LuvRedHeads]

@gumtree

I’ve done more than my fair share of re-hab, tendon and ligament. I have access to some of the best in the field of sports medicine. The benefits of shock wave for “things” below the knees is still very much debatable. The vets I work with have never encouraged it, “save your money”. When it was the the latest and greatest I paid for the T-shits.

I have re-habbed horses the old school way also. Treat, stabilize with a few weeks of stall rest after the event is diagnosed. Then turn out for a year. Get an US to see how things look. I’ve done PRP, long term stall rest, the regimented walk, slow leg up etc, shock wave etc.

In the end the before and after US scans looked pretty much the same on both schools of thought on how to go about it.

Too each their own on this. Me I’ll still with my slightly updated old school methods. I have had excellent results and a lot cheaper and less labor intensive. Not just with the “odd” horse. NOTHING available at this time will speed things up and or improves the healing results, IME.

Haven’t seen Ghazzu around in the last few months. Always enjoyed her posts. One of the few “resident experts” around here.

Thanks Gumtree! I appreciate the benefit of your years of experience. I don’t care so much about reducing healing time. I was just interested to see if there was any evidence that Shockwave treatment improves the quality of the healing, If that were the case, I would absolutely spend the money on it, no question. I guess, like most things with horses, there are no guarantees.

[LuvRedHeads]

@RedHorses

My experience was using a series on an injured hind suspensory that had a high hind strain and the outer branch partially torn off the sesamoid bone. Four treatments at two week intervals. The vet said his ultrasound looked like that of a 6yr old (the horse was 11).

This horse will be 20 this year, so nine years later he is still happy, sound and had no further issues with that leg once healing and rehab were complete.

Man, I really hope I get the same outcome as you did, RedHorses. My mare has a similar injury - high hind strain, but in her case, no lesions, tears or detachment. Vet classified it as a “mild to moderate” strain.

Anecdotal results really make me want to go ahead with the Shockwave treatment, but I am facing some significant bills in follow up care, so I want to be sure I allocate my financial resources wisely.

[Ghazzu]

@LuvRedHeads

I realize I am bumping up an older thread.

I am wondering if @Ghazzu or any other COTHers can chime in on whether or not there has been any newer information presented as to the proven beneficial (or negative) effects of ESWT on soft tissue injuries. I am currently evaluating whether or not to invest in this as a supportive therapy to treat a Hind Proximal Suspensory Strain (see other active thread for more info).

Haven’t seen anything that says much more than what I referenced here earlier.

[keysfins]

@Ghazzu , reading your earlier gems posted in December, I began to wonder about “controls”. The references above compare ECSWT using one leg that has a collagenase-created lesion, and the other, healthy leg serves as the control.

I would be curious to see the comparison of shockwave treatment on a collagenase-created lesion vs. shockwave treatment on a healthy, control leg. Would that not show the effects of shockwave on healthy tissues? Any info around on such a comparison?

Thanks, as usual, for sharing your insights and wisdom here.

[crthunder]

I used shockwave treatment on my OTTB after it became apparent that an old suspensory strain (very mild) was going to continue to nag us. I didn’t do it to reduce healing time but in hopes he would heal stronger. Red never was on stall rest because he would have stopped eating (he won’t eat when he has too many non riding days!). We walked three months and then started the slow rehab process of straight lines mid trot, etc. So far six years later he is going strong, jumps and gallops and we are planning on showing intermediare 2 this year. But I am very careful about footing, his shoes and work schedule. The research is fascinating!
becky

[LuvRedHeads]

@crthunder

I used shockwave treatment on my OTTB after it became apparent that an old suspensory strain (very mild) was going to continue to nag us. I didn’t do it to reduce healing time but in hopes he would heal stronger. Red never was on stall rest because he would have stopped eating (he won’t eat when he has too many non riding days!). We walked three months and then started the slow rehab process of straight lines mid trot, etc. So far six years later he is going strong, jumps and gallops and we are planning on showing intermediare 2 this year. But I am very careful about footing, his shoes and work schedule. The research is fascinating!
becky

Thanks Becky, that is exactly what I am looking for - I would 100% decide in favor of doing the Shockwave, if it will improve my mare’s healing. I’m not so concerned about shortening the duration of the rehab. I guess I will just have to see how it goes. It’s early days yet. It is encouraging to note that I can opt to do Shockwave later on in the process, if I find we are not achieving the quality of healing I want through following the traditional rehab protocols.

[Ghazzu]

@keysfins

@Ghazzu , reading your earlier gems posted in December, I began to wonder about “controls”. The references above compare ECSWT using one leg that has a collagenase-created lesion, and the other, healthy leg serves as the control.

I would be curious to see the comparison of shockwave treatment on a collagenase-created lesion vs. shockwave treatment on a healthy, control leg. Would that not show the effects of shockwave on healthy tissues? Any info around on such a comparison?

Thanks, as usual, for sharing your insights and wisdom here.

Yes. It does.

[Lord_Helpus]

@CindyCRNA

I did shockwave and PRP on my mare’s torn suspensory and did shockwave on my TB’s kissing spine. My mare is back in full work and my gelding feels better. I don’t have anything else to add.

Exciting to hear!! How soon after the lameness was the tear diagnosed, and treatment started? We diddled around trying one treatment after another for 6 months before I took Goober to the vet hospital where the suspensory damage was discovered. The surgeon said that he is not a candidate for surgery…

I have been doing PEMF treatments (6 in 10 days – the PEMF lady thinks that closer together is much better than 1x/week). Sadly, I am not seeing progress, so I will probably stop the sessions.

[keysfins]

@Ghazzu

Yes. It does.

@Ghazzu Yes, it shows the effects of shockwave on healthy tissues?

Then are there positive/negative/neutral effects on healthy tissues? Or is that not yet explored?

Seems like that would have to be known before approval for its therapeutic use on lesions.

[CindyCRNA]

@Lord Helpus

Exciting to hear!! How soon after the lameness was the tear diagnosed, and treatment started? We diddled around trying one treatment after another for 6 months before I took Goober to the vet hospital where the suspensory damage was discovered. The surgeon said that he is not a candidate for surgery…

I have been doing PEMF treatments (6 in 10 days – the PEMF lady thinks that closer together is much better than 1x/week). Sadly, I am not seeing progress, so I will probably stop the sessions.

A week or so. My mare had a full tear with an avulsion fracture of her sesmoid and had surgery. It seems they did shockwave maybe 2 weeks after surgery. 3 rounds 2 weeks apart. It still took her a year or two after to be 0/4 lameness.