What is meant by "shock wave" therapy? Laser beam? LED therapy?

[Hermein]

The term “Shock Wave” doesn’t translate to anything specific in my language. Does it have to do with applying a device to deliver weak electrical shocks to whatever part you’re trying to heal?

I’ve read that NASA found that red light (LED) therapy speeds healing. Plastic surgeons use rf blasts to build collagen. A great number of gadgets are available on Amazon and the Shopping Network that claim to use some sort of electrical pulses to “fix” wrinkles. Supposedly, all these therapies work in deep tissue rather than on the outside.

I’m asking in an attempt to speed up recovery in a horse that was diagnosed last week as having suffered a “suspensory failure” of unknown cause.

Thanks.

[Simkie]

No, it’s not light therapy. It uses sound waves.

The wiki page isn’t very good. This explains it okay:

http://www.shockwavetherapy.ca/about_eswt.htm

This does, too:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22433113

There’s a ton available out there online.

[Hermein]

Thx. Have you used it on a horse? Or, do you think it’s effective in horses with ligament problems?

[Simkie]

No, I’ve never had the opportunity to use it on a horse. Google is your friend with regard to success rates It seems to be a popular treatment modality.

[asterix]

It has become a standard part of the tools used to accelerate healing of soft tissue injuries. It is also used to relieve pain and inflammation in arthritic joints, particularly for older horses who may no longer be candidates for injections. I’ve had it done for both these reasons on horses over the past several years. It is non invasive and easy. Typically the soft tissue application is done 3 times several weeks apart. For arthritis, once in a while as needed. See this page for more info. http://vaequine.com/client-services/shockwave-therapy.html

[Simbalism]

I have used the Shock Wave therapy when my mare injured her suspensory a few years ago. It is a treatment administered by a vet. My mare came back to previous level of work. I have also used the LED therapy for a shoulder injury( soft tissue) on same horse with some results. My friend had the pad and let me use it for a few weeks. Maybe if I had been able to use it longer I would have had more noticeable results? The LED equipment was fairly affordable when I checked the price around $150 US. Friend said she used it on herself and that her husband used it on his arthritic knees with good results.

[RedHorses]

My horse had shockwave treatments when he injured his hind suspensory. He healed beautifully and the post healing ultrasound made the vet say it looked like that of a horse half his age.

I know of a mare who had a hole in her tendon for a couple of years who healed after shockwave treatments.

Expensive but worth it.