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Scientists have confirmed that shock wave therapy (SWT) has an analgesic (pain-killing) effect on horses that had been observed anecdotally, and they also found the therapy does not have a harmful effect on bone.
Scott McClure, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVS, assistant professor of surgery at Iowa State University, and colleagues showed that there is a potential risk associated with analgesia in the horse. "These data indicate that a horse should not be subjected to strenuous activities where local analgesia might predispose the horse to injury for at least four days after treatment," wrote the researchers. Exercise should be limited in animals undergoing SWT to protect them from re-injury, and most need rest for the underlying problem anyway.
Nerve inflammation was determined to be a possible cause of analgesia after looking at the effect of shock waves on nerves and neurotransmitters in sheep. But those results did not correlate with skin sensation data collected in live horses. The researchers determined that further studies on the effect of SWT on nerves in the horse are needed.
When looking at the effect of shock waves on the elasticity and microstructure of the bone in vitro (in the lab), they didn't find any effect on the mechanical properties of the bone, and no histological (tissue) changes that could be attributed to SWT. In these studies, they used energy settings that were near the maximum that could be generated by the shock wave units, and treatment settings and duration were similar to what is used in the clinical setting. A previous study using even higher energy levels did not cause any fractures. "There was no physical effect on the equine cortical bone specimens, but further in vivo (in the living animal) evaluations would be indicated," McClure said.
Extracorporeal and radial SWT were examined. He noted that energy levels and pulses vary among units. Using higher energy levels and more pulses could lead to a different outcome.
Scott McClure, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVS, assistant professor of surgery at Iowa State University, and colleagues showed that there is a potential risk associated with analgesia in the horse. "These data indicate that a horse should not be subjected to strenuous activities where local analgesia might predispose the horse to injury for at least four days after treatment," wrote the researchers. Exercise should be limited in animals undergoing SWT to protect them from re-injury, and most need rest for the underlying problem anyway.
Nerve inflammation was determined to be a possible cause of analgesia after looking at the effect of shock waves on nerves and neurotransmitters in sheep. But those results did not correlate with skin sensation data collected in live horses. The researchers determined that further studies on the effect of SWT on nerves in the horse are needed.
When looking at the effect of shock waves on the elasticity and microstructure of the bone in vitro (in the lab), they didn't find any effect on the mechanical properties of the bone, and no histological (tissue) changes that could be attributed to SWT. In these studies, they used energy settings that were near the maximum that could be generated by the shock wave units, and treatment settings and duration were similar to what is used in the clinical setting. A previous study using even higher energy levels did not cause any fractures. "There was no physical effect on the equine cortical bone specimens, but further in vivo (in the living animal) evaluations would be indicated," McClure said.
Extracorporeal and radial SWT were examined. He noted that energy levels and pulses vary among units. Using higher energy levels and more pulses could lead to a different outcome.