We know “layup” and “rehab” are two of the most dreaded words in an Equestrian’s vocabulary. Let us take the stress and uncertainty out of your four-legged partner’s rehabilitation and formulate a treatment plan consisting of an individual or several holistic modalities to return your animal to full health. Please note, Holistic Care is also available to horses who are being cared for during rehabilitation.
Accommodations and Veterinary Care
There is a rehabilitation program available at Cedar Creek’s Ranch. Accommodations are in varying sizes and include barn stalls with or without an outdoor run, half-covered 24x24s, and outdoor large paddocks.
Patients admitted into the rehabilitation program may have their own referring veterinarian’s rehabilitation protocol or Dr. Selders will develop a rehabilitation protocol for the duration of the patient’s stay. Patients are under daily direct veterinarian care.
Daily Hand Walking & Bandaging
Daily hand walking and bandaging are large, time-consuming pieces of equine rehabilitation programs that can be difficult for many owners to achieve.
Our facility has a groomed arena and two large fenced paddocks, and educated staff to provide hand walking to those in need.
Horses in the initial phases of rehabilitation may also need daily standing stall bandages to give support and reduce swelling. A horse in rehab at our facility will be bandaged according to the incoming veterinarian’s request or according to an in-house rehab protocol designed by Dr. Selders.
Theraplate
Vibrational plate therapy has been credited with improving blood flow, healing, increasing bone mass, decreasing inflammation, increasing muscle mass in a low impact environment, as well as decreasing the chance of injury.
Various studies have agreed and disagreed on how the vibe plate works and what benefit it achieves. One of the studies agrees that vibrational plate use decreased the amount of muscle atrophy experienced during bed rest in humans (Berlin Bedrest study: Rittweger et al. 2004, Felsenberg et al. 2004, Bleeker et al. 2005, Blottner et al. 2006). This principle could be applied to horses on stall rest.
Two other studies agree that the vibe plate increases blood flow and lymphatic flow (Kerschan-Schindl et al. 2001; Lohman et al. 2007), which could be extrapolated to increased healing and oxygenation of tissues. Although some studies show that there is no difference between general workout training and vibe plate training – it could add additional training to the muscles when used with a regular training protocol while only adding minimal/low impact, thereby reducing wear and tear on joints, tendons, and muscles.
Vibrational plates stimulate mechanoreceptors and provide 1a afferent stimulation in addition to increasing circulation. Mechanoreceptor stimulation blocks pain (via the gate theory) and improves proprioception (knowledge of where a limb is in space).
One study demonstrated increased leg strength and jump performance in volleyball players. Another study showed improved flexibility and explosive motion.
For rehabilitation from injury (improved blood and lymphatic flow) and to lessen the muscle atrophy that occurs with stall rest, recommendation is 20-minute twice-daily treatment.
Game Ready
Game Ready is an icing machine that delivers dry cold and active compression to limbs. It is known for post strenuous workout therapy, chronic and acute lameness, cellulitis, tendonitis, pre- and postoperative care, bowed tendons, etc.
Treatment protocols include daily (or twice daily) 30-40 minute therapy, or as the referring veterinarian recommends.
Equipulse (PEMF)
The Equipulse (a pulsed electromagnetic field) is often used in conjunction with spinal manipulation or acupuncture, or it can be used as a sole treatment. PEMF vasodilates blood vessels to increase blood flow and healing factors. It also opens up the lymphatic channels to remove edema and generalized swelling. An Equipulse treatment can continue to heal or improve the tissues for three days. Acute (a new or sudden) conditions may be resolved after 1 to 3 treatments. For chronic (occurring over time) conditions such as chronic/old/recurrent injuries, muscle soreness, and poor conformation, the patient continues to benefit from periodic treatments.
Cold Laser
The cold laser is a low-level light (photobiomodulation) treatment to reduce pain and inflammation as well as stimulate healing. Laser therapy delivers light energy called photons to damaged tissue. The photons are absorbed by the cells and stimulate the mitochondria (the cells energy plant) to accelerate ATP production. The effects include increased cell growth, metabolic activity, speed of wound healing, and vascular activity. Laser therapy stimulates nerve function and reduces inflammation, pain, and scar tissue formation. Cold laser treatments are used to help heal a variety of tissues including tendons and ligaments. The cold laser is also used to stimulate acupuncture points, which is particularly helpful with patients who do not appreciate multiple needles. Dr. Selders uses a Respond XL cold laser class 3B.
Header Image credit: Leah Horstman