Electrotherapy

Electrotherapy is a scientifically validated and highly efficient treatment, to optimize nerve, muscles, blood circulation and connective tissues. It applies electrical impulses through the skin of the horse, activating its nerves and muscles. It is not painful for the horse; it feels like a deep tissue massage. The electrical signal mimics the motor neuron signal normally sent by the brain to the muscles to cause muscle contraction.

Electrotherapy has been widely used in both human sport and medicine for decades, not only to treat injuries but also to optimize performance.

When can you use it? 

• Manage pain

• Improve range of motion

• Stimulate and strengthen the muscles

• Optimize muscles after intense trainings and shows

• After long transportation

• Reverse atrophy (wastage) in muscles 

• Decrease oedema (swelling)

• Improve motor control 

• Stimulate blood flow

Electrotherapy can be used to optimize muscles after intense training and shows, and thereby improve restitution. This improves the conditions for horses to perform their best, as well as reduces the chance of injury, as the chance of muscle fatigue is reduced. Equi-techs electrotherapy is also used by many of our clients after transport, to make sure the horses are not stiff when arriving after traveling. Many of our clients are top riders, who report their horses performing better at shows when including their electrotherapy routines during their preparation before shows and as recovery after shows. This is also how many human top athletes use the method, to optimize the musculature before and/or after peak performance, and as a compliment to their training scheme.

Electrotherapy can be used complementary to treatment in a joint, to stimulate and strengthen the muscles around a weak or injured joint (SI, stifle etc). When struggling with a joint, the surrounding musculature will often be affected by either being weak and/ or tight. Hence, by optimizing the musculature, the success rate of the joint treatment increases. Joint mobilization techniques are also complemented well with electrotherapy, as reported by our equine therapist clients which have included our electrotherapy as a part of their procedures with very good

results. Other examples of possible uses are to remove oedema, aid wound healing and/

or increase blood circulation in an area/leg. Our electrotherapy equipment can also be used for pain relief (TENS) and general wellbeing of horses, which is very helpful for anxious horses and horses with ulcers etc. We continuously get reports from clients who report not only positive changes in the movement or performance of their horse, but also its general well being and behavior, after working with our electrotherapy methods.

When working with rehabilitation or injury prevention, muscular function, strength and elasticity are key. Without this, the joints, tendons and ligaments will be at higher risk of injury (and re-injury). Electrotherapy is a very efficient tool to loosen tight muscles. Many horses have tight muscles in the back, lumbosacral, gluteal and neck regions. These tightened muscles will cause a horse to feel “locked” or stiff, and make him move sub-optimally. Loosening these muscles, allows the horse to move more freely. Most horses also have a stronger or stiffer side. A more freely and symmetrically moving horse improves its performance, reduces the risk of injury, and makes it easier to build the correct musculature when training.

Horses can also have muscles that are too weak or small (muscle atrophy). The saying “use it or lose it” applies to the musculature. Horses in training benefit from supplementing their training with electrotherapy to optimize their musculature. Also, horses in rehabilitation greatly benefit from electrotherapy to maintain the musculature without loading the healing injury. Many horses lose muscle mass and topline during recovery as training is reduced. An injury often generates muscular tension and compensatory movement patterns, resulting in asymmetric movement and musculature. Hence it is important to manage the musculature of a horse when managing and rehabilitating an injury. Electrotherapy offers a unique and efficient way to optimize both nerves and muscles without loading the injured limb.

How does electro stimulation work?

With electrotherapy you facilitate muscle contraction by stimulating motor neurons or produce pain relief by stimulating sensory neurons.

Stimulation of these neurons creates depolarisation of the nerve cells membrane potential which creates an action potential known to us as a nerve impulse. This changes the state of the nerve from unpolarised to polarized, where it is then able to transmit messages to the brain or the periphery (the body's extremities).

The polarized/depolarised state (which produces an action potential) is a natural occurrence in nerves throughout the body. However, when we use electro stimulation, this process is ‘generated artificially’. Whether the polarized/depolarised state occurs naturally or is manufactured using Electrotherapy, the response of the nerves about a stimulus remains the same. This is one of the great benefits of electrotherapy.

A stronger stimulus increases the number of fibers being targeted, so you feel or receive a stronger reaction.

NMES is applied with small electrode pads that are placed over the target muscles. A compact control unit (A little bit bigger than a cell phone) is used to adjust the waveform, strength of impulse, and time of the treatment.

You can see big improvement already after the first session. But for the best results, multiple sessions are required

Benefits of Electrotherapy

• Reduce nerve pain.

• Promote healing of musculoskeletal injuries.

• Non-invasive, drug-free pain control.

• Prevent and reverses muscle atrophy.

• Increases circulation for wound repair.

• Improved circulation also reducing swelling and oedema.

• Has no side effects.

Source:

https://www.equinetendon.com/services/equine-electrotherapy/