Shock wave therapy is a non-invasive procedure and successful where
conventional therapies fail. A shock-wave unit consists of a box that
generates the acoustic waves connected to a wand that can be held up to
the body to target the waves to a specific site of treatment.
Contrary to what its name implies, shock wave therapy does not use
electrical pulses, but rather high-energy sound waves. These high energy
sound waves can easily pass through fluid filled structures like skin,
fat, and muscle. These waves do not pass through tendons, ligaments or
bone.
When the sound waves hit these structures they "crash" and release
energy. The released energy penetrates the surrounding tissue and
increases blood flow to the area. This stimulates various cells, which are
responsible for tissue repair of the injured structures. Shock wave not
only promotes and speeds up the healing process, but ultimately causes
various soft tissue injuries to heal more thoroughly with less fibrous
tissue accumulation.
Athletic horses can suffer inflammation of the suspensory ligament in
the front leg, and shock wave therapy has been effective in reducing pain
and promoting healing of this ligament. In addition to providing healing
and anti-inflammatory properties, shock wave therapy works two ways to
reduce pain. Its anti-inflammatory action reduces the amount of
inflammatory biochemicals that cause pain. It also seems to temporarily
disrupt nerve impulse transmission, thus reducing the perception of pain.
These pain reducing properties can be very useful for treating dogs and
horses with arthritis.
We
offer a wide range of services with state of the art equipment.
