Adhesions around flexor tendons....any thoughts?

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Moobucket

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My hunt horse injured his tendon recently and he has just seen a specialist who diagnosed quite significant adhesions around his tendon which are preventing it from sliding it smoothly and causing intermittent lameness. He said he was unlikely to ever return to canter or jumping work and would never hunt again. He is currently 17. I just wondered if anyone had suffered anything similar and if there was anything that could be done to reduce the adhesions. The only two options he discussed were surgery (which is out due to his age) and blistering (which he said would cause significant pain and he would not recommend). I just wondered if there was anything that could be done with massage or electromagnetic therapy?
 
This is what my boy has but in his windgall. The options I was offered were surgery or steroid injections. I have done neither (my boy was also 17) but tempted to give the steroids a go this summer. He has been slightly lame on and off and I have ridden him on and off (just hacking).

Adhesions are basically scar tissue, which, I'm told, can be broken down.
 
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Go and investigate hiring the ARC equine unit - a few posters on here have had some good results with it and I think it is meant to help this type of thing.....
 
Moobucket said:
My hunt horse injured his tendon recently and he has just seen a specialist who diagnosed quite significant adhesions around his tendon which are preventing it from sliding it smoothly and causing intermittent lameness. He said he was unlikely to ever return to canter or jumping work and would never hunt again. He is currently 17. I just wondered if anyone had suffered anything similar and if there was anything that could be done to reduce the adhesions. The only two options he discussed were surgery (which is out due to his age) and blistering (which he said would cause significant pain and he would not recommend). I just wondered if there was anything that could be done with massage or electromagnetic therapy?
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My horse had the same on his near fore suspesory branch. He had an initial slight sprain on the branch, and this wasn't showing as healing on ultrasounds so he had PRP. It healed great and went back to jumping, for about 18 months, he was the best he'd ever been. Then one day whilst I was at work he managed to get his leg stuck in a wheelbarrow. His leg swelled up and he wasn't getting anywhere with shockwave. It was thought that there was an adhesion as this showed up on xray. I can remember the vet thinking he had a bit of dirt on his leg, so he brushed it and rexrayed it and he said it was clearly an adhesion. He had long wave ultrasound treatment by my physio. If he trots too fast on a right circle it can occassionally show up as pottering gait which the vet has said is, in his opinion mechanical lameness as the branch in hampered by the adhesion. However, its so slight and rarely shows these days unless he runs onto his forehand.
 
Thanks Applecart, this is really encouraging. I think ultrasound might be really useful for him. I just need to find a physio in my area that does it! Do you happen to remember the power she used? I.e. 3 mhz or 1 mhz? I'm not sure what area you are from but I'd be super interested in chatting to your physio and getting their thoughts. He is basically so forward going and fresh at the moment that trying to contain him to walk and trot is a nightmare!
 
Moobucket said:
Thanks Applecart, this is really encouraging. I think ultrasound might be really useful for him. I just need to find a physio in my area that does it! Do you happen to remember the power she used? I.e. 3 mhz or 1 mhz? I'm not sure what area you are from but I'd be super interested in chatting to your physio and getting their thoughts. He is basically so forward going and fresh at the moment that trying to contain him to walk and trot is a nightmare!
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I've sent you a PM. We are in Solihull/Warks border. She covers a huge area of the Midlands and surrounding areas. I have PM'd you her details. She is IRVAT and ACPAT (think those are the correct initials!)
 
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