Arc equine, PEMF, shockwave, US, tens.... can anyone explain these like I'm 5 please

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Morgan123

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As in title. I know shockwave and US are accepted medical practices with a reasonable evidence base but I can't find any good descriptions (when I say good, I mean for a non-physicist non-vet just normal horse owner) explanations of what they really do and what the difference between all these actually is, except that they all do something magical involving electricity and the body. Can anyone help? Thank you!
 
In not very scientific terms, I believe shockwave somehow straightens out fibres in things such as ligaments. It's shown to accelerate healing / reduce pain. I think Arc works on a similar concept but there isn't any actual 'scientific,' backing behind it like there is with shockwave for example.
 
Morgan123 said:
As in title. I know shockwave and US are accepted medical practices with a reasonable evidence base but I can't find any good descriptions (when I say good, I mean for a non-physicist non-vet just normal horse owner) explanations of what they really do and what the difference between all these actually is, except that they all do something magical involving electricity and the body. Can anyone help? Thank you!
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Shockwave is a very loud noise that buffets the air and that transfers through the part of the horse it's aimed at and the buffeting stimulates healing. Scientifically tested and proven benefit.

ARC is an electrical impulse which stimulates healing by "exciting" the electrical field of damaged cells. Mostly anecdotal evidence for efficacy, I think, but lots of it.

TENS transmits an electrical impulse through muscles causing them to contract, so working them without the animal/person needing to move. The exercise aids healing and the nerve stimulation can act as pain relief. Proven benefits.

Ultrasound is extremely high noise that humans can't hear, which bounces back off structures and is interpreted by the machine, so you can see pictures of what's going on inside. Therapeutic ultrasound uses the noise to stimulate healing by heating the tissues with noise. Proven benefits.

PEMF is a bit like therapeutic ultrasound but it uses pulsed magnetism instead of sounds waves. When I last looked there was very little evidence that it does anything, but horses do seem to like it, it feels a bit like a gentle massage.

Hope that helps!
 
ycbm said:
PEMF is a bit like therapeutic ultrasound but it uses pulsed magnetism instead of sounds waves. When I last looked there was very little evidence that it does anything, but horses do seem to like it, it feels a bit like a gentle massage.

Hope that helps!
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I have PEMF occasionally. Theres no feeling at all when I have it
 
I think the explanations above are pretty spot on.

I have to say, I actually used the ARC equine on my Jack Russel, strapped it to her tummy. She injured both of her cruciate ligaments in her hind legs last year. I only had the ARC idea for the second time but I have to say the second leg healed so much quicker and it is much stronger than the first injury. I don’t know if that’s because the damage wasn’t so bad in the second leg, but she always enjoyed the ARC and I do feel that she’s really benefited from it.
 
ARC equine have been told off by the ASA for making misleading, untrue and spurious claims

All the other modalities actually work
 
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Frumpoon said:
ARC equine have been told off by the ASA for making misleading, untrue and spurious claims

All the other modalities actually work
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There was no good evidence I could find that PEMF worked the last time I looked, in January.

I'm a very sceptical person always looking for scientific peer reviewed proof, but I'm pretty certain ARC is actually doing something, only nobody has paid for the proper testing. I think the ASA slap is for making unproven claims, which doesn't necessarily mean that they are untrue. There are other studies showing that microelectric currents promote healing.

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Ah you may be right about PEMF

My own personal view is that arc should not be asking several hundred pounds for a small box that has no good evidence behind it. A double blind placebo test on a sample of ...I don't know... A few hundred horses for starters?
 
Frumpoon said:
Ah you may be right about PEMF

My own personal view is that arc should not be asking several hundred pounds for a small box that has no good evidence behind it. A double blind placebo test on a sample of ...I don't know... A few hundred horses for starters?
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I would very much prefer to see some proper testing. I don't think I would ever spend that kind of money myself without it.

.
 
ycbm said:
There was no good evidence I could find that PEMF worked the last time I looked, in January.

I'm a very sceptical person always looking for scientific peer reviewed proof, but I'm pretty certain ARC is actually doing something, only nobody has paid for the proper testing. I think the ASA slap is for making unproven claims, which doesn't necessarily mean that they are untrue. There are other studies showing that microelectric currents promote healing.

.
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Is there any indication that the little buzzy box provides said microcurrents? There's a Fast Show sketch from the 90's that reminds me of this ....??
 
They got unnecessarily excited when they were approved as a medical advice.

OP over the years I have had therapeutic ultrasound (bad ankle sprain) and shockwave (SI ligament and tennis elbow triggered by a break initiaily)
I understand why they have to sedate horses for shockwave.
 
Frumpoon said:
Is there any indication that the little buzzy box provides said microcurrents? There's a Fast Show sketch from the 90's that reminds me of this ....??
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I don't think they have any reputable evidence at all, sadly, because I do think there's a possibility it actually works, looking at other studies into microcurrents in mice healing. ARC certainly produces something because some horses have been burned by it! Not a great recommendation.

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There was always talk of studies and papers just about to be produced by Arc but AFAIK nothingnhas ever materialised.

I remember having an email conversation with the owner and he told me that they had an exracer with 80% tear in a tendon and was owned by WFP's mother. It was now with a physio who was rehabbing using arc and all the scans would be made available etc but again nothing...

I think the main issue in here about Arc was that it claimed to do all this amazing stuff but there was no potential to do harm. Anything that does something good also has the potential for harm, but they refused to acknowledge this.

There was a massive thread back in the day (circa 2010/11ish?) in Comp Riders about it. Quite a few posters had very negative experiences and some horses ended up scarred (& possibly sore) by it.

I did buy one second hand in desperation but never took it off the couch. The negatives were too big a concern for me so I resold it.

I'm fairly sure some HHOers used it on themselves and said it really hurt them
 
TPO said:
I think the main issue in here about Arc was that it claimed to do all this amazing stuff but there was no potential to do harm. Anything that does something good also has the potential for harm, but they refused to acknowledge this.
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This is my problem with ARC. That and that the owner seems quite arrogant, and for some reason they’ve never done clinical testing.

Why not, if they’re so sure it works?

All you have is people ‘swearing by it’ for everything.
Much like turmeric, but at least that’s not £500 a pot.
 
Patterdale said:
This is my problem with ARC. That and that the owner seems quite arrogant, and for some reason they’ve never done clinical testing.

Why not, if they’re so sure it works?

All you have is people ‘swearing by it’ for everything.
Much like turmeric, but at least that’s not £500 a pot.
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This with bells on
 
I've found the customer service for ARC non existent, I didnt realise you had to keep it charged regularly otherwise it won't charge, luckily I got it with a large discount at badminton but won't be getting another!
 
Thank you, esp YCBM, you win on being more helpful than google ;-).

Yes I'm on the fence on the ARC. There seems to be some promising evidence in people (I don't have a problem weighing up the evidence just didn't hvae a good grasp of what they actually do that differs from others). My horse is already having shockwave, US and also PRP, but I can borrow an ARC off a friend and wasn't sure whether it was worth it, given the negative effects some people talk about like splints etc. You can't do right for doing wrong sometimes eh.
 
Patterdale said:
This is my problem with ARC. That and that the owner seems quite arrogant, and for some reason they’ve never done clinical testing.

Why not, if they’re so sure it works?
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This is what frustrates me about Arc Equine - do the research and release it.

I've had a couple of positive experiences with an Arc, including on myself when I badly hurt my foot, but I still want to know how it works and see some proper studies. The cynic in me is still sceptical and I struggle to recommend it given that there's no research been done and I don't think 'because I'm saying it works' is a good recommendation, no matter how well it worked for me.
 
Scarlett said:
This is what frustrates me about Arc Equine - do the research and release it.

I've had a couple of positive experiences with an Arc, including on myself when I badly hurt my foot, but I still want to know how it works and see some proper studies. The cynic in me is still sceptical and I struggle to recommend it given that there's no research been done and I don't think 'because I'm saying it works' is a good recommendation, no matter how well it worked for me.
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I found this article which explores the whole topic of electrical microcurrents aiding healing. I think there is every reason to believe the ARC unit works, and I can see why they won't pay for proper peer reviewed testing if they have a good business without it, but it is frustrating, I agree.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4440595/
 
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