Muscular back pain rehab process?

ellie11987

ellie11987

Well-Known Member
Joined
5 June 2012
Messages
654
Visit site
The vet has been up today for my mare on some hind lameness (which is just a strain nothing serious). While she was here, I asked about a small bump on her spine which was nothing to worry about. However, the vet did some tests on her back and found some muscular pain. She recommended a course of physio, some remedial shoeing on the fronts to even out her feet and raise her heels and a saddle check. She then gave me two options: either she is chucked out in a field for 6 months to let her rest or I can hack her out lightly for 4-6 months then start light schooling again. She said there is little difference in the healing process in both options so I am fine to ride as long as she has physio. In hindsight, little things added up to this like on/off lameness with no heat/swelling, flinch with saddle or rug being put on, struggling to canter and bend in school. I hate myself that I didn't find this sooner but she's now on a years rehab process and will never be jumped or schooled too much so she *should* come back 100% sound hopefully.

So, my questions to you helpful HHO'ers:
Has anyone gone through the rehab process of back pain and have any experiences?
What do you recommend on this situation?
Does everything I plan to do sound okay?

Dominos pizza on offer for all :p:)
 
I'm just bringing my girl back into work after several months off having serious muscular problems worked on. My vet & osteo wanted her rested during treatment so that's what we did. She was treated every 2-4 weeks for the first couple of months and slightly less frequently after that. Her problems were not acute but were long established, spanned poll to tail and around chest and girth area, and had laid down subtly incorrect muscle patterns which needed time to re-educate her movement somewhat. It was all quite subtle, but gradually worsening, and the osteo thought it probably started with a fall or slip a while before I had her which didn't get noticed but started to cause problems once we started asking for more advanced flatwork.

She kept her shoes on during the treatment, partly because while I had suspicions about her hind foot shape not helping her back I hadn't really cottoned on to the whole barefoot idea, and then after that because when I did take her shoes off I wanted to be able to rehab the feet properly by putting in some in-hand roadwork from day one. So I settled for taking her shoes off just before she came back into work - she was due to start with 20 mins in hand on a tarmac surface, which sounded pretty spot on for her feet too.

She's lost all muscle tone bless her and looks like an overgrown hairy pit pony from being on such a long holiday, but is 100% more relaxed and laid back since being treated.

Neither vet nor osteo were worried that her foot conformation would be having an impact on her back, but I felt they were encouraging her to stand "camped under" at the back end. We also had some gut discomfort issues going on, and it's not clear whether gut discomfort caused back ache and stance and therefore foot shape, or foot shape caused stance caused back ache which helped cause ulcers... or any other chicken-and-egg scenario. But having gone through everything we've gone through with her, the main thing I've learned is to deal with the whole picture, rather than symptoms piecemeal.

If I found myself in your situation I would definitely go get foot x-rays BEFORE "trying" remedial shoeing. They're not expensive and what's going on inside might be somewhat different from what it looks like outside. You're about to invest a LOT of time and money in sorting her back issues, it's a complete false economy in my view to then experiment with the feet at the same time and risk a foot issue just undoing all your good work. You could end up just going round and round in expensive and frustrating circles!
 
Thank you so much for your reply and hope your pony is better now. Darcy's pain isn't as spread and severe as that but I will take as long as needs for her to be sound. X rays sound like a good idea then, I'll speak to my vet about them :)
 
Hi :-) this is a problem I know only to well my poor boy came to me with a badly fitted saddle that had been like it for God only knows witch resulted in muscle wasteage ,he was sore to touch some days n it made him very stiff behind.
He went to the vets they was worried said it could be nerve damage and I might never be able to ride again.
After foot x rays,lameness work ups,nerve block if am been honest we was none the wiser and I came away with the vet say in see how you go.
So I thought I had two options sit back n expect him for what he is good days n bad days or take it in my own hands n make the most out of the situation.
I must add he's a ex event horse n does have a few old injury none of witch bother him but the vets was quick to blame them for making it worse,and he was 14 at the time.

So I turned him away for 4 weeks while I came up with a action plan,he was in a small paddock n in at night,after 4weeks he had phyiso every other week for 6 weeks I search high n low for the best phyiso, after 6 weeks I started walking in hand every day for 10 mins until this got more n more bulidin up to a hour.
I then got the saddle lady n she came every 4 weeks for the first 3 months n every time it needed changin.

I then got back on and started walking out for 20mins everyday for 4 weeks n built it up n up.
Now my boys 16 n a half he's not had no problems for over 2 years he only has phyiso 4 times a yr now n saddle checked twice a year.

People don't belive he's the same horse,he put on 4 n a half inches at each side of his wither n moves now like a 5 yr old,he's never stiff,sad or sorry,he's filled out in areas I didn't know he ever could.

So my point is don't get disheartened because what u get in the end is all worth it :) we show,dressage n have lots of fun,I choose to no longer jump him coz of his age n he's done it all his life but am sure he still would.

Its a long road but worth every minute in the end,also I had no option to change vet as they already did so many test I couldent afford not to go through insurance but I won't ever use them again,they Gave up hope in him way before they needed to n if I wasent so head strong I might have listened.
When they came to sign him of they cudent believed it was him so it goes to show a little extra TLC goes along way and they defiantly repay u in the end :)

So the roads going to be long but worth it :-) hope this gives u hope coz if my boy can come out like he has any horse can,he only did a tendon while having his bad back but that's a whole another story lol

I wish u all the best :-) x
 
Hi Ellie our mare is having some back problems she is the same age as your ex racer but not as severe as the other postings it sounds like they have done a terrific job with patience.

I am using a Bowen therapist they look at the whole picture you may want to google their work. The Bowen therapist identified other areas not quite right as well as her lower back which the physio had missed by just treating her lower back. We are seeing some improvement now after 3 weeks rest and turn out during the day.

Bowen therapist coming back next week and fingers crossed may be able to put her saddle back on for a short period.
 
Hi Ellie,


Do lots of groundwork with your mare as well as gentle hacking, lots of work in a pessoa, long and low will do the back the world of good and pilates type exercises all help in maintaining a strong core and back. If you see no improvement I would recommend you get her back x-rayed for kissing spine, this is what my horse has, he was operated on nearly 4 months ago and he is being rehabbed the same way. good luck x
 
nbred said:
Hi Ellie,


Do lots of groundwork with your mare as well as gentle hacking, lots of work in a pessoa, long and low will do the back the world of good and pilates type exercises all help in maintaining a strong core and back. If you see no improvement I would recommend you get her back x-rayed for kissing spine, this is what my horse has, he was operated on nearly 4 months ago and he is being rehabbed the same way. good luck x
Click to expand...

Hi, thank you for them sugesstions, very helpful. I've asked about KS and she is positive it is not :)
 
Hi,

As a Chartered Veterinary Physio I have plenty of experience of this, and am so glad you're getting your horse the help that she needs. The main thing I would say is to make sure you get a physio / osteo / chiro with plenty of experience and the correct qualifications, and then follow their advice along with that of your vet. Every horse is of course an individual (and unfortunately you can't rule out kissing spine for example just by looking at or feeling the outside of the horse), and the treatment and rehab will therefore be different for every horse.
A word of advice when you're looking for a physio (hopefully your vet will be able to recommend someone) - the title 'Veterinary Physio' or 'Equine Physio' is not protected, so there are a variety of different levels of qualifications (or sometimes none at all) for people using this title. 'Chartered' is a protected title, and a physio calling themselves a Chartered Physio has qualified to treat humans before going on further to qualify to treat animals (7yrs to qualify), and you can find your local practitioner at www.acpat.co.uk. This doesn't apply to chiropractors or osteopaths, as the title 'Chiropractor' and 'Osteopath' is protected, but beware - there is no protection against saying you use 'chiropractic techniques' (and I know at least one course that teaches their non-chiropractor students to use this phrase!) or 'osteopathic techniques'.
Good luck with the rehab - you're on the right road now.
Sue
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top