Shock wave therapy- any experience?

[maxie]

Hi all,
Just wondering is anyone has any experience - good or bad- with shock wave therapy?
One of the hunters has a very soft, fluid filled lump above his knee. He has it quite a long time- he whacked his leg off the breast bar pawing in the box when a youngster. The lump has always been soft and fluid and he has never put in a lame step with it.
Vet has x-rayed and confirmed that it's nothing to do with knee joint. We tried cortisone (or cortisol, can't remember?) injection and DMSO for a week but it didn't really have any effect. Horse is away at grass since but vet suggested when he comes back home to try shock wave therapy.
A few questions for anyone who has used shock wave:
- What was it for & did it work?
- Are they off work while being treated?
-Is it a once a week or several days in succession treatment?
- Is it a painful treatment?

Thanks in advance

 

[Twigben]

Hello

My mare had shockwave for collaterol ligament damage in the front feet. She was on box rest anyway so not sure if your horse would need to be off work. I have been told it is painful - like thousands of elastic bands hitting your skin, normally horses are sedated but my mare wasnt - she is a very stoic horse though.

She was treated once a week for about 6 weeks i think. Not sure if it worked as such because she had a number of treatments and is still not 100% but better than she was an now able to hack out!

Good luck!

 

[Birker2020]

Funnily enough I was reading a magazine article about it yesterday, and it is most beneficial in osteoarthritis of the hock and suspensory ligament problems, which is why my vet mentioned the possibility of using it on my horse who is not recovering that well from his suspensory ligament injury. After four weeks of upping the exercise to trot and little canter his rescan of his lateral branch of the suspensory ligament showed no improvement on the four weeks previously.

But I still don't know if I am covered on my insurance (NFU have a four week backlog of claims) and he said it would cost £600 (presume that is for a few treatments not just one!)