Lecture 16 - Equine Rehab Flashcards
What is a lameness score of 0?
Lameness not perceptible under any circumstances
What is a lameness score of 1?
Lameness is difficult to observe and is not consistently apparent, regardless of circumstances
(e.g. under saddle, circling, inclines, hard surface, etc.)
What is a lameness score of 2?
Lameness is difficult to observe at a walk or when trotting in a straight line but consistently apparent under certain circumstances
(e.g. weight-carrying, circling, inclines, hard surface, etc.)
What is a lameness score of 3?
Lameness is consistently observable at a trot under all circumstances
What is a lameness score of 4?
Lameness is obvious at a walk
What is a lameness score of 5?
Lameness produces minimal weight bearing in motion and/or at rest or a complete inability to move.
What non-specialized equipment is used in equine rehab?
- Ice
- Hose
- Lead rope
- Saddle and tack
What specialized equipment is used in equine rehab?
- Laser
- Shockwave
- Muscle Stim Units
- Treadmill (land and water)
What injuries is rehab used for?
- Arthroscopy
- Tenoscopy
- Tendon/ligament injuries and surgeries
- Fractures
- Locking stifles
- OA
- Facilitated ankylosis
What should we ask regarding history?
Injury type and length of time since it occurred
What should we ask regarding career goals of the horse?
Pasture pet, brood mare, hunter/jumper, pleasure class
What should we look for in a PE?
Muscle atrophy, tenderness to palpation
What two things should be evaluated in a PE?
Lameness and neuro status
Why is stall rest important?
- Prevent further injury
- Allow time to heal
- Time off
(Need to keep horse occupied)
What types of superficial heating and cooling are used?
- Ice baths
- Game Ready
- Oat bags/heat
- Cold hosing
Cryotherapy utilizes what temps?
10-15 deg C
What does cryotherapy do in horses?
Produces peripheral vasoconstriction and decreased soft tissie perfusion, which can reduce edema formation and swelling at the site of tissue injury
Cooling helps increase _____ properties in ligaments and _____ muscle stiffness.
tensile, increase
What are indications for cryotherapy?
- Decrease soft tissue pain, swelling, inflammation
- Laminitis
- Not costly
- Well tolerated
What are contraindications for cryotherapy?
- Ice must be changed hourly
- Can cause injury due to motor functions being impaired up to 30 minutes
How often is cryotherapy done?
15-20 minutes every 2-3 hours for the first 48 hours
What is cryotherapy primarily used for?
laminitis
Heat therapy utilizes what temps?
40-45 deg C
What can happen in heat therapy that is over 45 deg C?
Tissue damage and thermal injury
What are indications for heat therapy?
- Increases soft tissue extensibility
- Decreased pain
- Relaxation
What are contraindications for heat therapy?
- Acute injuries
- Hard to get deeper tissues
- Difficult to maintain uniform heating to distal limbs
What are examples of heat therapy?
- Hot packs/compresses
- Circulating watm water heat wraps
- Warm water hosing
- Warm water baths
What are types of electrical therapies?
- Therapeutic ultrasound
- Shockwave
- Low level laser therapy
What does therapeutic ultrasound do?
Uses microwave energy that therapeutically heats deep tissues
What are benefits of therapeutic ultrasound?
- Improves pain, muscle strength
- Reduces synovial thickness, inflammation, pain
What are the 2 types of therapeutic ultrasound?
Pulse or continuous
What effects does pulse therapeutic ultrasound have?
Non-thermal effects (cell metabolism and phagocytic activity of MPs)
What effects does continuous therapeutic ultrasound have?
Deep thermal effects (increased blood flow, enzyme activity, collagen synthesis/extensibility, decreased pain)
When would you choose pulsed U/S? Continuous?
Pulse = Acute inflammatory conditions where deep heat is contraindicated
Continuous = Chronic conditions where deep heat is beneficial
What is shockwave?
Electrically or mechanically produced shock or soundwaves to provide pain relief and stimulate tissue healing.
How does shockwave therapy work?
The tissue believes there have been small injuries and repairs itself
What can external joint support such as sports taping help with? What are some disadvantages?
May increase proprioception, strength, ROM;
Disadvantage = bandage sores
What is acupuncture used for?
Functional problems involving noninfectious inflammation, paralysis, or pain
T/F: The AVMA lists chiropractic as a complementary and alternative treatment
True
What does massage therapy reduce in horses?
Pain, lameness, aggression, cribbing
What are some proprioceptive exercises?
- Lightweight bracelet
- Ankle weights
- Ground poles
What is vibration therapy and what does it influence?
Low amplitude mechanical stimulation; influences proprioception
What does a treadmill do?
Helps to “muscle up” after fully healed from an injury;
Horse needs to be trained
What are benefits to using an underwater treadmill/what can be adjusted?
- Can adjust temperature
- Can adjust osmolarity
- Can adjust depth
What temp causes vasoconstriction and analgesia in an underwater treadmill?
32 deg C
What temp causes vasodilation, increased tissue perfusion, and dissipates inflammatory mediators on an underwater treadmill?
36 deg C
Why might we want to adjust osmolarity in an underwater treadmill?
Reduces soft-tissue inflammation and swelling, decreases pain and ultimately improves joint ROM
Water at the level of the tuber coxae produces a ___% reduction in body weight.
75
Water at elbow height has a ___% reduction in weight bearing.
10-15
What are advantages of swimming?
- Improves cardio function
- Reduces musculoskeletal injury
- Increases fast-twitch, high-oxidative muscle fibers
- Improves aerobic capacity
What are contraindications for swimming?
- Respiratory disease
- Cardio compromise
- Unhealed surgical incisions
- Open wounds
- Upper pelvic lameness
- Acute joint inflammation
- Acute myositis
- Fever
- Fearful
During swimming, HR should not exceed ___ bpm; HR should take less than ___ minutes to return to less than ___ bpm.
200, 10, 60
What are some manual therapies that can be done?
hand walking, hills, rails, walking with weight of rider, walk/trot
What does Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy do and what is it used for?
Produces secondary electrical currents which cause muscle contractions in horses;
Used for treating nonunion fractures and to stimulate bone healing
What do magnetic blankets do?
Help increase blood flow, reduce muscle soreness
