Page 466 - The Veterinary Care of the Horse

• controlled exercise

• massage
VetBooks.ir • gentle stretching

•
heat treatment
• acupuncture or acupressure

• low intensity laser therapy

• therapeutic ultrasound

• electromagnetic therapy
• transcutaneous electrical stimulation (TENS)

• H-wave (muscle stimulation)

• chiropractic or osteopathic treatment.

The recommended treatment will depend on the type of injury and the stage of healing. Your

vet may recommend physiotherapy to assist the horse’s recovery. This should be followed by
a rehabilitation programme to build up the muscle strength and reduce the potential for re-

injury.

Muscle atrophy

When skeletal muscles lose their normal bulk, they are said to atrophy or waste away. There

are a number of circumstances under which this happens.
• If a horse is undernourished, the muscles may be broken down into amino acids and used

as a source of energy. The muscle atrophy will be generalized and symmetrical
throughout the horse’s body (Figure 11.1)

• When a muscle is not used for a period of time, it decreases in size. This is known as

disuse atrophy. It commonly occurs when a limb is immobilized in a cast or if it cannot
function in its normal manner due to a fracture. An example is atrophy of the gluteal
muscles following a pelvic fracture (Figure 11.2). In some cases, this type of atrophy is

reversible when normal function is restored. However, if the atrophy is severe, the horse
will take longer to recover and some of the muscle may be replaced by fibrous tissue.

• If the nerve supply to a muscle is damaged, the muscle will undergo neurogenic
atrophy. An example is neurogenic atrophy of the supraspinatus and infraspinatus

muscles of the shoulder following damage to the suprascapular nerve. Due to the loss of
muscle, the scapular spine becomes abnormally prominent and the condition is known as

sweeny. If the nerve recovers, the muscle volume and function may be restored.