Page 602 - The Veterinary Care of the Horse
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cell damage can occur if the pressure generated is too high.
VetBooks.ir Advantages of shock wave therapy
•
The treatment is minimally invasive.
• It has few known side effects.
• It takes a short time to perform (10–20 minutes)
Disadvantages of shock wave therapy
• Tissue damage can be caused if the energy or number of shocks is too high.
• There is a risk that the pain relief following treatment will allow the horse to do too much
with potentially catastrophic results. Thus it is essential that an accurate diagnosis has
been made prior to therapy and the horse is appropriately managed.
• The cost of the equipment is high.
Contraindications
The following areas should not be treated with shock waves:
• the head
• the heart or lungs as cardiac arrhythmias and tears in the lung tissue can occur
• large nerves and blood vessels
• infected sites
• tumours, e.g. sarcoids
• growth plates of young animals.
Summary
Shock wave therapy is a useful tool in the treatment of a number of conditions. However,
much of the reported success is anecdotal and further research needs to be carried out in
order to determine the best treatment protocol for each condition.
