How sound waves help horses heal

How sound waves help horses heal


Extracorporeal [extra-core-POOR-ee-ul] shockwave therapy is used in horses to help heal wounds as well as tendon, ligament and some bony injuries.

Let’s break that down. ‘Extracorporeal’ means ‘outside the body’ and ‘shockwave’ refers to ‘high-energy sound waves’. So, it’s a noninvasive technique that uses sound waves to aid healing. It does this by encouraging blood vessel growth and production of the body’s own healing factors.

Here’s how it works. The horse is sedated, then a gel is applied over the affected area to aid transmission of sound waves. The transducer that produces the energy is placed on the skin. As sound waves move through the tissues, the pressure they exert stimulates blood flow.

The treatment is over within a half hour. Another benefit? Shockwave therapy is transportable, so veterinarians can use it out on farms or other locations.

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