Since the mid-1990s, extracorporeal (meaning outside the body) shockwave therapy has been used to treat orthopaedic disorders. Since then, it has been proven effective in pain therapy for horse medicine and small animals, as well. Find out why top horse trainers and veterinarians are using shockwave machines.

Horse Medicine

Shockwave therapy machines generate a high intensity pressure wave that travels through fluid and tissue to target the site of the injury. This technology is particularly effective for injuries at the soft tissue-bone interface, where ligaments attach to the bone, which are difficult to medicate and are unsuitable for surgery. Shockwave therapy’s non-invasive treatment is therefore extremely valuable.

Because shockwave therapy machines are transportable, veterinarians and horse trainers can treat horses at farms, stables, rehabilitation centres, or wherever they are most comfortable. Shockwave therapy is often used in cases of suspensory ligament injury, tendon disease, navicular syndrome, neck or back pain and injuries, bone bruising, and bucked shins, just to name a few. Treatment requires no more than three to five sessions, lasting no longer than thirty minutes each.

Shockwave therapy increases blood flow, growth of new blood vessels, and the production of natural healing factors in the treated area, improving speed and quality of tendon, ligament, bone, and wound healing.

Oakham Veterinary Hospital reports “they have been particularly impressed with” shockwave therapy’s “ability to provide pain relief for those horses with chronic conditions such as kissing spines, mild proximal suspensory desmitis, and neck osteoarthritis.”

In addition to horses, shockwave therapy can also be used to treat small animals for the following conditions:

  • Hip and elbow dysplasia
  • Achilles tendinopathy
  • Spondylarthrosis
  • Cauda Equina Syndrome
  • Enthesopathy
  • Chronic pain

Recommended Device

The MASTERPULS® Ultra MP100 is compact, reliable, requires low servicing costs, and boasts a silent on-board »Air Power« drive. It supplies therapeutic effectiveness up to 50 mm penetration depth. And weighing less than eleven kilograms, it is ideal for mobile use and can be set up in only one minute.

All essential controls, including buttons and display, are found on the FALCON™ handpiece to ensure uninterrupted and fast handling and application without having to move away from the horse, and its ergonomic design makes it easy to use for practitioners. Also integrated into the handpiece, the innovative »Skin Touch« makes it possible to trigger pulses by exerting slight pressure on the skin.

There is also an optional 10” touch screen panel, which can be connected with a USB cable to the MASTERPULS® Ultra MP100. On top of added device controls, it also offers a patient management system and treatment parameters recommended by experienced users that are supported by videos and images, expanding the practitioner’s options even further.

If you would like to incorporate the benefits of shockwave therapy into your horse medicine practice, contact us today by dialing 1 (888) 741-SHOC(7462) or by visiting our website .