Equine Cold & Heat Therapy

equine cold therapy PHYSICAL THERAPY FOR YOUR EQUINE ATHLETE

Physical Therapy for your equine athlete can vary from underwater treadmills, to shock wave therapy, to simple techniques that are often more accessible, such as cold and heat therapy.

It's easy to agree that using cold to treat equine injuries is a time-honored method in veterinary medicine. But getting the job done in an effective and labor-saving manner has long been a problem.

This is why the cold source is so important.

THERAPEUTIC COLD THERAPY

Cold takes out the heat associated with inflammation.
Cold has a direct analgesic effect when skin temperatures are dropped below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cold decreases swelling which occurs when circulation to an area increases.

When an area is acutely inflamed, other mechanisms besides increased circulation result in swelling. Tiny blood vessels become “leaky” and allow more fluid to escape into the tissues. White blood cells rush into the injured area in response to chemical messengers such as histamines. As they begin to clean up damaged tissues, local release of enzymes and other substances further increases edema. Veterinary science has proven the release of chemicals from both local cells and white cells migrating in from the circulation also plays a role in creation of pain. Cold may decrease the number of active inflammatory cells in the area and possibly their activity.

Cold therapy is is indicated any time an area of the horse leg has increased temperature. Normally, this is the case with acute inflammation. An acutely inflamed area is painful, swollen and has a temperature greater than that of surrounding tissues.

Tendon, ligament and joint injuries are those most commonly treated with cold therapy. When inflammation is severe, rapid cooling is more difficult and requires the application of cold temperature.

Veterinarians recommend cold therapy should be continued for as long as it takes to get the palpable temperature of the injured area back to near-normal and swelling issues are resolved.

With acute injuries, a minimum of four 20-minute sessions per day is needed before any significant benefit can be realized. With the new technologies such as the Mackinnon Ice Horse Continuous Flow Cold Water System, cold can be safely applied for longer periods and even used continuously if the function of the machine circulatory system is understood.

PREVENTATIVE COLD THERAPY

Cold is increasingly being used as a preventative measure. Cold is effective in preventing excessive swelling related to minor wear and tear and excessive filling in areas of previous injury.

Routine application of cold after hard workouts also helps in diagnosis of injuries, rather than masking them. The rational is that if you know how your horse's legs look after a 15 to 20 minute cold therapy application post-workout, the rider or driver will be quicker to spot any areas carrying an unusual amount of inflammation because these will remain obviously hotter and or more swollen than normal after a brief therapy.