Therapeutic Modalities
Specialists on our team of staff veterinarians include Diplomates of the American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation (DACVSMR), and veterinarians certified in Alternative Therapies. We offer a wide variety of therapeutic modalities and can help guide you in making the most appropriate choice depending on the issue, your horse's condition and your objectives.
Biophosphate Treatment, a.k.a., Bone Hardening / Strengthening
Bisphosphonates are drugs used in humans to help prevent or slow down bone thinning (osteoporosis). In horses, they can be very effective for treatment of bone pain. Uses include navicular disease, bone pain, bone cysts and bone fragility syndrome (silicate associated osteoporosis).
Cold Laser, a.k.a., Regenerative Laser Therapy (RLT)
Cold laser offers a non-invasive, pain-free treatment modality to decrease pain and inflammation, promote blood flow and accelerate the healing of wounds, lacerations and incisions. Our Class IV high-intensity lasers are often used to decrease inflammation and prevent scar formation in tendon and ligament injuries, as well as to treat tendonitis, arthritis and back pain. We have a number of smaller, hand-held cold lasers for applications such as topical wound healing and acupuncture point stimulation.
IRAP (Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist Protein)
IRAP treatment typically uses autologous (collected from the patient) blood serum or, in some cases, allogenic (collected from a donor horse) serum. When specially conditioned and injected, the serum prevents IL-1, an inflammatory cytokine protein released by cells where there is joint trauma, from binding to IL-1 receptors. IRAP has been seen to decrease both joint inflammation and pain, and offers an excellent alternative to the use of corticosteroids injected into the joint.
Pro-Stride
Pro-Stride is a natural (drug-free) treatment that transforms blood taken from the equine patient (autologous) into a concentrated solution of cells, platelets, growth factors and anti-inflammatory proteins (including IL-1ra), in less than 20 minutes. While very similar to IRAP, all the steps can be performed stall-side and results may last up to a year with a single visit/injection. There are no drug withholding times for those competing at the FEI and USEF levels. Pro-Stride is also an excellent alternative to corticosteroids for overweight or metabolically challenged patients.
PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma)
In addition to their better-known role in blood clotting, when activated, platelets release growth factors that have been seen to stimulate cell regeneration, promote tissue repair, alleviate inflammation, reduce scar formation and have an analgesic (pain relief) effect. PRP is made from autologous (collected from the patient) blood, which is then processed and re-injected. It is typically used to stimulate the healing of ligament and tendon injuries, and may also be used to treat eye ulcers and skin wounds. It is particularly beneficial in areas of limited vascularization, or blood flow. The enhanced healing response on a cellular and molecular level can improve the quality of repair and the prognosis for return to performance, and may decrease the incidence of re-injury.
Shockwave
Shockwave is a non-invasive, high-energy pressure wave treatment often useful to improve healing and decrease pain in tendon and ligament injuries, stress fractures, splints, back pain and kissing spines.
Stem Cells
Autologous (collected from the patient) stem cells derived from bone marrow or adipose (fatty) tissue has been seen to reduce pain and inflammation and improve the quality of healing in many common tendon and ligament injuries, laminitis, bone cysts and joint disease. To obtain therapeutic amounts of stem cells, bone marrow or fat is surgically collected under mild sedation and local anesthesia, then sent to a specialized laboratory for processing. When ready, the stem cells are injected into the affected areas.
Adjunctive Therapies (Acupuncture and ”Chiropractic’)
Acupuncture can be beneficial in the management of back pain, sacroiliac pain, osteoarthritis, muscle soreness, and medical disorders like colic, ocular pain, peripheral nerve pain and dysfunction, as well as many others, and can also be useful as a complementary diagnostic aid. Learn more...
Similar to human chiropractic treatment, Equine Veterinary Medical Manipulation (EVMM) can help restore freedom of movement, relax the muscles and relieve pain in the back, neck and restricted joints in cases of localized or regional stiffness, poor performance or an altered gait not associated with obvious lameness. Learn more...
Find more information about equine therapies in the Resources section of our website...