.png)
Treatments
Manual Therapy
Massage
Massage can alleviate muscle tension, by promoting circulatory changes, increasing blood flow, whilst removing localized toxin build up, due to excessive muscular use/contraction. Massage also induces localized thermal effects accelerating tissue recovery.
Massage is also particularly useful in addressing secondary muscular compensations which have arisen due to an adapted posture and gait, as a protective mechanism to alleviate pain. As a result of musculoskeletal dysfunction, muscular compensations are a natural consequence in an attempt to relieve discomfort in that particular area, and by addressing tension as it arises, we can improve joint function, encourage more positive postural development, promote muscle development and encourage more functional movement.
Stretching
Stretching serves to restore the normal functional length of muscles which may have been compromised and shortened following overuse/underuse.
Stretching can increase muscular suppleness by improving the elasticity within the muscle, alleviating pain, whilst improving joint range of motion. Stretching also has the potential to reduce the risk of muscle injury.
Passive Joint Range of Motion
Joint range of motion helps maintain joint health, which may be compromised following injury, and disuse. It can also prevent stiffness and muscle contracture (shortening) following injury.
Joint Mobilsations
Joint mobilizations are a form of manual therapy which helps release restrictions within joints, to improve joint range of motion and reduce pain. This form of manual therapy can also release associated muscular restrictions/tightness and compensations.
Dynamic joint mobilsations are effective guided/controlled movements which allow the joint to be mobilsed through it's range of motion i.e actively achieving an extended range of motion dynamically.
Myofascial Release
Myofascial (muscle and fascia) release techniques focuses on addressing myofascial pain, rehydrating compromised fascia and addressing myofascial trigger points.
Myofascial pain is referred to as “pain associated with inflammation and/or irritation of the muscle and or the fascia surrounding the muscle and is characterised by the the presence myofascial tigger points.
Myofascial trigger points are focal areas of hyper-irritable, hyper-contracted taut bands within the muscle (which can feel like "knots"). These trigger points are painful on palpation, characterised by a local twitch response on palpation, and can be associated with tightness (hypertonicity) of the involved muscle.
These trigger points often arise due to muscle overuse, unaccustomed exercise, habitual postural adaptations, repetitive exercise, trauma and compensatory mechanisms.
Myofasical release techniques aim to restore function within the myofascial system via trigger point release, active release techniques and stretching.
What it is fascia..
Fascia is a complex connective tissue which surrounds and permeates organs, muscle, bone, soft tissues and nerve fibres; (it can be described as like a cling film which surrounds tissues). Fascia has vital sensory properties and has a vital role in posture and movement affecting our coordination and proprioception "our awareness of where are limbs are".
As fascia has varying degree of elasticity, it can withstand deformation in response to forces and pressures, and has the ability to return to its original shape. However, fascial dysfunction occurs in response to injury, trauma, habitual posture, lack of movement, and gait compensations; resulting in tissue fatigue, pain, stiffness, reduced performance and function.
This results in the fascia shortening and solidifying (becoming tight, less elastic and dehydrated), this has an effect on the fascial planes within the body and the muscles the fascia surrounds. As physiotherapists we aim to help restore fascial function by a combination of techniques; myofascial release, stretching and massage.
H- Wave Therapy
H-Wave therapy is an innovative form of neuromuscular electrotherapy which simulates the body's natural signalling mechanism (the Hoffman Reflex), to either induce the body to initiate a muscular contraction (2Hz) or provide deep analgesia (60Hz) depending on the frequency.
This waveform is more readily accepted by the body, is much more comfortable for the horse compared to TENs/NMEs and does not cause muscle fatigue.
H-Wave therapy can be used to effectively improve muscle function and reduce muscular hypertonicity, as it promotes blood flow into the targeted area by stimulating muscle contraction (2Hz). This also reduces oedema, increases lymphatic drainage and promotes healing.
The area treated is dependent on the electrode pad placement and H-Wave is effective at targeting deeper tissues. H-Wave can also be used to gently mobilise the lumbo-sacral and sacroiliac region in horses, reducing pain and associated muscular spasm in the region effectively.
Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy
Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy (PEMFT) is a form of electrotherapy which induces small electrical currents within the tissues, due to the constant change in magnetic flux that it induces.
These currents are the mechanism underlying PEMFT induced pain relief, improved blood flow, modification of the inflammatory process, reduced swelling and enhanced tissue repair.
PEMFT is therefore indicated for pain, swellings, bone fractures, soft tissue injuries, muscle tightness and is also widely used in practice to treat osteoarthritis.
