LEC is constantly finding better ways to treat your equine athlete based on new advances in veterinary medicine. One of the newest treatments, regenerative therapy, is a branch of medicine which utilizes the body’s own repair tools to facilitate stronger and faster healing.
Soft tissue injuries greatly affect the performance of the equine athlete. Due to lack of blood flow, the healing processes is greatly diminished in soft tissue injuries. Regenerative therapy treatments enhance and expedite healing.
Pro-Stride Autologous Protein Solution from Owl Manor Veterinary is a proprietary dual-device system which utilizes your horse’s own healing capabilities to treat joint disease and soft tissue injuries. The Pro-Stride system produces a “concentrated solution of cells, platelets, growth factors, and anti-inflammatory proteins.” It is a natural, drug-free product which not only helps with joint pain but actually helps stop cartilage degradation. This product has been shown to provide pain relief for up to a year following a single injection. Additionally, it is used for intra-tendinous and intra-ligamentous injections to strengthen and accelerate the soft tissue healing process.
Stem cell therapy is a breakthrough treatment that has the potential to allow the body to heal without the production of scar tissue. Stem cells allow the body to regenerate itself with its own cells. These stem cells are harvested from your horse’s own bone marrow. The cells produce a range of bioactive proteins including growth factors and other components to help repair the damaged tissue. Commercial stem-cell treatments available for horses are derived from the horse’s own adult mesenchymal stem cells which can differentiate into bone, cartilage, fat and fibrous connective tissue.
The most common use of stem cells is to treat soft tissue injuries. Tendons and ligaments are important supportive structures which attach muscle-to-bone and bone-to-bone respectively. Tendons and ligaments are both made up of an organized network of dense connective tissue composed of elastic collagen. They both heal slowly and tend to form disorganized scar tissue which leaves your horse prone to reinjury. When stem cells are used early after an injury, they can promote more aligned fibers in the tendons or ligaments and better, stronger healing process.
PRP, or Platelet Rich Plasma, is the straw-colored liquid portion of blood with a high concentration of platelets. Platelets are best known for their role in helping form a blood clot, but they release high concentrations of growth factors that encourage healing. Veterinarians utilize PRP to stimulate tissue repair in joint and soft tissue injuries.
iRAP therapy is a regenerative therapy recommended for use in horses suffering from joint lesions such as oestoarthritis, osteocondrosis desicans (OCD) and other causes of joint inflammation. Osteoarthritis is one of the major causes of loss of use in equine athletes. iRAP therapy is generated by your horse’s own blood cells. iRAP is used for joint injections in place of corticosteroids to help decrease inflammation within the joint by blocking interleukin-1, a major stimulator of cytokines which destroy cartilage during joint inflammation.
Non-invasive extra-corporeal shock wave technology (ESWT) therapy is used to stimulate healing typically in soft tissue injuries in the equine athlete. The therapy uses high-energy pressure waves on the area of interest. It can be used in cases of tendon or ligament injuries, osteoarthritis, non-healing injuries or muscle soreness. Our veterinarians can perform your horse’s shockwave therapy in the convenience of your stable.
Cold laser, otherwise known as low level laser therapy, utilizes light energy to stimulate tissue repair and provide pain relief. Laser therapy has been proven to aid in osteoarthritis, wound healing, and chronic pain and inflammation. It is a safe and non-painful treatment which can be used in conjunction with conventional medications and supplements.