Equine Shock Wave Therapy

The Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine offers the latest in focused and ballistic extra-corporeal shock wave therapeutic (ESWT) equipment, the STORZ Duolith SD1.0.

Shock wave therapy uses high-energy acoustic (sound) waves to stimulate healing of tissues, including tendons, ligaments, bone and muscle. ESWT therapy has become an accepted treatment for a variety of equine musculoskeletal disorders, including, but not limited to: back pain, insertional desmopathies, tendonopathies, osteoarthritis, navicular disease, maladaptive bone disease, non-healing fractures, angular limb deformities and dorsal metacarpal disease (bucked shins). ESWT is performed as an outpatient procedure under mild sedation.

Shockwave units come in two varieties: focused and radial. Focused units, which have been in use at the Cummings School for several years, focus the pulses at a fixed point within tissues, and is ideal for deep-tissue healing. Radial, or ballistic, units do not focus the sonic waves, but instead distribute waves throughout the tissue. While a focused unit has been in use for many years at the Hospital for Large Animals, our latest device offers both ballistic and focused high-energy shockwaves.

Please contact the Hospital for Large Animals to make an appointment.