The role of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation in Equine rehabilitation
Introduction
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) is a form of therapy used to treat pain using low current voltage. The small voltage current can be administered near or at the nerves. A small device is used to help the present, usually through the skin. A TENS unit consists of a battery-powered device, and it is used to deliver electrical impulses through electrodes. The electrodes should be placed on the skin surface where the pain is being felt. They can also be paced at trigger points because sometimes in the body, pain is triggered at a specific location and thought in a different place.
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation is applied in both humans and animals. There are two main ways in which it works. One theory states that the electric current activates the nerve cells that are responsible for sensing pain. They are then unable to transport pain signals to the brain. This automatically modifies the perception of pain by the person or animal. The second theory states that transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation works by stimulating endorphins’ release, natural pain-killing chemicals in the body. When the levels of endorphins go up, they block the brain’s perception of pain-causing pain relief. Pain is the number one cause of poor performance in equines. Various treatment methods have been developed to deal with pain in horses. Some techniques are more invasive than others, while some are more effective than others. Besides, different horses react differently to various treatment methods. TENS therapy seems to be unique because almost every horse responds positively to the treatment. Very few horses with rare health complications react negatively to TENS therapy.
In the medical world, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation can be applied in a wide range of activities. These include relieving both short-term and chronic pain. The therapy can treat osteoarthritis, a disease of joints, fibromyalgia, muscle pain, or tendon pain, especially along the spine. Additionally, it can be used to treat tendonitis, bursitis, low back pain, and chronic pelvic pain. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation can also be used to treat damaged nerves that connect the brain and the spinal cord and hardened arteries to boost blood circulation in the body.
Equine Rehabilitation
Equine rehabilitation is a term used to refer to the retraining of horses. However, rehabilitation encompasses physical therapy treatment to the body to stimulate or restore optimum bodily function. Horses can either be used for racing, farm work, or just as pets used for leisure riding activities. It is, therefore, important that their physical features and attributes are always at maximum. Rehabilitation is usually needed most after a horse goes through bodily injury. However, that is not all. Rehabilitation is used to restore muscular, joint, and ligament strength in horses, increasing their tissue mobility, balance, coordination, and function in general. Apart from addressing the physical functionality, other issues can also be solved through equine rehabilitation, including atrophy, spasms, hypertonicity, and myofascial adhesion. Equine rehabilitation is usually required if any cases of poor performance are observed in horses. Depending on the type of equine rehabilitation chosen, a qualified veterinary may or may not be needed.
Poor performance in horses
The necessity of equine rehabilitation is usually triggered by any sign of poor performance in horses. It is, therefore, essential to understanding how poor performance in a horse is analyzed. When riding a horse, one can tell if its physical performance is at optimum. A few days of poor performance can be overlooked, but when the problem persists, it becomes necessary to find a way of restoring the horse’s physical strength. A horse that demonstrates stiffness on one rein, crookedness, tail swishing, head tossing, and stilted strides should be up for rehabilitation. Disunited canter, teeth grinding, saddle slipping to one side, sliding, and uneven wearing of shoes are other signs that indicate that a horse needs rehabilitation. More significant symptoms include dipping the horse’s back when groomed, napping, not wanting to be mounted, lameness, bucking, reluctance to jump or go downhill, and over-rotation of the pelvis. Uneven muscle tone, carrying the tail to one side, and muscle twitching are also significant signs that the horse needs quick assistance. However, care should be taken when observing all these signs. They can indicate other problems such as a poorly fitting saddle or noseband, unbalanced feet, inexperienced rider, or even gastric ulcers. Proper problem identification is necessary so that the right rehabilitation method can be applied. The greatest mistake made in the equine field is continuously forcing a horse to perform physically, even when they show signs of poor performance. As the horse continues to move without healing, more damage is caused to other body parts, making the horse’s general health deteriorate over time. Therefore, when signs of poor performance are noted, the horse should be allowed to rest until all issues are identified and resolved. A horse’s physical strength protects it from predators if left in the world, and it must be maintained at all costs.
Rushing to conduct TENS therapy when a horse shows signs of poor performance is not always advisable. The first step should be to check for other underlying issues that may be fixed without therapy. Providing quinines with a conducive environment to thrive is the most way of preventing poor performance. Several requirements must be fulfilled first before concluding that a horse needs any form of therapy. Below are the requirements:
Nutrition; a horse should be provided with adequate access to fresh water and an appropriate diet to maintain its full health. Malnutrition in a horse can cause illness signs misleading the owner to think that the horse is injured. A hungry horse will tend to avoid all sorts of physical movements, and it will prefer to nap at all times. Moreover, the lack of various nutrients in the body, such as calcium, can cause joint pains in quinines. In the case of such problems, no amount of TENS therapy can save the animal from distress. The nutritional needs have to be satisfied first. Therefore, before applying any form of treatment on a horse, the nutrition box should be checked first to ascertain that it gets all the nutrients it needs for proper growth and development.
Environment; for a horse to be physically strong and healthy, it must be provided with an excellent environment to live in. the horse should be provided with a warm and comfortable shelter. A horse that has been exposed to harsh weather conditions cannot be physically active. Exposure to winds and colds can cause illness to the horse, making it look like it is in pain. Additionally, if pests and parasites invade a horse’s shelter, they will likely bite the quinine, causing physical injury and pain. Uncomfortable resting places for horses may make the horse experience physical pain. The horse should be provided with a spacious resting place to prevent injury. All these factors should be considered before applying TENS therapy in horses that might not need treatment.
Behavioral support; a horse operates just like a human being. It should be provided with facilities that suit the behavior of its species. Animals also need the company of other animals that are of its kind. A horse should be placed with other horses to make sure that it does not develop abnormal behavior. Its environment should be as natural as possible so that the animal feels comfortable in its surroundings. If the animal is placed in an area that does not suit its biological behavior, it is likely to show poor performance. Until the animal’s physical setting is changed, no amount of TENS therapy can improve its physical performance.
Mental experiences, by all means, quinines must be put far away from conditions, treatments, or experiences that cause mental suffering. This is because destabilizing the mental peace of an animal affects its physical performance as well. Mental anguish can drive animals into depression, making them not want to eat, leading to malnutrition. Severe cases of depression can cause death in quinines. For example, if a horse has just given birth, separating it from its young one too soon could cause the animal a lot of mental suffering. Such a horse will not be physically active, and one might even think it is experiencing physical pain. TENS therapy is not required in such a case, and that is why it should not be the first option of dealing with a not active horse.
Application TENS in equine rehabilitation
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation has been used in the medical field for humans to relieve pain. However, the same concepts have recently begun to be applied in equine rehabilitation. The method works similarly in horses, just as it does in human beings. It is a non-invasive form of nerve stimulation that is used to reduce pain safely. Because of their high physical activity levels, horses are prone to injuries and nerve damage. TENS can be used as one of the rehabilitation methods to increase the flexibility of equines. The technique is helpful as it can be used to reduce both acute and chronic pain. Several reviews and meta-analyses have verified that TENS effectively deals with post-operation pain, osteoarthritis, and chronic or acute musculoskeletal pain in horses. It is used to alleviate pain related to nerve damage, also known as neuropathic pain. Even though TENS as a rehabilitation method in horses is not typical, the few tested cases have proven that horses seem to like and prefer the treatment over other forms of treatment. Additionally, research shows that horses take one to two days to get used to the treatment. Horses with tight topline muscle problems can have transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation rehabilitation to relax their muscles, especially before any workouts.
In cases where quinines have nerve damage, TENS can be used to stimulate nerve recovery and condition muscles that are contracted. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation can also be used to prevent atrophy, muscle re-education, increasing the horse’s range of motion, and relaxing muscle spasm. In the case of stiff arteries and veins, the treatment can improve local blood circulation. TENS is also very useful when it comes to strengthening weak or injured muscles.
The application of TENS in the rehabilitation of equines can only be applied within stipulated guidelines. There are cases where the therapy method is not advised and should, therefore, be avoided entirely. In case a horse has an implantable device in any part of its body, TENS should not be applied on that body part, or the parts near it, or even those that are interrelated. It is safe to avoid the use of TENS entirely for such a horse. Secondly, TENS should not be applied to pregnant horses because they are usually susceptible to complications. TENS therapy should not be applied to the abdomen, pelvic area, lower back, or acupuncture points like the knee joints. In case a horse has been diagnosed with having cancerous tissues in its body, TENS therapy should be avoided entirely because the electrical nerve stimulation can increase the multiplication of cancerous cells. The treatment should also not be applied to bleeding tissue as it may increase the chances of over bleeding, especially in horses with bleeding disorders. Horses that have heart disease cases should not be treated using TENS because the rate of blood circulation may be tampered with, triggering heart failure. TENS therapy should not be applied to infected tissues, tissues previously treated with radiation, damaged skin, areas near the eyes, or mouth, or productive organs.
Advantages of using transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation in equine rehabilitation
TENS is a drug-free option for managing pain in horses. TENS utilizes low voltage electrical currents to reduce the brain’s perception of pain. Excessive use of drugs in horses can be detrimental to their long term health. Some chemicals take along to disappear once introduced into the body system. Additionally, the use of chemicals and drugs to treat horses comes with various side effects. Prolonged use of some medication can cause life-threatening health conditions such as cancer. TENS can be applied instead to avoid all the harmful effects of using drugs in horses while treating pain.
TENS is an easy method of relieving pain in horses. No specialized skills are needed to conduct the therapy, and it can be done at home by the horse owner. The owner only needs to know is where the pain is coming from and how to use the TENS unit. Unlike other pain treatment methods, it is easy to learn and understand.
Other pain relief treatments like the administration of drugs orally can be quite hard to administer, especially in animals, and that is why TENS is more recommended.
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation as a therapy method is flexible and can be applied in many parts of the body to relieve pain. Most horses experience muscular pain related to nerve damage because of extreme physical activities or nerve damage caused by accidents. It is, therefore, very suitable for equines because most of their pain is usually external.
In the case of athlete quinines, TENS is very helpful because it can be administered before a race if the horse is experiencing muscle stiffness. The TENS unit is portable and does not occupy much space; hence it can be carried to the racecourse. Additionally, most TENS units are battery-powered, which means that the electrical connection is not a limiting factor. Moreover, a good quality TENS unit can stay without its battery being recharged for three days or more.
The battery power makes the device more reliable. TENS therapy can be applied anywhere at any time to provide quick relief from pain for quinines.
Horse rearing is one of the most expensive economic activity. Whether the horses are used for racing, farming, or as pets, maintaining their health and physical strength can be costly and challenging. The same applies when the horse is sick, and they need medication. Veterinary services for horses can be very costly, mainly because drugs used to treat horses are very expensive. The cost of treating horses can be minimized by using TENS as a method of pain alleviation.
Sometimes, a horse may experience colic and stomach disorders, especially if introduced to a new diet. A TENS unit can be used to treat the horse and help remove gas from the digestive system. A horse cannot be physically active if it has stomach problems. A TENS unit is a quick and effective solution for colic.
Disadvantages of using transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation in equines
The biggest challenge faced by horse owners while applying TENS in equine rehabilitation is finding the best device or TENS unit to administer the treatment.
The device has to be professional, and it is hard to find it in the market. It is also not cheap to purchase even though one needs only to buy it once. Additionally, one must look for a device with a long battery life to ensure the unit can be used even in areas without electricity access.
Unlike applying TENS in human beings, using it on horses is not easy. Horses cannot communicate as fluently as humans can. When applying TENS therapy to a human being, they can tell the physician how they feel and how the treatment is affecting them. The case is different for horses. The veterinary can only conclude what the horse is feeling by using various signs. There are very high chances of the veterinary misunderstanding the body language of the horse. It is possible to misjudge where the horse is feeling pain, making treatment to be administered in the wrong body part altogether. To avoid such crucial mistakes, horse owners must hire horse professionals to do the therapy for them. A horse professional has more experience and is not likely to misunderstand illness signs and symptoms.
TENS is not fast in implementing pain relief because various sessions are needed before it works. Other methods may be preferred for faster relief from pain in cases where the problem is too severe. The number of sessions required will vary depending on the amount of nerve damage and the size of the area affected. Additionally, if too many TENS sessions are applied at the same spot, it may have a side effect. The equine may experience tingling sensations or itchy skin making them more uncomfortable. Quinines and especially athlete quinines cannot perform well when they feel uncomfortable.
Caution must also be taken in measuring the amount of voltage when using TENS as a therapy method in equines. A voltage that is too high could cause severe damage to the tissue, while a voltage that is too low may be ineffective in pain relief. Sometimes, if the TENS unit is faulty, controlling the voltage is a challenge, which can be risky. Moreover, TENS cannot be applied to animals that are allergic to adhesive pads, as it may cause adverse effects on the animal. In such a case, other therapy techniques have to be used in the rehabilitation of the quinine.
Sometimes a horse may be experiencing pain caused by infections or other illnesses that are not related to muscle damage. In such a case, no matter how much transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation is done, it is impossible to relieve the horse of the pain. TENS can, therefore, only be used in approved cases where the cause of the problem has been medically proven to be related to nerve damage. Improper use could cause more harm than good.
TENS is a newly introduced therapy method in equine rehabilitation, and there is no sufficient research or proven information related to it. It is, therefore, riskier than other treatment forms. Its side effects have not been adequately documented, and it is hard to tell when the therapy is affecting the horse negatively. Additionally, there are strict restrictions as to how and when TENS should be used in treating horses. Animal rights activists also have varied opinions as to the safety of TENS in the rehabilitation of equines.
Conclusions
TENS therapy in the rehabilitation of equines is beneficial, especially as a quick solution to eliminating pain. Studies that have been conducted have shown horses responding very well to treatment. Even though horses need a day or two to adapt to the treatment, the result has been positive. Equines are prone to nerve damage because of their vigorous physical activities. Medication aimed at repairing nerve damage usually takes too long to work, and some can even fail to do ultimately. In the case of athlete quinines, quick treatment of nerve damage may be needed, especially in the racecourse. TENS acts as immediate relief from pain for the horse, enabling it to continue with the race and still perform well. TENS stimulates the release of endorphins, a chemical that reduces the brain’s ability to perceive pain. TENS is, therefore, a necessary treatment in the rehabilitation of equines. The treatment of horses using transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation is also less invasive than other equine rehabilitation methods. As much as TENS therapy is easy to administer, it is essential to hire a qualified veterinary to do the job. This is because assessments must first be done to ascertain whether using TENS is safe for the horse. Just like human beings, horses are different. They have various immunities and health conditions. Some may be allergic to adhesive pads, while some may have sensitive skin conditions that do not allow the use of a TENS unit. Therefore, it is imperative to seek a professional’s opinion before applying TENS therapy on a horse. All factors that may limit the use of TENS therapy on a horse must be ruled out first. Finally, governments must continue to regulate TENS units’ quality to make sure that they are safe to use. Faulty TENS unit may discharge the wrong amount of electrical voltage, causing severe health effects in equines.