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inserting needle into horse's joint

Therapeutic & Regenerative Medicine

Intra-Articular & Tendon/Ligament Injections

 

Arthritis in our athletic horses is a fact of life and treatment of chronic joint pain is a major issue in our clients’ lives. Sometimes conservative therapies like phenylbutazone, rest, topical Surpass, leg sweats and icing just don’t do the trick because the body’s inflammatory mediators inside the joint are actually destroying it.

Steroids & Hyaluronic Acid

 

Stopping this inflammation is key to controlling arthritis progression. Intra-articular cortisone is one of the best treatments for stopping inflammation. The arthritis will continue to progress (because the horse will continue to do athletic endeavors), but the process will slow and the horse will feel better. Adding Hyaluronic Acid to the injection targets the joint capsule, decreases inflammation in that tissue, and helps it to begin secreting more normal healthy joint fluid.

 
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)

 

PRP can be  used to promote wound, bone healing, and ligament/tendon repair.  Platelet rich plasma (PRP) is a component of blood which, after processing, concentrates the platelets into a limited volume allowing us to inject it into the desired are of the horse. Follow the link to learn more about PRP.

 

IRAP® (Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist Protein)

 

The irap®-therapy offers the opportunity to effectively treat lameness of your horse utilizing the body’s own healing mechanisms. It is an excellent non-cortisone therapy for joints and soft tissues and can be used for arthritis, traumatic soft tissue damage, and for post-surgical reduction of inflammation and adhesions. The irap®-therapy is based on the production of regenerative and anti-inflammatory proteins by the horse’s own blood cells. After processing, the resulting “Autologous Conditioned Serum” (ACS) is injected into the affected joint or inflamed tendon sheath. Three injections over a course of six weeks is recommended to achieve full effect. Follow the link to learn more about IRAP.

 

Stem Cell Therapy

 

Stem Cell therapy is used in the treatment of tendon and ligament injuries, degenerative joint disease (osteoarthritis), osteochondrosis (OCD), sub-chondral bone cysts, meniscal injuries, and fractures. Stem cells are derived either from the horse’s own fat or bone marrow. They contain a high yield of mesenchymal stem cells as well as many other regenerative cells that produce cytokines and growth factors. The stem cells are able to differentiate into multiple cell types and produce extracellular (structural) matrix.

Information courtesy of Vet-Stem – www.vet-stem.com

Adequan® & Legend®

 

Polysulfated glycosaminoglycan is a naturally-occurring complex molecule that is the essential building block of the cartilage matrix. Marketed as Adequan®i.m., this product travels into injured joints and stimulates production of new cartilage while relieving the symptoms of non-infectious degenerative joint disease. Adequan®i.m. treats joint disease, increases lubrication and stimulates cartilage repair while relieving pain, decreasing inflammation, restoring synovial fluid and blocking destructive enzymes.

Information courtesy of Luitpold Animal Health.

 

Legend® (hyaluronate sodium) is an FDA approved I.V. and intra-articular therapy to treat equine non-infectious synovitis associated with osteoarthritis. It is a pure hyaluronate sodium, the same glycosaminoglycan present in normal joint fluid. It is produced by a patented biofermentation process, resulting in such purity that it can be given intravenously for immediate bioavailability. Hyaluronate sodium is proven to decrease inflammation and destructive enzymes associated with inflammation. Follow the link for more information on Legend.

 

Osphos & Tildren
 

Follow the links for more information on Osphos and Tildren.

 
High Power (Class 4) Laser Therapy

 

An exciting modality for treating a variety of problems, our Laser system provides a sterile, pain-free, surgery-free, drug-free treatment which is used to help heal a variety of injuries, wounds, fractures, neurological conditions, numerous dermatological problems and pain. Whether your horse is rehabilitating from trauma or injury, healing from wounds or simply aging, they will benefit from this revolutionary new approach to veterinary medicine.

Benefits of Laser Therapy Include:

  • Accelerated tissue repair and growth

  • Faster wound healing

  • Analgesia (pain relief)

  • Decreased inflammation

  • Angiogenesis (blood vessel creation)

  • Vasodilation (to increase oxygenation & waste product removal

  • Improved lymphatic drainage

  • Improved nerve function

  • Muscle relaxation

  • Decreased fibrosis

  • Immunoregulation/modulation

  • Acupuncture stimulation

  • Trigger point modulation

cold laser therapy on horse's leg
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