vibration therapy issue 31 new.qxd:Jerkins feature.qxd
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VIBRATION THERAPY
Vibration therapy Vibration therapy, whereby the horse’s whole body receives massaging vibrations, has been found to be an effective way of not only speeding up the healing process but of preventing injuries. B y Katie Roebuck
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HE therapy basically involves a horse standing on a plate or set of plates which are underneath rubber matting in a stable-style setup. The vibration motor can be set to a frequency as mild or as intensive as required, from as little as ten minutes or more. With the option of the floor slightly tilting it also means that as the horse readjusts its balance, there is no risk of resting any one leg for a length of time. Clinical studies have shown vibration therapy has no negative effect whatsoever on the horse. This non-invasive treatment does not cause any detriment to its subjects – in fact, horses appear to welcome it. It works on the basic premise that vibration movement promotes good blood circulation around the body, particularly in legs and organs; this is especially useful for horses on box rest. Vibration therapy increases bone strength and density, and also hoof growth – thoroughbreds are notorious for having poor feet. Whole body vibration therapy (WBV) is a non-chemical intervention that improves blood circulation because it is a biomechanical stimulation. This is particularly important for racehorses that spend the majority of their day in a stabled environment. The rapid contraction and relaxation of muscles means more blood flow around the body, which means more oxygen to the tissues and thus the removal of toxins. Human studies have found vibration therapy has increased bone density by up to 20 per cent; it is the only kind of treatment with a documented positive effect on osteoporosis. For equines, there had been no scientific
or medical research carried out on the method until the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) in Uppsala got involved. The SLU carried out research on the benefits of vibrating floors in 2004. Hans Broström is a university lecturer at the Department of Clinical Sciences, Division of Diagnostics and Large Animal Clinical Sciences. He was approached by Norwegian trainer and inventor Bendick Bö (profiled in Issue 17 of European Trainer) whilst working in the department of equine surgery. Bö had invented a vibrating floor and wanted to know if it had
any adverse side effects which would undermine what he believed was of benefit to the horses receiving treatment. The purpose of the study was to analyse what happened to a clinically healthy horse during vibration therapy. They used thermography (thermal imaging) and recorded the variations in temperature before and after treatment. They also made a clinical examination and monitored blood samples, rectal temperature, heart rate, and observed reactions. Under the watchful eye of Broström, veterinary student Marianne Tingbö discovered no adverse effects. In her report Tingbö wrote, “the idea is that vibration will stimulate healing of injuries, relax rigidities and make the horse more variable. According to users of the floor, it has also had a very positive effect on horses showing colic symptoms. No negative effect has been observed with the treatment of horses and the horses seemed to like the treatment.” Broström agreed. He wrote, “The study concentrated on Thermographic imaging. It showed a significant decrease in skin and hoof wall temperatures in front legs after vibration for 45 minutes. No significant changes were observed in rectal temperature, heart rate and in several blood parameters. The horses did not reject repeated vibration periods. On the contrary, they seemed to like it.” There didn’t seem to be any reason why youngsters could not also benefit from vibration therapy; growing bones, according to Broström, were not at any risk from the treatment, especially “if the young horse has a correct constitution.” This was fantastic news to Bö and backed
The outer workings of the vibrating floor
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