Flying Changes: magazine for northwest sporthorse enthusiasts

As an equine veterinary acupuncturist, I receive dozens of phone calls each week, from people whose horses need help. Acupuncture is useful for a wide variety of veterinary problems; however, it isn’t always the right solution. There are many times when you should have your regular veterinarian examine your horse first, before you look to “alternative” medicine. There are many cases where a mix of traditional and alternative medicine offer the best solution for your horse.

In this article, I’ll help you gain a better understanding of what acupuncture can—and cannot—treat. I’ll also help you identify those times when you should call your regular vet. And, if you choose alternative medicine, I’ll give you some ideas of what I’d look for in a practitioner. It is my hope that this will help you make the right choice for your horse, in addition to saving you time and money.

How do you decide who to call? We’ll start with the most obvious issues and then work to the more complex problems. I recommend that you call your vet any time your horse shows signs of a foot or lower limb problem. If you can discern which leg your horse is lame in, call your vet.The equine veterinarian can do a full lameness exam, including flexion tests, nerve blocks, and x-rays, if needed.

There are acupuncture points that address ring bone, navicular, and can help speed up healing in the legs, but a proper diagnosis is important and can help me (or the practitioner of your choice) do a better job. These chronic, arthritic conditions are slow to respond and take many treatments, however. I often recommend traditional veterinary treatments such as shock wave therapy and joint injections for these conditions.

Things get tricky when horses exhibit back pain. Research shows that the majority of horses with back pain have lower limb lameness (Dyson, et al). This raises the question, which came first—leg lameness or back pain? In some cases, back pain causes the lameness; in others, back pain is a result of the lameness. Regardless, if you can identify which leg is sore, have your vet check the leg before addressing the back issue. (Click here to find out how to check for back pain in your horse.)

Your horse may have a stifle, hock, or a ligament issue and have back pain from trying to compensate. Acupuncture can address the back pain but won’t address the leg issue—which is why I encourage clients to see their regular vet first.

Once the sore leg is treated, back pain may remain if the muscles have tightened and spasmed. Tight muscles can pull the horse’s spine or sacroiliac joint out of alignment—just as happens with humans. If you use chiropractic to address the spinal issue, be aware that the muscles need to be addressed, as well. Many human chiropractors incorporate massage therapy to re-set both the spine and the musculature.

As a veterinarian who is certified in chiropractic, in addition to acupuncture, I find acupuncture is very effective in improving circulation to and relaxing the muscles of the back, allowing the spine to return to normal functioning. The majority of horses I treat with acupuncture for back pain are 80 to 90% improved within one treatment. However, if there are underlying arthritic problems or other issues, the horse may benefit from treatment three to four times per year. Typically, a second treatment is often recommended to finish up.

As veterinary diagnostic tools become more advanced, veterinarians are diagnosing more problems with the sacroiliac (SI) joint, cervical vertebrae, and lumbar vertebral joints. Veterinarians are using steroid injections to treat these lesions, which is effective in some cases; however, there’s a limit to the number of injections a horse should have. Acupuncture may improve the lesion for a longer period with less risk.

If your horse has a lameness that the veterinarian is unable to diagnose, I recommend checking the back for soreness. These sorts of vague lamenesses, where the horse is kind of off but shows no actual leg problems are often a result of neck, back, and sacral pain.

If you study the anatomy of the horse, you find that he is a giant musculo-skeletal machine, with an average of five inches of muscle between the skin and the lumbosacral joint. Horses are built to run from predators—not to carry riders. It’s no wonder they suffer from back and muscle pain, given what we ask of them.

Horse owners need to be alert to changes in their horses’ attitude. If your horse shows major behavioral changes, he may be trying to tell you he hurts. Especially for the mature horse who changes from being a good worker to being resistant—the cause is almost always physical. Pay attention. It’s your responsibility to know your horse’s body, including his tolerance for pain—you are his advocate.

I get a fair number of calls from people who tell me their horses are stiff in one direction but their vet ruled out any physical problems. Just like people, horses tend to be stronger in one direction than the other. We need to engage and develop the weaker side through exercise, making our horses more “ambidextrous,” so to speak. There are no shortcuts to fitness—take the time needed to develop your horse properly and you’ll minimize the risk of injury.

If you’re trying to introduce a new skill to a horse and he’s having trouble learning it, the issue is likely to be training-related. If, however, your horse has been able to perform at a certain level and begins having problems in his work, it may be a sign of a physical problem. Unfortunately, this change in behavior is often misinterpreted as “resistance.” You horse may be sore from his work, saddle fit, or having muscle spasms. I encourage people to look for physical causes to these issues, rather than assuming the horse is intentionally misbehaving.

I also get calls from people who are simply desperate. These are the cases that traditional medicine has failed to help. Nerve injuries are a good example of this. In the case of facial nerve paralysis, for example, acupuncture needles used near major nerves can sometimes stimulate a damaged nerve, encouraging healing. I’ve also seen acupuncture help horses with cases of repeated colic, laminitis, and reproductive problems. There are no guarantees, but if you’ve run out of options, acupuncture may be effective. Acupuncture is a very low risk modality.

When choosing a practitioner, whether it’s an acupuncturist or a chiropractor, I strongly recommend using an outside source to help evaluate your horse. Have someone who doesn’t “believe” in the modality evaluate your horse’s way of going before and after the treatment. Horses are good responders to treatment—which means if a treatment is effective you should see a response the first time on a musculo-skeletal issue. (It shouldn’t take five treatments where you’re not certain you’re seeing an actual result.)

I also recommend using practitioners with a veterinary background. You want someone with well-rounded knowledge, who takes a look at the whole picture—including shoeing, diet, and training. Ask for referrals and expect to see results, keeping in mind that chronic conditions may require occasional treatment to keep the horse comfortable. Once the initial issue has been treated, many horses are then able to develop correct muscle tone, which seems to stabilize the spinal column, allowing the horse to progress in his work with less pain. I’ve seen former clients, years later, happy in their work and successful in the show ring, without continued treatment. I encourage you to pay attention to your horse’s attitude and behavior—horses are willing and forgiving partners, deserving of healthy, pain-free lives.

Dr. Aimee Witherspoon is a veterinarian certified in veterinary acupuncture & manual therapy. She has been a faculty member of the Colorado State University veterinary acupuncture training program since 2003 & lectures in equine & small animal back pain. Dr. Witherspoon graduated magna cum laude from Whitman College in 1975 with a major in Biology & received her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Washington State University in 1979. Her hobbies include 3-day eventing with her horse “Worth the Wait,” kayaking, and mountain biking. Go to www.ivspet.org for more information or to contact Dr. Witherspoon directly.

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