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scar tissue remodeling — for horses?

SCAR TISSUE REMODELING FOR HORSES?
WHY NOT?

Scar Tissue Horse

Arsdelicata

Scar tissue can restrict movement in adjacent joints, eventually creating injury to the joint itself. This type of restrictive tissue can become stronger and as non-elastic as connective tissue like tendons and cartilage. After an injury, collagen fibers are laid down in a sporadic and unorganized pattern in order to prevent the recurrence of injury……    There is no guarantee that manual therapy can break up the tissue, and you must understand that by mobilizing tissue that has grown over like a scar, you will be required to create a new injury by pulling the adhered tissue from the adjoining tissue. This can be painful, and requires a new healing process attended by more therapy.  From an Ezine article by Kathy Duncan called Equine Massage for Releasing Scar Tissue.  Although I am not doing massage, the principles are the same.

I’m always up for trying something new.  So when Stacy called me about the possibility of having me take a look at his chronically injured horse, I agreed.  One of our local vets — a real expert in the equine field — Dr. Roger Shaw of Thomasville, had recently told Stacy that while his horse could be gently ridden for fun, it would never be physically able to rope or barrel race again.  Not wanting to give up, the gears in Stacy’s mind began to turn. 

I had done some SCAR TISSUE REMODELING for injuries Stacy sustained several years ago.  He thought, “Hey; if it works on people, why wouldn’t it work on a horse?”  Not knowing any different, I had to concur. 

Although I grew up in the Flint Hills of Kansas and worked for several people who used horses to take care of their cattle (I also used to occasionally wrangle at YMCA CAMP WOOD), I am about the furthest thing from a horse expert there is.  Just to see if it’s possible, I am using my Scar Tissue Remodeling technique on an area of severe Scar Tissue on Stacy’s horse in an attempt to get the horse well enough to compete again. 

The problematic area is made up of what I believe to be a combination of TENDINOSIS and FASCIAL ADHESIONS.  After taking care of the horse, I finished up by using some COLD LASER on the area.  Stacy is STRETCHING the animal as best he can.  To get an idea of how effective this sort of work can be when done on humans, take a look at some of our VIDEO TESTIMONIALS (or HERE).  Because the Scar Tissue is thicker than anything I have ever seen or dealt with before, I’ll see the horse half a dozen times and see what happens. 

HERE is a progress report from a few weeks after this post was created.

SIDE VIEW OF HIND LEG

HORSE
ANATOMY

In the picture on the left, the “hock” is the ‘backwards knee’ found just below the third red arrow.  The muscles affected seem to a lesser degree to be the hamstring (semitendinosus / semimembranosus) and to a greater degree, the gastrocnemicus, which is analogous to the calf in a humanThe Achilles Tendon (or whatever it is called in a horse) is also affected.


The picture on the right simply shows another view (the rear view) of where I have thus far found the worst of the Scar Tissue.

REAR VIEW HIND LEG

For those of you who do not know, I am a chiropractor, not a veterinarian.  The work I am doing on Stacy’s horse is simply one friend helping another.  If what I do for his horse works (or doesn’t work), he will let you know.  In other words, ask Stacy or look for the follow up to this post. 
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2 Responses

  1. Bright ideas. I am so luck that I found this website such a full of informative content ever! Wish could you posts more articles/content about horses. Just sharing this website (www.horses-haarlem-oil.com), I read also about the benefits of their products. By the way, I am so happy to read your content here. I will share this link/website of you to my fellows. Thank you and God bless! Have a great day, ahead!

  2. Hi Im Rebecca. My colt hurt his ankle with a bad cut. He has been healing for the last three months. his ankle is larger than the other. scar tissue. How can I treat this and what kind of laser do I need? How do I use it on him to break up some of his tissue and finish his healing?
    Thank you,
    Rebecca Hollingsworth

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