The majority of performance-grade lamenesses involve the development of osteo-arthritis of the joints.  We rely on methods of therapy to help slow the progression of arthritis and temper the pain that is involved with arthritic joints.  We will commonly use a form of Hyaluronic Acid and Corticosteroid injected directly into the joint, but we also use a variety of other biologic agents to quiet inflammation and pain.

Stem cell treatment is a relatively new and exciting regenerative therapy that again, focuses on helping the horse’s natural body processes heal themselves. The therapy generally uses mesenchymal stem cells, which are cells that can develop into either bone, fat, tendon or cartilage cells. Depending on the need of the horse, the specific cells needed for healing are injected into the animal at the spot of injury.

IRAP is a biologic anti-inflammatory therapy that blocks interleukin-1 from causing inflammation. The production of IRAP happens naturally, but by upping the amount of IRAP around the injury, it can be a much more effective and quicker therapy than the natural process. This is done by taking blood from the horse, processing it, then injecting it back in.

PRP, or platelet rich plasma, is another therapy that originates in the horse’s blood, much like IRAP. The platelets are a part of the blood that cause clotting. By drawing blood and placing  it in a centrifuge to activate the platelets, they release growth factors, which accelerate healing and improve the quality of healing.

Shockwave therapy is a non-invasive procedure to stimulate healing in your horse to return it back to it’s superior performance. Shockwave therapy works by generating high-intensity shock or pressure waves, which pulse to a specific site within the injured tissue on the horse.

Laser Therapy is another form of therapy that works to expedite the healing process in the horse. The Class IV laser emits light at a certain wavelength that facilitate’s the horse’s ability to heal himself.

Mesotherapy is a treatment for horses with chronic back pain and arthritis. Mesotherapy works by injecting substances on both sides of the spine into the middle layer of skin to stimulate the mesoderm for various purposes.  This consists of about three rows of injections on each side of the horse’s spine using very small needles. These injections work to alleviate back-pain in the horse.