Accupuncture and horses, any experience??

Question

It appears my show mule has a suspected pinched subscapular nerve. The vet did the lameness exam and basically the diagnosis is gait inconsistencies, but no lameness or soreness.

The vets recommendation is tomorrow 2g's of bute, the next day 1g and then ride him that night. I don't even have to ride him, its evident at a pivot and a trot.

If he is better with the bute, accupuncture, if not, xrays. His gait problems are so subtle that someone that didn't know this mule might not pick them out, my friends sure couldn't see it.

His injury is from the one time I hooked him to a work harness. The collar pinched the nerve and suspectedly caused this because the next day we entered a pleasure driving class in his pleasure style harness and it took the whole arena to turn him to the right, which is not like this mule at all. I gave him time off, checked him for sore spots, with nothing showing up.

So if anyone has any knowledge, I am all ears on this!!

Clarinet, yeah he did everything under the sun, including flexion tests, accupressure points for soreness, raising head up and backing for neck lesions, evaluating at a walk/trot/pivot. Hmm, we were there for 2 hrs, so I'm sure I'm forgetting more. He checked for the nerve also, but it wasn't exactly positive. He first thought suspensory problem, but the test check was negative and no soreness there. He said that the pinched nerve can give the same movement as Stretch is exhibiting. I am alllll for accupuncture and very lucky there is a vet here in town. There is a reputable chiro about 4 hrs away, I am wondering if I should go ahead and get an apptmt for him with the chiro also. This mule is my 'princess and the pea', he tolerates absolutely no pain, so this is why I don't really know how much this hurts. I am going to get the accupuncture for sure though, just wondering others experience. I ahve had it on myself with excellent results.

Thanks so much everyone. Right now, I have him starting accupuncture on monday for 3 sessions lasting a little over a week. I am still awaiting a call from the chiro that is about 3.5 hrs away, but I hear he is very good. Thanks so much!!

Answer 1

We used to have a vet do acupuncture on our show horses along with a TENS machine and it worked very well. They were western pleasure prospects and all that riding with heads low, hocks under, shuffling along was hard on their necks and backs combined with the fact that they were only 2. I've got several fused vertebrae and had a slipped disc and have had the same treatment myself and there is a significant improvement in range of motion and also general sense of well being immediately after the treatment.
I'd give it a whirl myself and see how he reacts. Improvement should be quite rapid. Another good therapy is electro accuscope which one of my friends does and that works great for all types of injuries. There are people that practice throughout the country - good luck!

Answer 2

Did the vet check acupunture points in his exam? Did he do flexion tests? I have used acupuncture as well as chiropractic therapies alone and in combination with each other. Both are very good and relieving a painful condition and I have even seen a lame horse trot sound after a treatment. The key is how effective is the treatment over the long haul. My personal experience is that usually a series of treatments are beneficial often in combination with standard drugs. The treatment itself allows the body to relax itself by reducing the pain. If you have ever had a something wrong you know how much your own body compensates and tenses due to the pain. Acupuncture and chiropractic allow the body to relax enough to get things back to where they should be which over time allows one to recover. If however the injury is of a more serious nature it is important to get to the root of the problem because the treatment will not be as effective long term. I would think if you are definitely having a pinched nerve problem both of these type therapies would be very helpful.

Sounds like you are on the right track. The situation may just require a series of treatments and some people don't realize that. They do 1-2 treatments and then say it doesn't work. Wish you and your "Princess" well!

Answer 3

LOL! I have noticed. Sometimes I put down my experience and sometimes I do not. I used to think that knowing I had been a professional groom for 20+ years and had been on the big circuit for 14 might lend some credibility but it does not seem to matter. I am now trying to stay away from the "what do you think of this horse" questions because when I give an honest opinion I get a bunch of thumbs down and the asker will always pick the answer that tells what a beautiful horse it is. I try to remember that many of the users here are young and at that spot in life where they believe that they know all there is to know about horses. I cringe at some of the answers I see. I will continue to offer advice based on my years of hands on experience and I imagine I will continue to feed the trolls.

Answer 4

I had a horse that got loose from my yard and ran out into the road right into the side of a car going about 45mph. She miraculously walked away without a scratch. But, she was very sore. After her being sore for a couple more weeks and not really moving around as well as she did, we took her to a chiropractor who also gave her B6 acupuncture. The next day she was running around like a 2 yr old. She felt better from that day on. I would highly recommend it. Try the chiropractor also if you haven't already.

Answer 5

I have a mare that was very violent, and we could never find a trainer that could fix the problem. Then we heard about an acupuncturist/chiropractor who adjusted my mare and did some acupuncture, and she was an angel afterwards. We get her adjusted monthly and get acupuncture every 6 months, and she hasn't been even slightly aggressive since. I would definitely try it out. : )

Answer 6

For subtle problems - especially in the neck back or hips - I think it can help. I've seen really good results when they hook the needles up to an electric current. For a bad lameness I don't think it makes a big enough difference.

Hope it works for you!

Answer 7

i think acupuncture is awesome!! i used to work for a vet that did acupuncture on horses and dogs and some of the before and after cases were amazing! i firmly believe in acupuncture, massage and chiropractic care for all animals.