[Blog index]

Equine Neck Pain

Jun 8th, 2016

 

A horse’s neck is a complex structure in which more than a hundred muscles support and move the vertebrae. The spinal cord and nerves intersect each vertebrae before continuing down the forelimbs. And a lot can go wrong with these important and fragile structures.

Neck (or cervical) pain often occurs in middle-aged performance horses and is common in those athletes that must collect themselves or turn quickly (such as dressage horses, eventers, jumpers, reiners and barrel racers).

Neck pain often can be the cause of poor performance or a behavior change that doesn’t match a horse’s personality. Signs can include a crabby attitude, a reduced willingness to flex the neck, holding the neck in a neutral or extended position, a willingness to work in one direction but not the other, and bolting when asked to turn or flex the neck.

There are a variety of treatments for horses with neck pain, including:

  • Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) administration;
  • Time off or a decrease in the horse’s workload, either temporary or permanent depending on the scenario;
  • Cervical facet injections (placing anti-inflammatory medication, corticosteroids, and/or prophylactic antibiotics into the    facet joints between the cervical vertebrae);
  • Mesotherapy 
  • Acupuncture
  • Chiropractics
  • Laser therapy
  • Shock wave therapy
  • Massage therapy

Massage therapy can sometimes be effective on its own, but it almost always is effective in conjunction with the treatments listed above. For example massage therapy can be used to relax tight muscles before a chiropractic adjustment, and can be used after the adjustment to help the muscles stay relaxed, supple and hold the adjustment in place. Tight muscles lead to muscle spasm (knots), these spasms will make it difficult for a horse to bend its neck. CVT or “Cycloid Vibration Therapy” has also shown to be effective when dealing with tight muscles, or muscle, ligament and tendon injuries, all of which can affect the equine neck.

While many horses with neck pain recover well with treatment, some injuries or ailments are too severe to return a horse to his previous level of performance. It’s important to treat each horse’s conditions individually with help from your veterinarian.

 


Previous
Next