University Clinic for Horses, Department of Companion Animals and Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria.
School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, Australia.
J Equine Vet Sci. 2020 Aug;91:103116. doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2020.103116. Epub 2020 May 13.
Electrical stimulation is commonly used as a modality for physical therapy in human and veterinary medicine. However, studies measuring the movement generated by electrical stimulation in horses are rare. The present study therefore evaluates the range of movement provoked by a commercially available physical therapy unit (FES310) and contrasts it with the movement generated by manually induced pelvic inclination (back rounding). Ten horses were tested on three measurement days over one week. Electrical stimulation was applied via a back treatment pad (belonging to the FES310 system) containing six electrodes (three on either side of the spine) placed over the lumbosacral region. This system produced a pulsed, biphasic electrical stimulation in a rectangular waveform which was gradually increased to a maximum of 10 volts. Before and after electrical stimulation testing, manual pelvic inclination was achieved by pressure on two points lateral to the root of the tail. Muscle tone and lameness were evaluated before and after treatments. Skinfold thickness, body condition score, and body mass were measured to detect possible confounding factors. Using kinematics, the angle ranges during movement of ten three-dimensional angles of the trunk, the pelvis, and the hind limbs were further analyzed. Movement was produced with manual stimulation in every tested individual on all measurement days and with electrical stimulation on at least one measurement day. The electrical stimulation led to significantly (P < .05) smaller angle ranges which were 15 %-57 % of the median of the manually stimulated movement. Strong positive correlations between angle ranges of the electrically generated movement were found for the hind limbs implicating their involvement in the movement created. Correlations between skinfold thickness, body condition score, and body mass with the angle ranges were weak and not significant. Before and after electrical and manual stimulation, muscle tone and lameness were similar. In the present study, both electrical and manual stimulation were proven to produce significant trunk and hind limb movement. Within this study's electrical stimulation treatment protocol, the movement generated by electrical stimulation was significantly less than the movement caused by manual pelvic inclination. However, electrical stimulation could easily be applied over a longer period and in a higher frequency than it would be possible for manual pelvic inclination. This treatment shows potential for stabilization and or mobilization of the lumbosacral region, although its efficiency as a therapeutic tool and its effect on specific orthopedic problems and is to be evaluated in further research.
电刺激常用于人类和兽医医学中的物理治疗方式。然而，测量马的电刺激产生的运动的研究很少。因此，本研究评估了一种市售的物理治疗设备（FES310）引起的运动范围，并将其与手动诱导的骨盆倾斜（背部圆拱）产生的运动进行对比。十匹马在一周内的三个测量日进行了测试。电刺激通过背部治疗垫（属于 FES310 系统）施加，该治疗垫包含六个电极（脊柱两侧各三个），放置在腰荐区域。该系统产生矩形波的脉冲双相电刺激，逐渐增加至最大 10 伏特。在电刺激测试之前和之后，通过向尾巴根部两侧的两个点施加压力来实现手动骨盆倾斜。在治疗前后评估肌肉张力和跛行。测量皮褶厚度、体况评分和体重，以发现可能的混杂因素。使用运动学进一步分析了十个躯干、骨盆和后肢的三维角度在运动过程中的角度范围。在所有测量日中，手动刺激在每个测试个体中都产生了运动，而在至少一个测量日中产生了电刺激。电刺激导致的角度范围明显较小（P <.05），为手动刺激运动的中位数的 15%-57%。电刺激产生的运动的后肢角度范围之间存在强烈的正相关，表明它们参与了所产生的运动。皮褶厚度、体况评分和体重与角度范围之间的相关性较弱且无统计学意义。在电刺激和手动刺激前后，肌肉张力和跛行相似。在本研究中，电刺激和手动刺激都被证明可以产生明显的躯干和后肢运动。在本研究的电刺激治疗方案中，电刺激产生的运动明显小于手动骨盆倾斜引起的运动。然而，电刺激可以比手动骨盆倾斜更容易地应用更长时间和更高频率。这种治疗方法显示出稳定和/或动员腰荐区域的潜力，尽管其作为治疗工具的效率及其对特定骨科问题的影响仍需在进一步的研究中进行评估。
