Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO; Present address: Samantha Parkinson, Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH.
Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO.
J Equine Vet Sci. 2022 Oct;117:104091. doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2022.104091. Epub 2022 Jul 29.
Neck pain and stiffness are increasingly recognized in horses and often treated using multimodal pharmaceutical and rehabilitation approaches. In humans, deep tissue heating is reported to reduce neck pain and increase flexibility. The objective of this project was to determine the effects of capacitive-resistive electrical therapy on neck pain and stiffness in horses. A blinded, randomized, controlled clinical trial with 10 horses assigned to active and 10 horses assigned to sham treatment groups. Neck pain, stiffness, and muscle hypertonicity were assessed by manual palpation. Forelimb postural stability was evaluated using a portable media device with built-in inertial sensing components. All outcome parameters were recorded once weekly for four weeks. Using manufacturer recommendations, the treatment group received active capacitive-resistive electrical therapy to the lower cervical region (C4-C7), twice weekly for a total of six treatments, while the control group received a sham (inactive) treatment. Data was analyzed using a mixed model that was fit separately for each response variable. There were no significant differences noted over time or between groups for any outcome parameter evaluated. While neck pain and stiffness decreased by week three in both groups, the improvement was not significant. Limitations include the lack of a definitive pathoanatomic diagnosis of cervical pathology and in vivo temperature measurements. Capacitive-resistive electrical therapy was ineffective in reducing neck pain and dysfunction using the recommended treatment protocols. No short-term adverse effects were noted. Specific clinical applications and effective treatment parameters need further evaluation.
颈部疼痛和僵硬在马匹中越来越常见，通常采用多模式药物和康复方法进行治疗。在人类中，深层组织加热被报道可减轻颈部疼痛并增加柔韧性。本项目的目的是确定电容电阻电疗对马颈部疼痛和僵硬的影响。这是一项盲法、随机、对照临床试验，将 10 匹马分配到主动治疗组，10 匹马分配到假治疗组。通过手动触诊评估颈部疼痛、僵硬和肌肉紧张度。使用带有内置惯性感应组件的便携式媒体设备评估前肢姿势稳定性。所有结果参数每周记录一次，共记录四周。根据制造商的建议，治疗组接受了主动电容电阻电疗，作用于下颈椎（C4-C7）区域，每周两次，共进行六次治疗，而对照组则接受了假（无效）治疗。使用混合模型分别对每个响应变量进行分析。在任何评估的结果参数中，无论是在时间上还是在组间，都没有观察到显著差异。虽然两组的颈部疼痛和僵硬在第三周都有所减轻，但这种改善并不显著。局限性包括缺乏对颈椎病变的明确病理诊断和体内温度测量。根据推荐的治疗方案，电容电阻电疗在减轻颈部疼痛和功能障碍方面无效。未观察到短期不良反应。具体的临床应用和有效的治疗参数需要进一步评估。
