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  Discussion on Shoulder sweeney
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New Member:
sandras

Posted on Thursday, Oct 9, 2008 - 12:13 am:

My horse has a textbook case of shoulder sweeney and I read the article by Dr. Oglesby which was very, very helpful. Emma ran into a wooden fence post 2 months ago and I followed the wrong advice from my vet for the 1st month, allowing her to walk around freely as long as she was the only horse. Her shoulder was very swollen and my vet thought walking around was best. I know now that it was not the right treatment and it was steroids that finally brought the swelling down. I'm afraid she might have reinjured herself from moving around too much that 1st month. I put her in a small paddock situation a month ago and I let her out to eat grass for appr. 2 hours a night, in a confined area. Em is not showing improvement in her movement, although her attitude is great. Is there anything else I can do? I have her on supplements and 10,000 units of Vit. E a day which a Univ. of Davis vet recommended who also said acupuncture could help. Has anyone used acupuncture or any other type of treatment such as ultrasound for Sweeney? And, I guess I'll continue the paddock routine for up to 18 months? I read your article Dr. Oglesby but any additional information you or anyone else can give me would be great.

Thank you
Sandra
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Thursday, Oct 9, 2008 - 7:01 pm:

Hello Sandra,
I really don't think acupuncture has any scientific evidence of decreasing neuritis or hastening nerve regrowth.
DrO
New Member:
sandras

Posted on Wednesday, Oct 29, 2008 - 9:48 am:

Thanks Dr. O., has there been any research on sweeny since the 1999 Texas A&M study? We're going on 3 months now and my horse is feeling much better but her movement isn't great so I figure she is in for up to a year of confinement. ugh If I decided to try acupuncture with the "well, it can't hurt" approach, how often would it need to be done? I've used it on 3 dogs, and we started out I believe at once a week. I would have to travel out of the area for this, 3 hours one way out, which would present a problem.
Thank you,
Sandra
Member:
rtrotter

Posted on Wednesday, Oct 29, 2008 - 1:21 pm:

Sandra,

Before you go through the travel and expense to do acupuncture on your horse. Why not try acupressure instead. This is something you can do yourself and you will know right away if it will help your horse.

Nancy Zidonis, Amy Snow and Marie Soderberg collaborated on a book called Equine Acupressure: A Working Manual. It shows non practitioners where the acupuncture points are for a variety of different ailments. Instead of using needles, one uses fingers. There are also stretching exercises and what to do when you start and end a session.

I know Dr. O doesn't see this kind of therapy as being worthwhile as it can not be proven scientifically, but it does work, if anything it relaxes my horses, as they just about fall asleep in the crossties when I do it.

After a bit, they tell me where they want me to press and if they want it harder or softer. I just listen and watch them during a session. Each session it may be a different point that needs to be stimulated or quieted down.

I bought my copy from amazon.com along with a book on equine massage.

Hope your horse gets well soon.
Rachelle

Zidonis, N., Snow, A., Soderberg, M. (1999). Equine Acupressure: A Working Manual. Larkspur, CO: Tallgrass Publishers.

Hourdebaight, J.P.(1997). Equine Massage: A Practical Guide. New York, NY: Howell Book House
New Member:
sandras

Posted on Thursday, Oct 30, 2008 - 1:21 am:

Thanks Rachelle. I'll definitely look into getting the book. I won't be traveling to get acupuncture but someone is coming here once a month which I don't think would be enough if I were to do it.

Are you familiar with Sweeny?

Sandra
Member:
rtrotter

Posted on Friday, Oct 31, 2008 - 6:58 pm:

Sandra,

I read Dr. O's article on shoulder sweeney, but that is the limit of my knowledge on the subject. I have had horses with shoulder problems, but those problems were resolved with finding and fixing the real cause of the muscle atrophy and with more exercise, not less,and with several chiropractic visits where special attention was given to adjusting the scapula so I doubt what my horse had was Shoulder Sweeney. Increasing my horses miles on a sand track rebuilt his shoulder muscles and now when you look at him from the front he looks like a Mack truck. Fixing his feet helped too.

As far as the acupuncture goes, once a month could work. You should see a difference with the first session, you can then make a decision whether or not it works for your horse and to continue or not. My horses stand like statues when my acupuncturist works on them and they just about never stand like that for anything else. It's like they are hypmotized. I like to see it when they let out this great big sigh of relief, or they take a really good stretch or they start licking and smacking their lips. They really enjoy it. They do this with the chiropractor too when he hits just the right spot.

Any way good luck with your horse.
Rachelle
New Member:
sandras

Posted on Friday, Oct 31, 2008 - 10:35 pm:

Rachelle, thanks again. I think there has been very little research on Sweeny since the study that is brought up is always the 1999 study. The vet at Univ. of Davis said they only see a few cases a year and they treat a lot of horses from all over there. When the vet doing acupuncture comes back to the area I will give it a shot. I'm being told it will take up to a year for the nerve to grow back, if it does, and then we'll see the muscle start to come back.
Thanks again,
Sandra
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