This is an archived Horseadvice.com Discussion. The parent article and menus are available on the navigation menu below:
HorseAdvice.com » Treatments and Medications for Horses » Alternative or Herbal Medicatons »
  Discussion on TENS therapy
Author Message
Member:
Beydao

Posted on Sunday, Feb 26, 2006 - 1:44 pm:

Dr O. Trying to find any scientific papers on the use of TENS on a competition horse. I am specifically interested in any scientific evidence to back up or justify the claims made by the providers of such treatment. Can you direct me to any research ?.. Thanks Alison
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Monday, Feb 27, 2006 - 9:03 am:

Nothing readily shows up under TENS. Alison refresh my memory on what it stands for. I think is it something like transcutaneous electrical...
DrO
Member:
Beydao

Posted on Monday, Feb 27, 2006 - 3:18 pm:

Transcutaneous Electrical nerve stimulation..Apparently it gently stimulates nerves and blocks pain signals before they can be received by the brain...It seems to be gaining in popularity over here as an alternative treatment. I just wondered if there had been any research done.. I cannot really understand how it works... Sounds too good to be true.. I wondered whether you had any information..ps fantastic site I use you all the time alison
Member:
Mrose

Posted on Monday, Feb 27, 2006 - 4:13 pm:

Isn't this the same treatment human patients are often given as part of the physical therapy after an injury?
Member:
Corinne

Posted on Monday, Feb 27, 2006 - 5:23 pm:

TENS as Alison stated is Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation which in the human model is a treatment modality used primarily in rehabilitation of injury of musculoskeletal In injury.
In humans Sara it requires the application of electric current across the skin via electrodes placed on the skin. You can find these units for purchase online but it takes a qualified practitioner to operate because when the prescribed amount of electric stimulation is dialed into the unit the ensuing electric current depolarizes nerve fibers which can relieve pain (and causes a tingling sensation) but if too much electrical stimulation is used muscle contractions occur which should be avoided in humans during the healing process because prolonged muscle twitches can stress damaged tissue and slow tissue repair. When it’s used to cause muscle contractions TENS can be used as a diagnostic tool because failure to stimulate muscle contraction is indicative of damage to the motor nerves such as in brachial plexus and common peroneal nerve injury in humans.
Because the primary goal of rehabilitation in humans is pain control, low level electrical stimulation units are one of the most popular treatment modalities to treat pain and injury by sports medicine practitioners and physical therapists.
I would gather there be might some benefit for use in animals and I will do a quick search though my university to see if there are any studies on animals but Alison is right to research popular studies because as there are contraindications for use in people, such as not placing TENS electrodes over the carotid arteries because it can change regulation of blood pressure causing fainting, and should not be used in pregnancy because of possible damage to the fetus I presume there are contraindications for use in animals as well and it’s application should not be taken lightly. If you give me some time to research (I can’t walk so my days are quite empty let me see if I can find anything) I might be able to find some information as they often use the animal model to study human application. I doubt I will find anything on competition horses per say...but perhaps I can find something on the use in animals that might help.
Just curious, Alison where do you live? Who is using these units primarily? Do you have a company name? Are folks just using units for humans?
Member:
Dres

Posted on Monday, Feb 27, 2006 - 5:49 pm:

I had the ''tens unit'' hooked up to my back when i broke it... YEARS ago... i had 6 points of electrods attached to my back and on my belt was the device... I am here to tell you it worked on my pain... as far as a quicker healing, can't say one way or the other... I just went to a Pony Club meeting and a gal was giving a lecture re this very subject, she has a unit that she uses on equines, took a course.. * not many hours mind you * and now can say she is a practitioner... sorry i was lost with the Pony Club girls and did not pay much attention... this was in N. CA ..

On the first day God created horses, on the second day he painted them with spots..
Member:
Corinne

Posted on Monday, Feb 27, 2006 - 6:51 pm:

Ann....Your right...I don't think TENS aides in quicker healing per say more but more so provides pain relief because it interrupts the pain muscle spasm cycle and development of tender trigger points (taut bands of muscle) and myofascial pain synDrOmes which is essentially when pain exists well beyond the normal cycle of healing for musculoskeletal injury.

I am still curious as to whether or not these “practitioners” are using the small human TENS units which I don't think will have any efficacy on large equine muscle groups. I know for a fact that the large TENS units, that have all sorts of parameters the medical provider can control depending on the desired effect…ie pain control, or neuromuscular recruitment, and are used in physical therapy practices are very very very expensive and don't seem practical to drag to the barn....to be used by someone who doesn't have many hours of training. I also don't think they are sold to general public.
According to Craig Denegar author of Therapeutic Modalities for Athletic Injuries the primary text used for teaching therapeutic modalities at the United States Sports Academy, the small portable units such as Respond II (the ones that look like small pads which are attached to the skin which lead to units no bigger than an IPOD and the ones sold on the general market) don't provide the ability to control frequency and phase duration limits of the current (jibber jabber for controlling the electrical currents and how long they are applied) therefore limiting their use to pain control only and are not great for neuromuscular stimulation which is needed to help regain full use of the muscle group back following injury.
So I guess the questions are, are such practitoners using the small portable devices meant for human patients for at home use? Does anyone know if they claiming that these units are helping decrease muscle healing time in horses after exertion? That would be hard to swallow on portable units most likely being used...if not darn near impossible.

It would be neat if I could read excerpts from clinicians that are using these. Don’t get me wrong I am a complete proponent of using TENS on the human model for pain control and it could work for horses for muscle pain in smaller muscle groups but the proper instrumentation, frequency, and phase duration are needed if they are claiming it does anything else.

Disclaimer: I am not putting down anyone who uses these units if they are properly trained and they know the complicated science behind TENS. Just skeptical from a scientific standpoint for the above stated reasons. No offense intended.
Member:
Mrose

Posted on Monday, Feb 27, 2006 - 7:10 pm:

Thanks. Corinne. I have had TENS used on me for my neck, but remember the P.T. saying they couldn't use it on my knees (and now, I assume my ankle) because it might heat up the metal I have and cause a burn. It felt a bit weird, but really did help my neck.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, Feb 28, 2006 - 8:17 am:

You all have it pretty much right. This is a device that "exhausts" the pain relaying neurons with the goal to relieve pain so that normal function can resume. I cannot find any research on this subject in horses however and right now this appears to be "very alternative".
DrO
Member:
Tpmiller

Posted on Tuesday, Feb 28, 2006 - 9:46 am:

Used one on a young mare 2 years ago. On ultrasound #1, vet theorized this was a re-tear of soft tissue, the original injury had not healed properly. 7-8 weeks later, no change on ultrasound #2.

Applied a tens unit 4 hours per day. The theory, in an nutshell, was that the involuntary stimulation created would enhance proper fibre realignment.

On ultrasound #3 the mare was dramatically improved. Sound ever since. Was it the Tens unit? I have no idea. Would add that we used the protocol found here when starting her back.

Under similar circumstances, I'd use it again. It certainly did no harm.
Member:
Corinne

Posted on Tuesday, Feb 28, 2006 - 10:58 am:

Tim...so glad your mare got better.
I presume that TENS relieved pain thus blocking the pain spasm cycle which allowed your mare to recover in a normal timely manner that was perhaps impeded because she was in pain. And pain control in rehabilitation (I know for sure in humans and probably in animals although Dr O can answer that) is paramount so it's awesome that it aided in that.
As for the possibility for healing her specifically with TENS, while there is some evidence that low level electrical current and micro current may speed healing in some slow healing wounds in humans there is no evidence that electricity can speed normal tissue healing or recovery (per the same reference I sited above) so I doubt it would different in horses.
I am making the hypothesis that her healing can probably be contributed to the normal healing process that was just allow to progress because she had some pain relief whereas before perhaps she was in pain which contributed to the pain spasm cycle causing more pain.
I don't mean to sound skeptical that these small units aide in healing but I just took a Master's level class on these modalities and know they don't in humans.
Bottom line however is since there are no variable charges or phases of "shocks" in these hand held units therefore minimizing the damaging they can do to healing tissue they probably won't do any harm. I just would be careful about placing them about the neck near the carotid.....
Good luck in future use of these units!
Member:
Beydao

Posted on Thursday, Mar 2, 2006 - 2:24 pm:

Thanks to you all for all the information you have come up with. Corrine , thanks especially for your fascinating insight into the treatment. I have found some research on chickens and small animals but not horses. Obviously there is a research paper waiting to be written ...Thanks again
Member:
Corinne

Posted on Thursday, Mar 2, 2006 - 3:06 pm:

Alison....No problem. I am still looking for scientific research on horses but haven't been so lucky so in the mean time I am standing by the points I made that I had the benefit of learning in my Therapeutic Modalities for Athletic Injuries course at the USSA.

I will still keep an eye out....who knows...the internet is rather large.

Good Luck!
Member:
Beydao

Posted on Sunday, Mar 5, 2006 - 6:40 am:

by the way Corrine, I live in Hampshire UK
Home Page | Top of Page | Join Us!
Horseadvice.com is a BBB Accredited Business. Click for the BBB Business Review of this Horse Training in Stokesdale NC