Transcript Alternative Therapies Nutraceuticals

Alternative Therapies – Part 2
INAG 120 – Equine Health
Management
October 17, 2011
What is “Alternative?”
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Therapy other than conventional medicine
surgery and dentistry
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Acupuncture
Chiropractic
Homeopathy
Herbology and
Naturopathy
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Physical Therapy
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Massage
Reiki/Therapeutic Touch
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Extracorporeal Shock Wave
Therapy
Chiropractic
http://www.animalchiropractic.org/ -- American Veterinary
Chiropractic Association
Chiropractic
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Chiropractic principles:
Relationship between structure and function
of the vertebral column and how that affects
health
 Manual therapy  uses controlled forces
applied to specific joints or anatomic areas to
cause a healing response
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Chiropractic…
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Principle: joint malfunction affects the
normal neurological balance found in
healthy animals
“bone out of place” is an outdated theory!
 Restore normal joint motion
 Stimulate nerve reflexes
 Reduce pain and abnormally increased
muscle tone
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Chiropractic…
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Successful manipulation  requires
proper technique (correct direction, force,
amplitude and speed) and increased
psychomotor skills
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Successful adjustment = a “release” or
movement of restricted joint is felt and
may also be heard
Chiropractic Applications
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Indications for equine
chiropractic
evaluations:
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Back or neck pain
Localized or regional
joint stiffness
Poor performance
Altered gait not
associated with
obvious lameness
Chiropractic Exam
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Equine chiropractors look for:
Localized muscle or skeletal pain
 Abnormally increased muscled tone
 Restricted joint motion
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Chiropractic therapy can be helpful in
muscle or skeletal conditions that are
chronic or recurring, not easily diagnosed
or not responding to traditional veterinary
diagnostics
Chiropractic…
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Not a “cure-all” for all back problems
Not suggested to treat:
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Fractures
Infections
Cancer
Metabolic disorders
Nonmechanical joint problems
Serious diseases should be ruled out and
treated by conventional vet medicine first
Can help restore muscle and skeletal function
Homeopathy
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Employs medicines from natural substances
diluted to minute amounts to treat disease
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Similar to vaccination
Basic principles:
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Knowledge of disease
Knowledge of medicines
Ability to judge correct amount, strength, frequency
Obstacles to recovery
Possible outcomes of treatment
Homeopathy – Basic Tools
Materia medicas – books reporting
symptoms and clinical experience
 Repertoires – list of symptoms with
remedies known to impact them
 Remedies – purchased from reliable
pharmacies
 Clinical judgment – vet training
 Study, courses, reading and learning
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Herbology-Naturopathy
Medical disciplines which employ natural
substances to treat diseases
 MYTH: Herbs are natural so they are
good for animals and they are safe.
 FACT: Many plants will kill an animal, so it
is extremely important to know what the
effects of some herbs will have on a horse
before you give it to them!!!
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Chinese Herbal Medicine
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Physical Exam:
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Tongue Diagnosis
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Basic physical exam PLUS two special
regions
Shape and thickness, color of tip and body,
color of the coating
Pulse Diagnosis
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Three fingers in the jugular groove – rate,
depth, strength, width and quality
Chinese Herbal Medicine
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1.
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In use for 4,000 years!
Include 5,000 substances
Proper diagnosis is essential
Formula consisting of 3-12 herbs used
for treatment (4 categories)
Emperor (Monarch)
Minister (Subject)
Assistant (Adjuvant)
Servant (Messenger)
Physical Therapy
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Use of non-invasive techniques for
rehabilitation of injuries
Massage
• Hydrotherapy
 Stretching
• Heat
 Laser
• Cold
 Electrical Stimulation
 Magnetic
 Ultrasound
 Rehabilitation exercises
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Massage Therapy
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Technique in which practitioner uses
hands and body to manipulate soft tissue
Positively affecting health and well-being
 Should be practiced by a graduate of an
accredited massage school with specialized
training in equine anatomy, physiology,
massage and veterinary ethics and under the
referral of a veterinarian!
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Massage Therapy
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Palpation
Lymphatic drainage
Muscle massage and mobilization
Deep transversal frictions
Stretching – fasciatherapy
Mobilization
To combat physiological and biochemical effects of
immobilization on muscle tissue
Reiki/Therapeutic Touch
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Use of touch to channel energy,
remove blockages and direct
healing
Some research supports its use
in wound healing
Used for:
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Reduce stress
Recover from trauma
Recover from injuries
Resolve behavior problems
Improve well-being and balance
Treat depression and lethargy
Increase flexibility
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=065Q2F7mBLs&feature=related
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
(HBOT)
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HBOT: high-dose oxygen inhalation
therapy
100% oxygen delivered
 Horse is in a pressurized chamber
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Pressurization causes oxygen to be
physically dissolved in the blood (as
opposed to only being carried to cells via
red blood cells/hemoglobin)
HBOT
© Bill Ingram, Palm Beach Post
HBOT
Primary therapeutic effect = increase
tissue oxygen levels
 Other benefits:
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Decreases edema
 Modifying inflammatory effects (cytokines)
 Stimulation of granulation tissue formation
 Accelerating collagen deposition
 Increasing breakdown of pro-oxidants
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HBOT
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Why use it?
Damaged tissue may not heal properly or
respond to antibiotics if oxygen levels are not
high enough
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HBOT may normalize activity of certain antibiotics
May affect immune system response, enhance
oxygen-radical scavengers, thereby decreasing
ischemia-reperfusion injury
No damaging side effects!
HBOT
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What are the current uses in horses and does it
work?
Badly infected wounds
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Improve pulmonary function in racehorses
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Shown to be effective in enhancing wound healing in
both acute and chronic cases and treatment of
infections including osteomyelitis
No research to support this use
Closed head injuries
Ileus
HBOT
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Exceptional blood-loss anemias (neonatal
isoerythrolysis)
Fungal disease (fungal pneumonia)
Thermal burns, carbon monoxide poisoning, smoke
inhalation
CNS edema/perinatal asphyxia
Peripheral neuropathies
Sports injuries (exertional rhabdomyolysis)
Fracture non-union
Cellulitis, compartment syndrome
Ischemic injuries (laminitis)
Extracorporeal Shock Wave
Therapy (ESWT)
Application of high intensity acoustic
radiation to a very small area
 Popular though rather new treatment for
musculoskeletal conditions
 Studies conflict
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Has been shown to significantly reduce
lameness
 Recent Swiss study  no analgesic effect
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ESWT
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Current treatment applications in horses:
Inflammation of suspensory ligament and
other soft tissue injuries
 Osteoarthritis
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 Horses
w/ arthritis in the knee had significant
improvement in lameness scores as compared to
horses with no treatment or horses injected with
PSGAGs
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New use: Wound management
 Treated
wounds had significantly decreased time
to healing compared to untreated wounds