Checking Out Complementary and Alternative Therapies

In This Chapter

• Discovering different types of nontraditional therapies
• Finding out how to choose a practitioner

You’ve no doubt heard about alternative therapies in relation to human health. Well, many of these same therapies are available for horses too. Really!

Alternative medicine is called alternative medicine because that’s just what it is: an alternative to conventional medicine. In recent years, different types of alternative therapies have grown in popularity, both in human and veterinary medicine. That’s because, in many cases, they work.

Your authors believe that alternative therapies work well when used in conjunction with conventional medicine or in place of traditional therapies when these therapies haven’t proven helpful. In a nutshell, we want you to understand and hopefully embrace alternative medicine but still rely on conventional veterinary medicine, too. We use many of these therapies on our own horses, and coauthor Dr. Kate practices them. So you’re in good hands in this chapter! Here we explain the different types of alternative medicines available to horses and what kind of problems these therapies can address. We also show you how to find a trustworthy practitioner. You’ll know a thing or two about what you can do in addition to conventional veterinary medicine after you finish this chapter.

Remember

Working with your primary-care veterinarian as a veterinary healthcare team will help your horse get the best integrative and comprehensive care. Your veterinarian should remain your horse’s primary care provider and provide all conventional (or Western) medical and surgical needs and diagnostics that your horse may need.

Understanding Which Treatments May Help Your Horse

Alternative medicine comes in a variety of treatments. Although scientific studies have shown some of these therapies to be useful, the success of others is based on anecdotal evidence. In the following sections, take a look at the different types of alternative therapies available for horses to get an idea of what’s out there.

Remember

No one therapy can cure every disease or condition, but some of the therapies in the following sections can surely help. They can work to complement traditional treatments or as a substitute for traditional practice.

 - In the first case, alternative therapies can be used in conjunction with traditional treatment. For example, a horse with a tendon injury can be treated traditionally, and then acupuncture can be used to help the horse heal faster.

- In the latter case, we recommend that you go this route only if you try traditional therapies and don’t find success with them.

Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine

Acupuncture is probably the most well-known alternative therapy. This ancient Chinese practice has taken hold in the Western world, both in human and veterinary medicine, and with good reason: It works. Acupuncture goes hand in hand with Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM), another ancient practice.

In the narrowest sense, acupuncture is the application of small-gauge needles to various points on the body in order to cause physiological responses in the treatment of almost any disease or condition. It can be especially useful for relieving pain.

In a broader sense, acupuncture is an ancient procedure used in TCVM for the treatment of whole-body conditions. TCVM is an entire medical system that also includes food therapy, herbal prescription medications, massage therapy (known as tui-na; we discuss massage in more detail later in this chapter), and addressing emotional/behavioral and environmental issues.

According to acupuncture theory, electrical life energy, or Qi (pronounced chee), travels through the body in very specific pathways called meridians. Acupuncture points act as valves along the pathways, which the acupuncturist can manipulate with needles to change the energy flow, help balance that energy, and promote a healing response. Horses’ bodies want to be healthy — this natural inclination toward health is how you can fight or, better yet, prevent disease. Western medicine has a more mechanistic view of health, reducing disease and illness to specific cellular and molecular systems.

Remember

If you’re wondering right now how your horse is going to feel about having needles stuck in her, take heart. The needles are usually small enough that horses experience minimal pain. However, the needle stimulation can cause warmth, tingling, or numbness, which can be slightly discomforting to some horses. Most don’t seem to notice the individual placement of needles during their session. Many horses become very relaxed or sleepy and may continue to sleep for hours after their treatment. Others may feel energized and may have increased energy and activity. These responses signal neurological or hormonal changes or pain relief brought about by the treatment.

Because TCVM (including its most common component, acupuncture) is an entire preventative and therapeutic medical system in itself, you can use it as a supportive or adjunct therapy for a vast number of diseases and problems and not just for pain control. For example:

- Veterinarians have reported favorable acupuncture results in the treatment of cardiovascular disorders, chronic respiratory conditions, skin disorders, gastrointestinal problems, allergies, reproductive disorders, immune-mediated problems, musculoskeletal diseases, neurological disorders, and disc disease, as well as behavioral problems in horses.

- It also helps support the care and recovery of cancer patients, often improving their quality of life during treatment.

- Emergency veterinarians may even use acupuncture to help stop or control seizures and to aid in cardiac CPR.

Using the other components of TCVM in addition to acupuncture can increase your horse’s chances for health and recovery.

- Food therapy is very important and, as practiced in TCVM, very specific for each individual patient. For example, an older horse showing a certain pattern of disharmony in the body would be given more barley in his diet.

- Chinese herbal prescriptions are very specific prescription medications used to treat disease imbalances. They aren’t over-the-counter substances.

- The practitioner may also teach you how to perform massage or acupressure procedures to help your horse at home.

Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is the therapeutic use of plant essences, or essential oils, for healing. You can use aromatherapy alone, but many people commonly use it in conjunction with massage therapy (which we discuss later in this chapter) and other bodywork techniques. Aromatherapy is most commonly used to calm and relax horses.

Some plant oils have inherent antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and healing properties. Other oils are used for their aromatic properties, which supposedly affect healing and well-being. The essential oils used in aromatherapy come from flowers, leaves, bark, and the fruit of plants. They usually have a very strong scent.

Aromatherapy works like this: When the potent scent molecules from the plant essences are inhaled into the body, they’re read by the limbic system of the brain, which then triggers the endocrine system to release various neurochemicals that cause varied responses in the body. For example, essential oil of lavender seems to exert a calming effect on animals and people.

Warning!

Aromatherapy is generally very safe, although some oils can render a horse disqualified in a drug test for a competitive event. Camphor, menthol, and thymol are absorbed systemically and can cause positive reactions in drug tests. Some oils are also very irritating and can cause sensitivity reactions if applied to the skin of some horses.

Tip

Flower essences, such as the popular Bach flower essences available in health food stores, are distillates of flower blossoms or plants that are believed to have powerful harmonizing effects on animals. They’re frequently used for behavioral, emotional, and stress-related issues. One of the most common Bach flower essences is Rescue Remedy, which some horse owners feel helps to alleviate anxiety in their horse during situations such as trailering and weaning. In fact, some competitors not only give Rescue Remedy to their horse prior to competition, but also take it themselves to help calm preshow jitters.

Chiropractic

You’ve no doubt heard of chiropractic for humans. Believe it not, chiropractic is used quite a bit on horses too. Chiropractic is the use of manipulation of the spine, joints, and specific anatomic regions of the body to cause a therapeutic response. It uses controlled forces applied to these areas to improve neurological and physical function.

The theory behind chiropractic is that spinal and joint dysfunction can affect the normal physiological function and balance in healthy horses. The health of the spine and all associated structures — including the vertebrae, nerves, blood vessels, muscles, and ligaments — is involved. Chiropractic care is an excellent therapy to help horses heal from injuries that often involve secondary compensatory problems; these problems result when one part of the body is injured or weak and another part becomes overworked or injured trying to compensate.

Veterinary chiropractors perform adjustments to the spine and joints to correct any improper alignment and restore normal range of motion, and thus restore health and relieve pain. Most horses don’t seem to mind chiropractic adjustments. Some even seem to enjoy them. A good chiropractor will take care with a horse’s painful areas, using gentle techniques to reduce pain before making an adjustment to the horse’s spine.

Remember

You can find chiropractors without veterinary degrees, but coauthor Dr. Kate recommends that you use only veterinary chiropractors for your horse because their veterinary knowledge is key in properly assessing your horse’s healthcare issues. They also know when chiropractic care is the best option for your horse or whether you should use conventional care and diagnostics. We give you the scoop on finding trustworthy practitioners later in this chapter.

Homeopathy

Homeopathy is a healing system developed by Samuel Hahnemann in the late 1700s in Germany. In this form of healing, extremely diluted forms of particular substances are given to a patient to promote healing. Some of these substances include arnica montana, chamomilla, and nux vomica.

Proponents of homeopathy say that this therapy treats the patient, not the disease. Each horse is diagnosed and treated on a specific, individual basis. For example, two horses with a similar diagnosis of degenerative joint disease would both be treated conventionally with a drug called bute and possibly other drugs or procedures. But with homeopathy, the veterinarian would consider the individual differences in each horse’s underlying disease processes, and he or she would treat each horse differently.

Homeopathic practitioners look to restore the balanced state of the patient’s vital force. Hahnemann’s theory is that disease manifests when there’s a d isruption of that vital force. When the integrity of the vital force is restored, so is the animal’s health, and the disease is cured. Hahnemann believed in thoroughly assessing all aspects of a patient’s health issues for clues to determine the disruption of the vital force and prescribe a specific remedy.

You can dilute homeopathic remedies to a strength of only 1:10,000. Although such a dilution contains an almost imperceptible amount of the original substance, homeopaths maintain that shaking the solution appropriately between dilutions to add energy has a positive effect on a patient. The exact dilution of the remedy is also determined by the individual patient.

Horses can drink the remedy if it’s added to their water, or they may eat the remedy in solid form after it’s mixed with some grain.

Remember

If you want to treat your horse with this type of therapy, seek out a qualified, experienced veterinarian who’s trained and certified in veterinary homeopathy. (We explain how to find a practitioner later in this chapter.)

Laser therapy

If you (or your horse) have had any surgery within the last five to ten years, the surgeon probably used a surgical laser to expedite the procedure and cause less trauma. You probably had a faster and less painful surgery and a quicker recovery, thanks to the laser.

Although surgical lasers are extremely high-powered, using low-powered lasers to reduce tissue swelling and shorten healing time for numerous soft-tissue problems and injuries is becoming common. These low-light lasers are believed to help healing by utilizing electromagnetic radiation that’s transformed into amplified light beams. These beams can penetrate the skin and some muscle tissue and may stimulate the release of neurotransmitters, which in turn can enhance cellular functions without producing heat.

The most common application for low-light laser therapy in horses is treating tendon and ligament problems. Some practitioners use laser therapy to manage the pain that comes from navicular syndrome and arthritis (see Chapter Tackling Common Ailments for more information on these ailments). It may also facilitate the healing of wounds.

In addition, some acupuncturists use laser therapy to stimulate acupuncture points that may be too difficult or dangerous to needle in a horse who won’t stand still for treatment. (We discuss acupuncture in more detail earlier in this chapter.)

Technical Stuff

By the way, the word laser is actually an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Who knew!

Magnetic therapy

You’ve undoubtedly seen folks at horse shows wearing those interesting necklaces and bracelets made of magnets. Many people who wear them swear that these magnets have pain reducing and healing powers. Proponents claim that certain parts of the body respond positively to magnetic fields. This notion has caught on to the point that every horse publication and equine supply catalog has at least one advertisement for magnetic therapy products. You can find these products for horses in hock wraps, blankets, and even headbands. For humans, you can find jewelry, mattress pads, and even socks.

Although most healing benefits of magnetic therapy are believed to be a result of initiating cell membrane stabilization in tissue that has been disrupted, some believe that magnets also reduce pain. Magnets help to stimulate hoof growth and treat navicular problems, laminitis, and thrush. Magnetic leg wraps supposedly speed healing, generate heat, and increase blood flow by rearranging the ions in the blood stream. They also treat tendon and bone problems. However, many conventional scientists don’t believe these claims because no double-blind studies have been conducted to prove them.

Electromagnetic therapy is the use of pulsating electromagnetic energy via electrical current. In addition to the previously mentioned applications, veterinarians also use this form of magnetic therapy for fracture healing.

Massage therapy

Massage therapy comes in many different forms. It’s great for relaxing horses and for increasing their circulation. It can also help ease muscle soreness and stiffness. Massage therapy can be helpful after strenuous exercise to help muscles get rid of waste products like lactic acid.

Massage therapy also facilitates bonding between owner and horse. People who routinely massage their horses notice health problems with their animals early, when treatment can be quicker, easier, and less expensive. Coauthor Dr. Kate believes that all horse owners can benefit from studying even the most basic massage techniques so that they can use them on a regular basis to enhance their horse’s well-being.

You can use different types of strokes with various massage therapies, each with specific applications. And massage can also include the use of liniments and essential oils.

Tip

A popular type of massage for horses is equine sport massage therapy. Designed to increase circulation, relax muscle spasms, relieve tension, enhance muscle tone, and increase range of motion, this type of massage is most popular on performance horses.

Another technique often categorized as massage is T.Touch. Developed by horsewoman Linda Tellington-Jones, the technique involves circular movements of the fingers and hands on various parts of the horse’s body.

The theory behind this technique is that cells in the body retain memory of injury or pain. The movement to the skin applied through the T.Touch method helps reset the body’s cellular memory, thus eliminating the pain or emotional issue associated with that part of the body.

T.Touch is used for a variety of purposes, including muscle stiffness and soreness, as well as pain in any part of the horse’s body. Behavior issues arising from fear, anxiety, and lack of confidence can also be treated with this method.

Nutraceutical therapy

A nutraceutical (the word comes from a combination of nutrition and pharmaceutical) is a dietary supplement that supposedly has benefits that go beyond nutrition effects but aren’t quite in the category of a drug. Although some would classify nutraceuticals as alternative treatment, the use of these compounds has grown so dramatically that you’d be hard-pressed to find a conventional veterinary practice that doesn’t carry at least one of these products.

Warning!

The good news about nutraceuticals is that they aren’t regulated as drugs, so they’re easier to get. The bad news is that their effectiveness hasn’t been conclusively proven. The claims and benefits are mostly anecdotal and theoretical. Plus, not all nutraceuticals are created equal; the difference in quality of ingredients can vary because little standardization exists.

Horse owners have so many nutraceuticals to choose from that picking the right one can make your head hurt. You see nutraceuticals in a wide range of prices, along with an even wider range of ingredients. They can be found to help manage a wide range of conditions, including allergies, arthritis, and hoof problems.

Remember

On the market you can find some excellent nutraceuticals that coauthor Dr. Kate has personally used through the years on her patients, and she believes that these animals have benefited from them. But she also thinks that, in most cases, your horse can get along fine without them if you have an excellent equine healthcare program in place. Remember: Nothing will turn old Dobbin into the next Secretariat.

Nutritional therapy

Certain diseases can benefit from nutritional therapy, which is basically the use of food to help control the disease process. Some examples of equine illnesses that you can manage with nutritional therapy include hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (HYPP), which is a genetic disease affecting the muscles; pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID), or Cushing’s disease, which is a metabolic condition; equine metabolic syndrome (EMS); and insulin resistance (IR). (See Chapter Tackling Common Ailments for details on the last three ailments in this list.)

For example, in horses with HYPP, veterinarians instruct owners to give the affected horses feeds that are low in potassium; examples include alfalfa, timothy, Bermuda grass hays, beat pulp, and oats. In fact, owners can find proprietary feeds made just for HYPP horses.

Remember

If your horse is diagnosed with an illness that you can manage with nutritional therapy, your veterinarian will instruct you on how to best feed your horse.

Physical therapy

Physical therapy comes in many different shapes and sizes. Everything from craniosacral work (moving the spinal and cranial bones to treat the central nervous system) to hyperbaric oxygen therapy to therapeutic ultrasound falls under the heading of physical therapy. More traditional physical therapy focuses on veterinary sports medicine and rehabilitation after surgery.

Some veterinary schools have started offering postdoctoral courses for rehabilitative physical therapy in response to the demand created by an increase in equine surgeries and more intense equine competitions.

An example of one type of physical therapy is therapeutic ultrasound. (This isn’t the same ultrasound that your vet uses to check for pregnancy or tendon lesions — that’s diagnostic ultrasound.) This type of ultrasound is a form of acoustic energy, and is used to increase the metabolic activity in the cell that the sound wave passes through or near. Although topical application of heat affects skin (like those chemical heat packs), deep-tissue ultrasound can penetrate as far as 5 centimeters into muscle tissue to aid in healing.

This form of ultrasound provides pain relief, softens calcium deposits, softens or reduces scars, increases joint mobility, and can increase tendon elasticity. For this reason, it’s a favorite form of physical therapy for some veterinarians.

Remember

Because deep-reaching ultrasound units can cause burns very deep in the tissue, only therapists working under veterinary supervision should apply this type of therapy. (See the next section for details on searching for a practitioner.)

Another type of physical therapy for horses involves mobilizing and stretching the muscles that have become strained or inflexible. Stiffness and restriction of muscle movement of different areas of the body can cause pain for a horse. Physical therapy that focuses on increasing mobility works in part by causing a reflex in a part of the horse’s body that allows whatever muscle has become tense to automatically relax.

Physical therapists use their hands to gently trigger these reflexes. They can also encourage the horse to stretch the muscles herself. If the horse has a problem in her neck, for example, the therapist can get her to voluntarily stretch her muscles by offering her a treat in a way that makes her move her neck a certain way.

Qualified and skilled equine physical therapists can do wonders to help a horse who’s suffering from pain related to muscle stiffness and soreness. If you think that your horse may benefit from physical therapy, discuss with your veterinarian the possibility of having her treated by a physical therapist.

Finding a Practitioner

When choosing an alternative or complementary therapy practitioner, you should use the same degree of care that you use to select your regular veterinarian. (We detail how to find a vet in Chapter Getting Up to Speed on Routine Care.)

Remember

You also need to make sure that the person you’re considering is truly qualified to practice the type of alternative or complementary medicine that he or she is advocating. The person should have completed extensive training in the therapy and not be someone who just hung up a shingle. Also, be wary of a practitioner — even a licensed veterinarian — who claims to practice a little bit of many different types of therapies. The expression “jack of all trades, master of none” comes to mind in this scenario.

To help you find a good practitioner, ask your regular veterinarian who he or she would recommend — assuming your vet is open-minded to alternative and complementary therapies. Ask the person you’re considering a lot of questions about the particular therapy that you’re pursuing. Good questions include the following:

• What are your training and credentials?
• How long have you been practicing this modality on horses?
• How many treatments will my horse need?
• What is the cost of this treatment?
• How long will my horse need to recover?

A good alternative or complementary practitioner will be honest in his or her opinion about whether a certain therapy can help your horse. Run fast if someone claims to be the next big thing or guarantees results.

Tip

Some types of alternative or complementary practitioners are certified by or are official members of organizations in their relevant field. Certification or membership helps to guarantee that the person has been trained in the chosen technique. If you’re considering a veterinary chiropractor, a homeopath, or an acupuncturist for your horse, verify that the practitioner is certified by or is a member of his or her respective organization. (You can find contact information for these organizations in the appendix.) Some states require licenses for alternative practitioners. Contact the professional organization for the modality that you’re considering to find out whether your state requires licensing.

 by Audrey Pavia with Kate Gentry-Running,DVM,CVA