Electrotherapies are an important tool in a Veterinary Physiotherapist's toolbox. I often use H-Wave in my equine physiotherapy sessions and this blog post will discuss the benefits of the H-Wave for you and your horse.
What is H-Wave?
H-Wave is a device that uses electrical stimulation to simulate the nerve signals within the body, in particular, the Hoffman reflex. Four electrodes are placed on your animal's muscles which are painful or sore and a mild electric current of 2Hz is applied, which causes the muscles to contract. The application of this electrotherapy will last for twenty minutes.
Benefits
Promote blood circulation
Improve lymphatic drainage
Reduce muscle spasms
Reduce pain
Improve limb movement
Promote healing
Reduce oedema (swelling)
Why H-Wave?
H-Wave is most often applied to the horse's back muscles and the muscles at the top of the hindquarters. This is a common area of soreness for horses, as it rests underneath and behind where the saddle sits and the horse is not efficiently anatomically designed to carry the weight of a saddle and rider. This leads to soreness.
The reason H-Wave is so effective and beneficial to your horse is that it can penetrate deeper into these large muscles than massage alone. This helps relieve the pain caused by the soreness in this area and allows the horse to become more comfortable. This in turn will lead to better performance, as the horse will be more able to round their back and engage their hindquarters.