Complementary Therapy

Acupuncture

One of our vets, Michelle Lawrence, is a qualified acupuncturist and is available for appointments. Acupuncture can be carried out at the clinic or at your premises and can be part of a holistic approach to poor performance problems.

Acupuncture can be a useful tool to help optimise recovery and rehabilitation alongside other medical treatments for conditions such as:

• Muscle soreness, such as back pain
• Headshaking
• Chronic pain e.g. arthritis
• Some ridden behaviour
• Irritability and soreness during grooming or tacking up
• Some visceral problems e.g. respiratory, infertility, post-viral lethargy and some gastrointestinal problems.

Please note that acupuncture cannot be used to diagnose a condition.

Shockwave therapy

Shockwave therapy is a non-invasive treatment commonly used in horses to promote healing in musculoskeletal injuries. It uses high-energy sound waves (or shockwaves) to stimulate blood flow, stimulate bone turnover, reduce inflammation and provide analgesia (pain relief).

Shockwave can be useful adjunctive treatment for various ligament and back problems.

How It Works:

• The shockwave device delivers focused sound waves to the injured area.
• This stimulates cellular repair, improves circulation, and can desensitise nerves, offering pain relief.
• Treatments are typically done in a series (e.g., 1–3 sessions) spaced a couple of weeks apart.

Benefits:

• Non-invasive and generally well-tolerated
• Minimal to no sedation required (depending on the horse and site)
• Often part of a broader rehab plan alongside rest, physiotherapy, or controlled exercise