Equine sports therapy methods have increasingly gained favor due to their proven ability to increase blood flow, increase bone density, and reduce stress. One such approach is whole body vibration therapy (WBV).
WBV treatment involves horses standing on a vibrating plate which produces vertical vibrations. According to research published in Equine Veterinary Education, WBV can significantly enhance both size and symmetry of multifidus muscle in their backs.
Increased Blood Circulation
Whole Body Vibration (WBV) is the practice of transmitting vertical vibrations through an entire body to strengthen muscle strength, increase blood circulation and stimulate bone density. WBV offers numerous health advantages for horses. It is safe, noninvasive and provides numerous advantages.
WBV has been proven to increase muscle activity and strength, improve postural balance, and decrease chronic back pain in human athletes. Due to these impressive results, veterinarians began exploring this technology with horses, leading to it now becoming an integral component of many horse training programs, such as those utilized by multiple World Barrel Racing champions and cutting champions.
As the equine industry evolves, owners and professionals are seeking new methods of improving fitness and performance for their horses. Equine vibration therapy has quickly become a widely utilized form of exercise therapy; using vibration plates to transmit vertical vibrations directly onto an athlete, which in turn causes their muscles to make reflexive actions in order to stabilise themselves against potential instability within their bodies; simultaneously this process increases blood flow to muscles and extremities to speed recovery from exercise or injury.
Vibrating plates use mechanical vibrations to stimulate bone formation and improve joint health, which is especially beneficial during rehabilitation from injuries to tendons or ligaments. Furthermore, their vibrations help prevent muscle atrophy during periods of reduced mobility so horses can regain strength more quickly and easily.
One study demonstrated how successfully our Vitafloor system helped a horse suffering from severe superficial flexor tendon injury respond. After only three months of daily EquiVibe sessions and cleared by UC Davis to resume full exercise, she showed improvement that is typically only visible after six months!
Research has also shown that vibrations of a vibrating platform can significantly increase muscle thickness in horses due to vasodilation caused by WBV, which allows blood vessels to transport larger volumes of nutrients more effectively – this can be especially important for young horses still growing and those at risk of osteoporosis later in life.
Increased Muscle Mass
The equine industry is always searching for ways to improve performance and decrease injury risk. Owners look for strategies such as management practices, feeding strategies and therapies that maximize athletic potential while decreasing time off from competitions. One such therapy is vibration therapy: EquiVibe plates have been shown to increase muscle mass while speeding recovery post training or injury.
EquiVibe is a whole body vibration therapy plate which emits vertical vibrations at 30-50 reps per second to stimulate soft tissues and bones in order to create instability within the body and cause reflexive actions in each muscle, providing an unintimidating workout without impact. Different frequencies and magnitudes can be selected in order to address specific concerns.
One study discovered that vibration therapy for horses prevented bone resorption and strengthened muscle strength. It was also shown to accelerate hoof growth during its first 30 days while simultaneously improving skeletal integrity, alleviating pain, and decreasing stress levels.
Vibration therapy offers another important advantage – strengthening muscles and ligaments without risk of impact or overuse injuries. EquiVibe was specifically developed to deliver isotonic contractions for postural and proprioceptive muscles (multifidus). This allows horses with soft tissue or tendon injuries to safely participate in exercises that maintain fitness while increasing elasticity.
This gelding suffered a severe superficial flexor tendon injury to his right front leg during a barrel racing run in October 2016, so his veterinarian prescribed 60 days of stall rest. To aid healing, two sessions with EquiVibe were provided twice daily for 30 minutes as well as regular turnout and Eurowalker work sessions – to astounding effect; before and after ultrasound images show dramatic improvement of muscle tone!
EquiVibe has become an invaluable asset to numerous owners and trainers of horses of all breeds and levels of training. This includes multiple Breeders Cup winners, World Barrel Racing champions and other cutting champions as well as veterinarians, chiropractors, equine massage therapists, bodyworkers, nutritionists and rehabilitation centers.
Reduced Pain
Vibration therapy has been scientifically demonstrated to increase muscle mass, bone density and circulation while simultaneously increasing cell metabolism and alleviating pain and stress through regular daily usage for weeks or even months.
Whole-body vibration induces vasodilation, which expands blood vessels and allows more oxygenated blood to reach skin and extremities, aiding muscle recovery while cooling the horse down after exercise or competition.
Equine vibration plates that provide optimal results utilize vertical, non-cycloidal low frequency vibration, similar to that generated by a tuning fork resonator. This form of vibration has proven more beneficial and safer than circular, side to side or teeter totter vibration systems as it doesn’t cause “jack hammer” muscle atrophy and injury.
Horses can enjoy standing comfortably on most horse vibration plates for up to 30 minutes without discomfort, with many horses finding the soft buzzing noise calming. Vibration plates provide gentle stimulation of their skeletal system without impacting tendons, ligaments or other soft tissues in any way. Vibration plate treatments may especially prove effective against stall bound horses by stimulating their skeletal system without adversely impacting soft tissues such as ligaments.
Studies have demonstrated that mechanical vibrations stimulate osteogenesis, the process that builds bone density and prevents fractures of the skeletal system. This is especially significant for young horses or older horses who may be more prone to bone fractures with age.
Bone scans conducted at UC Davis have demonstrated the benefits of vibration therapy to regenerate bone density in both limbs and ribs while increasing strength. Vibration therapy also has shown to improve symmetry of the multifidus muscle within the thoracolumbar spine, thus improving posture and balance.
Many owners find that regular use of a vibrating tendon pad can help reduce muscle atrophy and bone resorption caused by inactivity such as stall rest. It may also prove valuable in rehabbing injured horses from surgery, rehabilitation of injured competitors, or supporting horses recovering from rehabilitation stretches that lead to depression in horses. For these busy yards with competition schedules or recovery stretches that lead to depression among their horses, simple and consistent support often prove more effective than drastic adjustments in routine.
Reduced Stress
Vibration therapy can be an effective means of relieving stress in horses by stimulating bones, muscles, nerves, and the circulatory system. Vibration therapy also has a profound impact on their nervous and musculoskeletal systems as well as immune functions.
Long-term confinement of horses to their stalls has the potential to cause muscle atrophy and bone loss, which are detrimental to their health. Studies have revealed that vibration plates can help protect muscle mass and bone density in these horses by maintaining them at ideal levels.
When horses stand on vibration plates, mechanical vibrations cause their muscles to contract and relax quickly in an effort to maintain balance, and cause bones, tendons, and ligaments to respond in kind – much like humans do during exercise – which often leaves people amazed at just how quickly a horse recovers after even an intense workout session.
Vibration therapy not only increases blood circulation but also aids equine athletes in healing faster and decreasing severity of injuries, making it a fantastic way to prepare their horse before rigorous training or competition as it induces muscle contractions while increasing flexibility.
As the sport of equine sports continues to flourish, cutting-edge technologies like vibration plates are increasingly sought out by elite performance horse trainers and owners. These platforms deliver whole-body vibration (WBV), offering many beneficial effects such as improved muscle recovery and circulation, increased bone density and decreased stress.
WBV therapy has proven itself effective for horses suffering from injuries to soft tissue issues. A recent study demonstrated this, showing horses that experienced chronic lameness that did not respond to other therapies experienced significant improvement with regular use of a vibrating plate. Results demonstrated the significance of frequency as those receiving higher frequency treatments experienced greater improvements than those receiving lower frequencies treatments.
EquiVibe is proud to be an industry-leading provider of horse vibration therapy. Our clients include top performers in cutting and roping competition, multiple World Barrel Racing champions and other equestrian disciplines who rely on EquiVibe for prevention and treatment of ailments ranging from tendon injuries to laminitis.