Tendon rupture in horses – practical example of complementary laser therapy

The animal had previously attracted attention due to severe lameness . On the advice of a local veterinary clinic, the horse was initially treated with the pain reliever phenylbutazone for a week. Since this treatment brought no improvement, X-rays were taken under anesthesia, but they did not provide any information about the cause of the symptoms.

Only an ultrasound examination brought the injury to light. As it turned out, there was a tendon tear in the upper part of the leg in question. In addition to stable box rest, it was decided to walk the horse on solid ground every day for the next five months. About one month before the end of this period , laser therapy was introduced as an additional measure to the 25-minute exercise sessions.

The injured tendon was treated concurrently with pulsed diode therapy laser therapy . Additionally, pulse monitoring (RAC) was performed to assess the progress. After four weeks of supplementary laser therapy , a further ultrasound examination showed hardly any traces of the tendon injury.

From that point on, the horse was able to resume light work. Four weeks later, the injury had healed – faster than expected after the initial diagnosis. Since the laser therapy was used concurrently with conventional veterinary treatment methods, the healing process cannot be definitively attributed to any single measure. There is no scientific evidence for an accelerating effect of laser therapy; the described course of events is an individual case and does not constitute a general statement about its effectiveness.

Note: This is a description of a single case study documented by us. Individual cases are not representative of other animals and do not allow for conclusions to be drawn about the general, scientifically proven effectiveness of laser therapy. The described application does not replace veterinary diagnosis or treatment.