Alternative Cryotherapy: the Case of Equine Treatment

Alternative Cryotherapy: the Case of Equine Treatment - photo

Despite the fact that cryotherapy was meant for treating humans in the first place, it’s steadily making its way into a new turf – veterinary care. It’s no surprise that technologies that proved to be extremely effective for human athletes would turn out to be just as good for even more athletic creatures – horses. Back in the days when cryotherapy was still a nascent technology, animals were used for test purposes and the advantages of applying extreme cold became apparent right from the start. Muscle tissue accounts for over 50% of an athletic horse’s body mass and when those mighty muscles get damaged, cryotherapy comes to the rescue.

Cryomed’s customer from Belgium uses Cryofan CF-04 for horses
Cryomed’s customer from Belgium uses Cryofan CF-04 for horses

One of Cryomed’s customers, Stal Gremelslo Belgium, has been using Cryofan CF-04 for horses regeneration from strenuous daily training sessions. The cold is applied locally to ligaments and muscles for a short period of time, between 3 and 5 minutes. In comparison with the more traditional application of ice, the cooling intensity is so high that the body does not have enough time to compensate for the loss of heat. Some 15 minutes later, overcompensation occurs, creating increased blood flow to the treated area and helping damaged tissues to recover faster. Cryotherapy sessions are followed by a 10-minute walk to boost the healing process. The compact size and mobility of the CF-04 unit allow the employees of the facility to easily move it between different buildings and perform multiple horses recovery sessions within a very short time. This approach has worked very well for treating swollen stable legs, swelling caused by tendon lesions, oedema and thrombosis after intensive training days.

Local cryotherapy for horses regeneration
Local cryotherapy for horses regeneration

As you can see, cryotherapy in veterinary care is already a reality. The use of Cryomed equipment is a universal method of treating patients that proves to be effective even for such large and strong animals as horses.