Acupuncture in the restoration of vasomotor tonus of equine athletes with back pain

Abstract

Injuries along the spinal column of horses are often cited. Acupuncture has been highlighted as a therapy capable of relieving thoracolumbar pain through direct action on vasomotor tone, with a consequent anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to verify the acupuncture action through thermography in vasomotor disorders of the thoracolumbar spine of horses in training. Twenty-six sport horses, with alterations in the thermogram along the thoracic and lumbar spine, were evaluated at different consecutive acupuncture sessions. The results showed significant differences after one, two, four and ten sessions. Moderate lesions tended to recover more clearly than mild lesions. Regardless of the degree of response and number of sessions, acupuncture demonstrated the ability to re-establish the homeostasis of the evaluated region. Regular acupuncture treatment was shown to decrease the severity of thoracolumbar spine vasomotor injuries and provide better quality of life for horses in training.