The Effect of Radial Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (rESWT) on the Skin Surface Temperature of the Longissimus Dorsi Muscle in Clinically Healthy Racing Thoroughbreds: A Preliminary Study.
Authors: Śniegucka Karolina, Soroko-Dubrovina Maria, Zielińska Paulina, Dudek Krzysztof, Žuffová Kristína
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Radial Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy and Equine Back Surface Temperature Radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy (rESWT) is gaining clinical traction for treating musculoskeletal conditions in horses, yet mechanistic data remain limited. Researchers compared skin surface temperature changes over the longissimus dorsi in 24 healthy racing Thoroughbreds using thermal imaging, dividing animals into active treatment (n=12) and sham-treated (n=12) groups, with measurements taken immediately before, immediately after, and 10 minutes post-treatment alongside manual palpation assessment of muscle tone. Both groups showed an initial temperature rise following the procedure, but the active rESWT group demonstrated significantly greater increases immediately post-treatment, which subsequently declined below baseline by the 10-minute mark; notably, active treatment produced measurable reductions in longissimus dorsi muscle tone whilst sham treatment did not. These findings suggest rESWT does generate a genuine thermal and mechanical response in equine back musculature, though the transient nature of temperature changes and absence of longer-term monitoring limit interpretation of clinical significance. For practitioners incorporating rESWT into protocols, these results support its capacity to influence muscle physiology in healthy horses, but optimal treatment parameters—frequency, intensity, and application protocols—require further investigation before confident recommendations can be made for therapeutic efficacy in injured or pathological tissue.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •rESWT does produce measurable physiological effects (increased surface temperature and reduced muscle tone) in the treated area, supporting its use as a therapeutic modality
- •The thermal effect appears acute and transient; practitioners should understand that temperature changes occur immediately post-treatment but normalize quickly
- •Treatment parameters require further optimization; current evidence is preliminary and does not yet establish optimal protocols for safe and effective clinical application
Key Findings
- •rESWT increased skin surface temperature of the longissimus dorsi muscle immediately post-treatment compared to sham treatment
- •Skin surface temperature decreased 10 minutes post-rESWT to below baseline values in both groups
- •Study group showed significantly reduced muscle tone immediately after rESWT, whereas sham group showed no significant change
- •Active rESWT produced greater temperature elevation than sham treatment in clinically healthy racing thoroughbreds