Effects of Low-Level Laser Therapy and Chiropractic Care on Back Pain in Quarter Horses.
Authors: Haussler Kevin K, Manchon Philippe T, Donnell Josh R, Frisbie David D
Journal: Journal of equine veterinary science
Summary
# Editorial Summary Back pain significantly impacts performance in competitive horses, yet evidence supporting many therapeutic interventions remains sparse. Haussler and colleagues conducted a randomised clinical trial involving 61Quarter Horses with diagnosed thoracolumbar pain, assigning them to low-level laser therapy, chiropractic manipulation, or combined treatment, with outcomes measured via visual analogue pain scales, detailed spinal palpation (assessing pain, muscle tone, and stiffness), and mechanical nociceptive threshold testing along the dorsal trunk. Low-level laser therapy alone produced statistically significant reductions in back pain, epaxial muscle hypertonicity, and trunk stiffness; the combined approach yielded similar improvements with notably greater decreases in muscle hypertonicity and stiffness severity, whilst chiropractic treatment as a standalone intervention demonstrated no significant effect on pain or muscle tone, though it did improve trunk and pelvic flexion reflexes. For practitioners managing performance horses with back pain, these findings suggest that laser therapy warrants consideration as an evidence-based modality, particularly when combined with chiropractic care to address both nociception and proprioceptive reflexes—though chiropractic manipulation alone appears insufficient as a primary pain management strategy in this population. A multimodal approach integrating laser therapy with other treatments rather than relying on single-modality interventions appears most clinically effective for competitive horses with thoracolumbar dysfunction.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Low-level laser therapy is an effective standalone treatment for back pain in competitive Quarter Horses, with measurable improvements in pain and muscle tension
- •Combining laser therapy with chiropractic care provides additive benefits for reducing trunk stiffness and muscle hypertonicity, supporting a multimodal treatment approach
- •Chiropractic treatment may be better used as an adjunct to laser therapy rather than as a standalone intervention for back pain in performance horses
Key Findings
- •Low-level laser therapy alone significantly reduced back pain, epaxial muscle hypertonicity, and trunk stiffness in Quarter Horses
- •Combined laser therapy and chiropractic care produced greater reductions in muscle hypertonicity and trunk stiffness than laser therapy alone
- •Chiropractic treatment alone did not produce significant changes in back pain or muscle tone, though it improved trunk and pelvic flexion reflexes
- •Mechanical nociceptive thresholds along the dorsal trunk improved significantly with laser therapy and combined treatments