Pain management for laminitis in the horse
Authors: K. Hopster, A. V. Eps
Journal: Equine Veterinary Education
Summary
# Pain Management for Laminitis in the Horse: Editorial Summary With geriatric horses (15+ years) representing an increasingly substantial demographic in equine populations, managing chronic conditions such as laminitis becomes progressively challenging using conventional pharmaceutical protocols alone. Hopster and Van Eps reviewed evidence for integrative therapeutic approaches—particularly acupuncture and spinal manipulation—as adjunctive diagnostic and treatment tools in aged horses presenting with metabolic laminitis alongside concurrent musculoskeletal complaints including osteoarthritis, stiffness, and hypertonicity. These complementary modalities appear to offer clinicians additional options for pain relief and functional improvement where conventional medicine reaches its limitations, particularly valuable given that geriatric horses often present with complex, multifactorial disease processes resistant to standard therapeutic approaches. For farriers, physiotherapists, and veterinarians working with older animals, understanding how integrative techniques might integrate into holistic management protocols—alongside appropriate nutrition, farriery modifications, and conventional analgesia—could meaningfully enhance outcomes in horses where pain control and mobility prove difficult to achieve otherwise. The practical implication is clear: a multimodal approach incorporating both conventional and integrative strategies may offer the best prospect for maintaining quality of life and ridden work capacity in senior horses battling laminitis and related degenerative conditions.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Consider acupuncture and spinal manipulation as complementary pain management tools for geriatric horses with chronic laminitis or osteoarthritis when conventional treatments are insufficient
- •Integrative therapies may help manage musculoskeletal stiffness and muscle hypertonicity in aged horses, potentially improving comfort and function
- •These approaches provide additional diagnostic and management options for the growing population of senior horses in practice
Key Findings
- •Geriatric horses (≥15 years) represent a significant portion of the equine population and commonly suffer from chronic conditions including laminitis and osteoarthritis
- •Integrative therapies such as acupuncture and spinal manipulation offer diagnostic and therapeutic options for managing chronic pain and musculoskeletal dysfunction in aged horses
- •Integrative approaches may be particularly valuable for conditions that are difficult to manage effectively with conventional medicinal approaches alone