Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Shockwave therapy and exercise to treat shoulder tendon injuries
By Leeman, J J et al.·Published in The Veterinary record·2016·Department of Surgery, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Extracorporeal shockwave therapy and therapeutic exercise for supraspinatus and biceps tendinopathies in 29 dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 29 large-breed dogs with shoulder pain caused by supraspinatus and biceps tendinopathy were treated with extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) and therapeutic exercise. Most owners reported that their dogs showed good to excellent improvement in their symptoms after treatment, with results assessed between 11 to 220 weeks later. The severity of the tendon damage seemed to influence recovery, with dogs having more severe lesions doing better overall. ESWT appears to be a safe and effective option for treating these shoulder issues in dogs.
People also search for: dog shoulder pain treatment · extracorporeal shockwave therapy for dogs · biceps tendinopathy in dogs
Abstract
Supraspinatus tendinopathy (ST) and biceps tendinopathy (BT) are common causes of forelimb lameness in large-breed dogs and have historically been treated with conservative management or surgery. Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) and therapeutic exercise (TE) are thought to be treatment options for these conditions. The objectives of this study were to report the clinical presentations of dogs treated with ESWT for shoulder tendinopathies, to determine the association between shoulder lesion severity identified on ultrasonography or MRI and outcome, and to compare the outcomes of dogs treated with ESWT with and without TE. Medical records of 29 dogs diagnosed with shoulder tendinopathies and treated with ESWT were reviewed, and 24 dogs were diagnosed with either unilateral BT or BT and ST. None were found to have unilateral ST. Five dogs were diagnosed with bilateral disease. Eighty-five per cent of dogs had good or excellent outcomes determined by owner assessment 11-220 weeks after therapy. Outcomes were found to be better as tendon lesion severity increased (P=0.0497), regardless if ESWT was performed with or without TE (P=0.92). ESWT should be considered a safe primary therapeutic option for canine shoulder tendinopathies. Larger controlled prospective studies are needed to adequately assess these findings.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27444781/