Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Electrical therapy vs massage for back pain in sled dogs
By Mila Benito et al.·Published in Animals·2022·Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, CEU Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, 46115 Valencia, Spain, CH·View original on DOAJ →
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Original publication title: Short-Term Efficacy of Capacitive-Resistive Electrical Transfer Therapy in Short-Haired Sled Dogs in Middle-Distance Competition
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 40 short-haired sled dogs competing in a middle-distance race were treated for lower back pain using either a special electrical therapy (called capacitive-resistive electrical transfer) or massage. After a single 18-minute treatment, the dogs were evaluated for pain relief. Both treatments helped reduce pain, but the dogs that received the electrical therapy showed significantly better results compared to those that had massage. This suggests that the electrical therapy could be a more effective option for helping sled dogs recover from back pain during competitions.
People also search for: sled dog back pain treatment · electrical therapy for dogs · massage vs electrical therapy for dogs
Abstract
Achieving the successful recovery of sled dogs is one of the key tasks for veterinary teams involved in clinical care for middle-distance sled dog competitions. This study compares the efficacy of capacitive-resistive electrical transfer (CRet) with that of massage in the treatment of lower back pain in 40 short-haired sled dogs during a medium-distance snow sled race (Lekkarod<sup>TM</sup>-2021). The dogs were divided into two groups: a CRet group (20 dogs) and a massage group (20 dogs). All subjects received a single 18 min treatment session and were evaluated one hour after the end of the treatment. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was performed in which pre- and post-treatment pain measures were evaluated in relation to age and type of treatment. Older dogs were found to have higher significant pain scores before starting treatment. Both treatments reduce pain short-term in all cases. However, post-treatment pain values were significantly lower in dogs treated with CRet when compared to dogs treated with massage. The results show that capacitive-resistive electrical transfer has better short-term results and is beneficial in both younger and older dogs, making this technique attractive to veterinary teams working in canine sporting competitions.
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Search related cases →Original publication on DOAJ: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12243530