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Not All Pain is the Same

Madalyn Ward, DVM

None of us want our horses to be in pain. Horses can’t tell us in words what hurts, but they do communicate to us with their body posture and behavior. Acute pain, such as colic or injury, is pretty straightforward to understand and treat, but chronic pain in the musculoskeletal system is more of a challenge.

There is a tendency in conventional medicine to treat all pain in the same way, by reaching for steroids or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). These products have a place in treating acute injuries, but their side effects limit their use for chronic pain. Chronic pain is almost always related to a systemic imbalance, and needs to be approached in a way that addresses both the immediate pain and the underlying cause.

Looking for a symptom patterns in horses with chronic pain will help you choose the best approach to address the underlying cause. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) separates chronic pain into two categories: either an excess/blockage or a deficiency of Qi (energy) and Blood. This month I’ll cover excess pain conditions, and next month I’ll review deficient pain conditions.

++ Excess Pain Conditions ++
Excess pain conditions, which result in blockage of Qi and Blood flow through the meridians (energy pathways of the body), are caused by:

  1. Invasion of the body by external pathogenic factors such as Wind, Cold, Heat or Damp. A weakness in the horse’s immune system allows these pathogenic forces to enter the body, which means that the horse may have an overall systemic deficiency that opens him up to an excess condition.
  2. Trauma
  3. Liver Qi Stasis: In TCM, the Liver is responsible for moving the Qi through the meridians so if the Liver is stressed by excess toxins or an excessively rich diet, it will not be able to move the body Qi as it should.

 

The type of pain in an excess condition is:

  • severe
  • worse with pressure
  • better with movement
  • worse with rest
  • gets better as the day goes on

 

The TCM treatment approach for excess type pain is to get the Qi and Blood moving as it should. Excess pain conditions respond to poultices to draw out inflammation, ice and hydrotherapy, cooling liniments such as Equilite Sore No More, and physical therapy that includes stretching exercises. Liver support from a high-chlorophyll food, such as blue green algae, or cleansing herbs can help. Homeopathic remedies such as Arnica, Bryonia, Ruta, and Rhus Tox can also support healing.

In my experience chronic pain from excess or deficiency does not respond well to drugs alone. Acute pain can respond well to the short-term use of pain-relieving drugs, but chronic pain from an excess condition will need a systemic approach, as will chronic pain from deficiency.

About the AuthorTess and Madalyn

Madalyn Ward, DVM, owns Bear Creek Veterinary Clinic in Austin, Texas. She is certified in Veterinary Homeopathy and Equine Osteopathy. Memberships include American Veterinary Medical Association, American Association of Equine Practitioners, American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association, Texas Veterinay Medical Association and the Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy. She has authored several books and publishes the monthly newsletter, “Holistic Horsekeeping.”

A Personal Word from the Author

My name is Madalyn Ward, and I graduated from Texas A&M University in 1980. I worked in an equine practice until 1985, then started my own practice at Bear Creek Veterinary Clinic in Austin, Texas. After four more years of practice, I remained frustrated about many aspects of western medicine. Despite regularly attending conferences, consulting with experts and reading all the latest literature, I was still not curing many chronic conditions. I also found many standard conventional practices very invasive and unappreciated by my patients. I wanted my patients to live happier as well as healthier lives.

In 1989 I started seeking out information and training in alternative healing methods. I was and continue to be amazed at the wealth of knowledge about true healing — knowledge largely ignored by conventional teaching institutions. I find the horse-owning public and practicing veterinarians who have faced similar frustrations are open to alternative methods.

I want to share the information I have and encourage others to do the same, for the benefit of horses everywhere.

Dr. Madalyn Ward, D.V.M.
Contact
Madalyn Ward DVM
11608 FM 1826
Austin, TX 78737
303-575-1170

You can visit her website: www.holistichorsekeeping.com to read more about holistic horse treatments. There will also be more info

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