STIFLE JOINT DISEASES IN SPORT HORSE: THERAPY BY ACUPUNCTURE

1. Francesco LONGO (*) Margherita GAZZOLA (**) (*) Veterinary Surgeon, Repr. Spec. It.V.A.S. – SIAV longo.agovet@katamail.com (**) Veterinary Surgeon, Anim. Health Spec. It.V.A.S. – SIAV marghegaz@yahoo.com www.siav-itvas.org STIFLE JOINT DISEASES IN SPORT HORSE: THERAPY BY ACUPUNCTURE

2. THE AIM OF THIS REPORT IS TO SHOW THE EFFECTIVENESS AND THE ROLE OF ACUPUNCUTRE IN REHABILITATION AND IN PHYSIOTHERAPY

3. ANATOMY THE STIFLE IS MADE UP OF THE END OF FEMUR BONE – BEGINNING OF THE TIBIA BOTH SURFACE ARE COVEREDWITH CARTILAGE

4. RIDING ON THE ANTERIOR SURFACE OF THE FEMUR IS THE PATELLA TWO INTERNAL CRUCIATE LIGAMENTS STABILIZE THE JOINT

5. MENISCI LIE BETWEEN THE CARTILAGE AND HELP PREVENT CONCUSSION INJURIES TO THE JOINT SURFACES

6. OUTSIDE OF THE JOINT ARE THE EXTERNAL COLLATERAL LIGAMENTS THE FRONT OF STIFLE HAS THREE LARGE PATELLAR LEGAMENTS (FROM THE QUADRICEPS MUSCLE JUST ABOVE THE PATELLA AND INSERT ON THE UPPER TIBIA)

7. THE HINDLIMB CAN BE CONSIDERED A PENDULUM IN MOTION THE ROTATION POINT OF THE HINDLIMB IS THE ACETABULUM THE ROLE OF PELVIC ROTATION IN HINDLIMB MOTION DIFFERS BETWEEN THE SAGITTAL PLANE AND THE TRASVERSE PLANE

8. ACCORDING TO TCM THE MOVEMENT OF THE HORSE ORIGIN AS AN IMPULSE FROM AN AREA BETWEEN L 3 – L 4 THIS IMPULSE GOES DOWN THE HINDLIMB AND IT DETERMINES THE FLEXION OF THE HOCK AND THE STIFLE

9. THE HINDLIMB PROPEL THE HORSE MOST OF THIS WORK IS CARRIED OUT BY THE HOCK JOINT AND STIFLE

10. X – RAY OF STIFLE JOINT PROJECTION OF THE LATERAL TROCHLEAR RIDGE OF THE FEMUR LATEROMEDIAL PROJECTION

11. X – RAY OF STIFLE JOINT SKYLINE PROJECTION OF THE PATELLA

12. NORMAL X – RAY OF STIFLE JOINT (view from front to back)

13. NORMAL X – RAY OF STIFLE JOINT (view from the side)

14. MAIN PATHOLOGIES: UPWARD FIXATION OF THE PATELLA

15. UPWARD FIXATION OF THE PATELLA NORMALLY THE KNEECAP IS ABLE TO BLOCK JOINT ALLOWING THE PLACE DURING THE HORSE REST PATOLOGICALLY IT GOES UP IN ABNORMAL POSITION

16. UPWARD FIXATION OF THE PATELLA COMMON DISORDER THAT DEVELOPS IN YOUNG HORSES (1 – 4 YEARS OF AGE) IT MAY HAPPEN COMPLETELY OR INTERMITTENT IT OFTEN INVOLVES ONE HIND LIMB ALTHOUGH IT MAY BE AN INVOLVEMENT OF THE CONTRALATERAL LEG (PONY SHETLANDS)

17. UPWARD FIXATION OF THE PATELLA IT IS DUE TO: STRAIGHT LEGGED CONFORMATION WEAKNESS IN THIGH MUSCLES RELAXATION OR STRETCHING OF THE PATELLAR LIGAMENTS CONGENITAL PREDISPOSITION INVOLVEMENT OF POPLITEAL MUSCLE (“STARTER” MUSCLE FOR THE BENDING) BLOCK JOINT OF THE LUMBAR VERTEBRAE L 4 – L 5

18. UPWARD FIXATION OF THE PATELLA IN A BIOMECHANICS VIEW IN U.F.P. THERE IS AN INVOLVEMENT OF THE CUBOID BONE (TARSAL IV): ONE BRANCH OF THE PERONEAL MUSCLE III IT BINDS TO CUBOID  IPERTENSION OF THESE STRUCTURES  DECREASE HOCK FLEXION DECREASE STIFLE FLEXION  BLOCK OF THE KNEECAP

19. UPWARD FIXATION OF THE PATELLA A BIOMECHANICS VIEW of the U.F.P.

20. GONITIS IT IS AN INFLAMMATORY LESION COMMON REASON FOR STIFLE LAMENESS THIS COULD INVOLVE THE SOFT TISSUES OF THE JOINT: JOINT CAPSULE INTERNAL LIGAMENTS MENISCI CARTILAGE RX ARE TAKEN TO EVALUATE THE SIGNS OF DEGENERATION OR ARTHRITIS (DJD)

21. GONITIS IT IS DUE TO: UPWARD FIXATION OF PATELLA INVOLVEMENT OF THE MEDIAL MENISCUS MENISCI TRAUMA

22. GONITIS IT IS DUE TO: BROKEN COLLATERAL LIGAMENTS  MEDIAL IS MORE FREQUENTLY INVOLVED  JOINT INSTABILITY & INVOLVEMENT OF THE MEDIAL MENISCUS

23. GONITIS IT IS DUE TO: OCD  SUBCHONDRAL CYSTES ON MEDIAL CONDILE OF THE FEMUR

24. GONITIS SYMPTOMATOLOGY: STRAINING OF THE JOINT ATROPHY OF THE FLEXOR MUSCLE WEAR OF THE SHOES PAIN IN ADVANCING PHASE IRREGULAR GAITING JOINT KEEPING IN BENDING STRAINING and THICKENING OF THE JOINT CAPSULE LAMENESS DEGREE PROPORTIONAL TO THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE LESION

25. THE TRADITIONAL CHINESE VETERINARY MEDICINE (TCVM) HAS A THOUSAND YEARS HISTORY IN PREPARING HORSES TO SPORT COMPETITION

26. ACUPUNCTURE WORKS IN THESE DISEASES BY LOCAL TREATMENT BY GENERAL HOLISTIC OVERALL TREATMENT TOO!!

27. IN HIPPIATRICS THERE IS A CONSOLIDATED SYSTEM OF DIAGNOSTIC ACUPOINTS  IT POSSIBLE TO IDENTIFY THE ORGANS INVOLVED IN THE DISORDER OR THE SEAT OF LIMB DISEASE  IT IS THUS PARTICULARLY USEFUL IN SPORT MEDICINE  IT IS POSSIBLE TREATTHE “FOLIAGE” AND THE“ROOT” OF THE DISEASE

28. E.C.I.W.O. (Embryo Containing the Information of the Whole Organism) THEORY  TING POINTS (WHICH ARE AMONG THE ANTIQUE SHU POINTS – WU SHU) BEI SHU POINTS MU POINTS POINTS ON THE EAR  DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM  PALPATION EXAM

29. IT IS ESSENTIAL TO FORMULATE A CORRECT ENERGY DIAGNOSIS  THE STATE CRITERIA CONDITIONS OF EXCESS OR DEFICIENCY EXPRESS THROUGH PHYSICAL AND FUNCTIONAL SIGNS

30. TREATMENT ACUPOINTS ARE SELECTED ON THE BASIS OF THE TRADITIONAL INDICATION REGARDING THEIR ENERGY AS WELL AS EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE  THEIR ACTION MANIFEST ITSELF AT DIFFERENT LEVELS  ANTALGIC ANTI – INFLAMMATORY NEUROENDOCRINE TROPHIC VASOMODULATOR ACTIVITY  INTEGRATED SYSTEM THAT ELICITIS SPECIFIC FUNCTIONAL RESPONSES

31. DIFFERENT WAYS OF STIMULATING ACUPOINTS  TRADITIONAL ACUPUNCTURE (CHINESE NEEDLES) HYDROACUPUNCTURE ELECTROACUPUNCTURE LASERPUNCTURE MOXIBUSTION TUINA (CHINESE MASSAGE)

32. DIFFERENT WAYS OF STIMULATING ACUPOINTS  TRADITIONAL ACUPUNCTURE (CHINESE NEEDLES)

33. DIFFERENT WAYS OF STIMULATING ACUPOINTS  HYDROACUPUNCTURE and HAEMOACUPUNCTURE

34. DIFFERENT WAYS OF STIMULATING ACUPOINTS  MOXIBUSTION Artemisia vulgaris Artemisia argyi Artemisia sinensis

35. DIFFERENT WAYS OF STIMULATING ACUPOINTS  PLUM BLOSSOM

36. DIFFERENT WAYS OF STIMULATING ACUPOINTS  ELECTROACUPUNCTURE

37. DIFFERENT WAYS OF STIMULATING ACUPOINTS  LASERPUNCTURE

38. DIFFERENT WAYS OF STIMULATING ACUPOINTS  TUINA (CHINESE MASSAGE)

39. ACUPUNCTURE IN DOG

40. TCVM STIFLE IS THE LOINS’ PALACE THE JOINT WORK IS CONNECTED TO KIDNEY ENERGY

41. TCVM THE JOINT FUNCTION IS CONNECTED TO STOMACH MERIDIAN (CHANNEL)

42. TCVM IT IS POSSIBLE OBTAIN AN IMPROVEMENT OF THE JOINT FUNCTION IF THERE IS A CHANGE IN FEEDING SOMETIMES IT IS ENOUGH ADMINISTER MEAGER YOGURT OR YEATS TO IMPROVE JOINT WORK

43. ACUPUNCTURE SESSIONS ON AVERAGE  3 SESSIONS EVERY 5 – 7 DAYS *** THE AIMS OF THE ACUPUNCTURE TREATMENT ARE  ELIMINATE PAIN ELIMINATE INFLAMMATION FUNCTIONAL RECOVERY OF THE JOINT  HORSES RETURN TO SPORT COMPETITIONS QUICKLY

44. RESULTS ABOUT 30 CASES A YEAR  FUNCTIONAL RECOVERY IN ABOUT 90% OF THE CASES  LOCAL ANTALGIC ACTION LOCAL ANTI - INFLAMMATORY ACTION  (PAIN HAS A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE HORSE’S PERFORMANCE AND QUALITY OF LIFE)  GENERAL EFFECT ON BIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS  COMPLETE WELL BEING OF THE HORSE

45. RESULTS GENERAL EFFECT ON BIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS  HIGH PERCENTAGE OF RECOVERY  GENERAL (HOLISTIC) EFFECT OF ACUPUNCTURE TREATMENT  THE ALL OF ORGANISM OBTAIN ITS GLOBAL BALANCE AND ITS COMPLETE WELLBEING  THESE CONDITIONS REDUCE OR STOP THE RELAPSING

46. DIAGNOSTIC ACUPOINTS YINMEN FUXI WEIYANG SHUITU

47. GENERAL THERAPY WEISHU WEIZHONG TIANSHU SHENMAI LOCAL THERAPY FUYANG YANGLINGQUAN HOUXI DUBI ZU SANLI FENGLONG QICHONG TAICHONG QUQUAN XUEHAI YINGU

48. GENERAL THERAPY WEISHU WEIZHONG TIANSHU SHENMAI FUYANG HOUXI LOCAL THERAPY QICHONG DUBI ZU SANLI FENGLONG YANGLINGQUAN TAICHONG QUQUAN XUEHAI YINGU

49. COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY PATELLA LIGAMENTS PROBLEMS  GELSEMIUM SEMPERVIRENS

50. THE TRUE THERAPY IS THE PREVENTION  FUNCTIONAL GYMNASTICS  BODY MOVEMENTS ASSURE THE ENERGY FLOW  THE BEST MOVEMENTS ARE THUS NATURAL IT IS POSSIBLE SUGGEST TO THE OWNER SPECIFIC MOVIMENTS IN TRAINING