Effect of Caudal Traction on Mechanical Nociceptive Thresholds of Epaxial and Pelvic Musculature on a Group of Horses With Signs of Back Pain.

The study investigates the effect of caudal traction (pulling the tail) on horses showing signs of back pain, with results indicating that this method may indeed have a positive effect on the mechanical nociceptive thresholds (pain thresholds) in these animals.

Introduction

• This research focuses on the method of caudal traction, also known as tail pulling, which is hypothesized to have potential benefits in relieving pain in horses — particularly those exhibiting signs of back pain.
• Although tail pulling is a common human manual therapy technique used for pain relief, evidence supporting its effectiveness in horses is lacking. This study aims to fill that gap.

Method

• The study involved 11 horses showing clinical symptoms of back pain.
• The researchers utilized pressure algometry to measure the mechanical nociceptive thresholds (MNTs) – essentially a measure of pain sensitivity – of five bilateral anatomical sites in the epaxial (along the spine) and pelvic musculature of the horses.
• Measurements were recorded both before and immediately following the application of caudal traction.

Findings

• The study found a significant difference in the mean MNTs recorded before and after applying caudal traction in all the tested anatomical sites. The results were statistically significant with a P-value of less than or equal to .05, suggesting these findings are unlikely to have occurred by chance.
• The increase in MNTs was most pronounced in the thoracic (chest) region — with an 83% increase. This increase was higher than that recorded in the lumbar (lower spine, 50%) and the pelvic (52.4%) regions.
• These results indicate that caudal traction potentially increases the pain threshold in horses, particularly in the areas along the spine and around the pelvic region.

Implications and Future Work

• The research suggests that caudal traction could be a valid method for easing back pain in horses. However, as the research is in its early stages, more extensive studies are needed to confirm and build upon these findings.
• Future research should aim to determine the clinical effect and potential implications of the caudal traction technique when it is used as part of a pain management regimen for horses with back pain.