Effectiveness of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation and Dynamic Mobilization Exercises on Equine Multifidus Muscle Cross-Sectional Area.

This study examines the effectiveness of dynamic mobilization exercises (DME) and neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) in increasing the size of a specific muscle in horses. It was found that both methods increased the muscle size significantly over a seven-week period, suggesting they could be used in tandem in horse <a href="/equine-rehabilitation-guide/" title="rehabilitation programs.

Study Overview

The study investigated the effect of dynamic mobilization exercises and neuromuscular electrical stimulation on equine multifidus muscle size. These techniques were used to address the issue of equine back pain that can lead to muscle atrophy and dysfunction.

• Eight adult horses were divided into two groups and subjected to either DME or NMES for seven weeks.
• The NMES group received electrical stimulation on the epaxial muscles for 10 minutes per session, four days a week.
• The DME group was instructed to move their chin to specific positions, utilizing various cervical flexions and lateral bending exercises.
• Ultrasonographic images were used to measure the cross-sectional area (CSA) of the multifidus muscle at the beginning and end of the experimental period.

Results and Conclusion

The study discovered that both DME and NMES significantly increased the CSA of the multifidus muscle.

• A considerable increase in muscle size was revealed at all measured spinal locations (except at T16).
• This increase was more marked in the NMES group (18.65%) compared to the DME group (13.41%).
• The results suggest that these therapies can be jointly applied in a back-rehabilitation program to enhance spine stabilization in horses.

Thus, the research demonstrated that combining neuromuscular electrical stimulation and dynamic mobilization exercises could be an efficacious approach for remedying atrophy and dysfunction of the equine multifidus muscle. This could have significant implications for horse rehabilitation practices.