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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2024; 14(11); 1538; doi: 10.3390/ani14111538

The Application of Infrared Thermography in the Assessment of BEMER Physical Vascular Therapy on Body Surface Temperature in Racing Thoroughbreds: A Preliminary Study.

Abstract: The study aimed to evaluate the impact of BEMER (Physical Vascular Therapy) on body surface temperature using infrared thermography (IRT) in the distal parts of the forelimbs in Thoroughbreds. The study tested the hypothesis that BEMER therapy leads to an increase in body surface temperature and blood vessel diameter in the distal parts of the forelimbs. The study involved 16 horses, split into 2 groups: active BEMER ( = 8) and sham ( = 8). The active BEMER group had BEMER boots applied to the distal parts of the forelimbs, whereas the sham group had BEMER boots applied without activation of the device. Both groups underwent IRT examination to detect changes in body surface temperature, followed by ultrasonographic examination to assess changes in vein and artery diameter before (BT) and just after (JAT) therapy. The IRT examination was repeated 15 min after BEMER therapy (15AT). There were no significant body surface temperature differences between BT and JAT in any regions of interest (ROIs) in either group. In the active BEMER group, the ROIs did not change significantly at 15AT, compared to the temperatures measured at BT (except for the hooves). At 15AT the temperature of all the ROIs (except the fetlock bone) dropped significantly in the sham group. In the ultrasonographic examination, there was a significant increase in vein and artery diameter in the study group JAT, whereas the sham group had a significant increase only in artery diameter JAT. These results suggest an effect of BEMER on stimulating blood circulation in the distal parts of the forelimbs in clinically healthy horses. IRT did not identify changes in skin surface temperature after BEMER therapy at the distal parts of the forelimbs.
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Publication Date: 2024-05-23 PubMed ID: 38891585PubMed Central: PMC11171224DOI: 10.3390/ani14111538Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research aims to understand the effects of BEMER Physical Vascular Therapy on the body surface temperature of racing Thoroughbreds, measured using infrared thermography. The hypothesis predicts an increase in both body surface temperature and blood vessel size.

Research Objective and Hypothesis

  • The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of BEMER (Physical Vascular Therapy) on body surface temperature in the distal parts of forelimbs of Thoroughbreds, assessed using infrared thermography (IRT).
  • The hypothesis predicted that BEMER therapy could lead to an increase in both body surface temperature and the diameter of blood vessels in the distal parts of the forelimbs.

Methodology

  • 16 horses were involved in this study. They were divided into two groups: active BEMER, which included 8 horses, and sham, which also included 8 horses.
  • The active BEMER group had BEMER boots applied to the distal parts of their forelimbs, while the sham group had the same boots applied without activating the device.
  • Both groups underwent infrared thermography (IRT) examination for detecting changes in body surface temperature.
  • Ultrasonographic examination was conducted to evaluate changes in the diameter of veins and arteries before and just after the therapy.
  • The IRT examination was redone 15 minutes after the BEMER therapy.

Findings

  • No significant differences were observed in body surface temperature between before and just after therapy in any regions of interest (ROIs) in the two groups.
  • In the active BEMER group, the ROIs did not show any significant changes in temperature 15 minutes after the BEMER therapy, excluding the hooves.
  • For the sham group, the temperature of all the ROIs (except the fetlock bone) dropped significantly 15 minutes after therapy.
  • Vein and artery diameters in the study group increased significantly just after therapy, whereas the sham group only had a significant increase in artery diameter.

Conclusion

  • The results suggest that BEMER stimulates blood circulation in the distal parts of the forelimbs in healthy horses.
  • However, IRT did not identify changes in skin surface temperature following BEMER therapy in the distal parts of the forelimbs.

Cite This Article

APA
Nawrot K, Soroko-Dubrovina M, Zielińska P, Dudek K, Howell K. (2024). The Application of Infrared Thermography in the Assessment of BEMER Physical Vascular Therapy on Body Surface Temperature in Racing Thoroughbreds: A Preliminary Study. Animals (Basel), 14(11), 1538. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14111538

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 14
Issue: 11
PII: 1538

Researcher Affiliations

Nawrot, Karolina
  • Institute of Animal Breeding, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Chelmonskiego 38C, 51-160 Wroclaw, Poland.
Soroko-Dubrovina, Maria
  • Institute of Animal Breeding, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Chelmonskiego 38C, 51-160 Wroclaw, Poland.
Zielińska, Paulina
  • Department of Surgery, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, pl. Grunwaldzki 51, 50-366 Wroclaw, Poland.
Dudek, Krzysztof
  • Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland.
Howell, Kevin
  • Microvascular Diagnostics, Royal Free Hospital, Pond Street, London NW3 2QG, UK.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 2 times.
  1. Calle-González N, Rivero JL, Olivares J, Miró F, Argüelles D, Requena F, Munoz A. Assessing thermal changes in the equine thoracolumbar region following different capacitive-resistive electrical transfer protocols. Front Vet Sci 2025;12:1570120.
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  2. Brandenberger O, Kalinovskiy A, Körner J, Genn H, Burger R, Leser S. Effect of Bio-Electro-Magnetic-Energy-Regulation (BEMER) Horse Therapy on Cardiopulmonary Function and Recovery Quality After Isoflurane Anesthesia in 100 Horses Subjected to Pars-Plana Vitrectomy: An Investigator-Blinded Clinical Study. Animals (Basel) 2024 Dec 18;14(24).
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