Ridecamp: RE: [RC] Magnents; Tens units and heat sensers

I bought and used a TENS unit 6 years ago to assist in the healing of a
re-injury to Nick's previously bowed tendon.  I'd bought the "Bowed Tendon
Turn-around" video and the TENS unit from Tom Ivers.

A TENS unit is a muscle stimulator.  It works by trigger muscle contractions
by a small electric pulse delivered via 4 electrodes.  The trick to using a
TENS unit on a horse is correctly locating the 4 electrodes and keeping the
whole thing in place, because you're taping it to the leg that is twitching,
and of course, horse legs taper...downward, so if you haven't secured it
well, it falls off.  I used it on a fairly nervous but well broke horse and
he was fine with it. I used it for about an hour, twice a day...it just sits
there and causes minor muscle contractions of the upper leg, which in turn
causes the lower leg muscles/tendons to activate slightly.

The end result?  It APPEARED that the treatment sped up the healing process,
because he was ready for hand walking in three weeks and back to easy
workouts in five weeks.  The theory behind using it on a horse is that the
muscle contrations both move blood in the damaged area and stimulates
correct tendon fiber regrowth.

However, this isn't science.  I have no way of knowing if his recovery would
have been different had I not used the device.  But it's certainly not
dangerous used in this manner.

Mike Sofen



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