06/03/2025
Our new equine cryotherapy machine as reviewed by a top veterinary practice.
🥁Portable cold compression therapy🥁
ℹWe are excited to be able to offer the use of our own compression cryotherapy unit to treat lower limb injuries.
❄️Our new compression cryotherapy bandages are attached to a battery powered unit which has an inbuilt large insulated reservoir to hold iced water (at less than 6oC) and a pump.
❄️The amount of pressure and compression as well as the treatment time can all be controlled. The ice water is continually circulated through the leg wraps, and the compression cycle squeezes and releases the pressure inside the bandages providing far greater anti-inflammatory effects and helps to reduce swelling.
These units have originally been developed for and used extensively for post-operative care of people after knee surgery and replacements, ankle or Achilles injuries, shoulder surgery, muscle tears etc to reduce swelling, reduce pain and improve healing quality and to reduce recovery times.
We can use it to reduce swelling after surgery, reduce inflammation in legs after tendon or ligament injuries, and to treat joint injuries/synovitis.
ℹThere are also competition and racing yards that use these on a preventative basis after horses have been galloped, raced, or after cross country – we have all seen rugby players and athletes jumping into ice baths to reduce injury risks and cool down tendons and muscles… this unit does the same for the flexor tendons both as a routine prevention and also during the stages of rehabilitation.
ℹCold hosing and ‘icing’ legs has been a mainstay of treating leg injuries for years.
There are several limitations to all of the easily available options.
➡Cold hosing doesn’t get the leg cold enough (unless it is a very cold winters day!) and some horses don’t like hosepipes!
➡Ice wraps tend to have localised cold spots, then the ice melts at they don’t then remain cold enough.
➡Clay and gel wraps aren’t cold enough, and can cause skin reactions especially if there are any cuts or abrasions…and they are very messy to clean off!
➡Many cool boots end up acting as insulators as they warm up rather than continued cooling.
Most cold boots need to then be re-frozen each time between use/horses. This unit can keep on treating several horses one after the other. And none of them offer the benefits of both compression and continued fresh cooling at less than 6 degrees.
These units have originally been developed for and been used extensively for post-operative care of people after knee surgery and replacements, ankle or Achilles injuries, shoulder surgery, muscle tears etc to reduce swelling, reduce pain and improve healing quality and to reduce recovery times.
😁Our boots are available at the clinic, or we can come to your yard.
https://lochlevenequine.co.uk/
