The process of decline in musculoskeletal soundness, or functional movement patterns as a cause of injury or the result of an acute injury is intertwined with the outcomes and resolution of any pain or movement deficit.
'Lameness' unfortunately doesn't exist as an island, and compromised load or deficits in power generation will always be transferred to other aspects of physiology creating secondary compensatory outcomes. Protection comes at an expensive cost to the horses physiology, as it does to all biological systems.
The process of the recovery or rehabilitation of a disfunction to a complete recovery, or a sustainable phase of management without further decline follows a linear, but multi layered approach of both management of pain to reduce decline of proprioception through persistent 'protection' and subsequent loss of flexibility, strength, endurance capacity and functional demands on the horses physiology.
There are vital milestones in the process to take the horse from owner recognition, to injury or movement pattern disfunction recovery + resolution and these remain pivotal around the initial recognition, isolation, resolution to and sustainable management of movement pattern impacting pain in the horse.
Once this initial step has been taken, the process tracks back safely, and methodically through a similar path that the decline took....with a difference.
The difference lays in the actual movement patterns, and processes that must be physically undertaken.
These must be deconstructed down to redevelop + remind the nervous system + physiology of what to do correctly, retrain the horses cognitive pathways and responses, and subsequently methodically move through them progressively to arrive at both a resolution of the injury or dysfunction with a sustainable foundation. This foundation provides the basis for progression onwards from the point of initial injury or decline, where possible into functional demands on the horses movement.
In a nutshell, the way to regain movement, is to retrain movement. But to get to where you can start that, you need to be able to regain each facet of that correct movement - painfree.
Reference: Haussler, Kevin & King, M. & Peck, K. & Adair, Henry. (2020). The development of safe and effective rehabilitation protocols for horses. Equine Veterinary Education. 33. 10.1111/eve.13253.
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