Original ResearchLong-Term and Immediate Effects of Whole Body Vibration on Chronic Lameness in the Horse: A Pilot Study

•We examined the long-term and immediate effects of whole body vibration on chronic lameness in the horse.•Relative short-term duration of whole body vibration may prove beneficial in horses with chronic musculoskeletal pathology.•Whole body vibration may prove to be more effective in improving an acute worsening of a chronic lameness, rather than a consistent/unaltered chronic lameness.•There are indicators that when whole body vibration is used for a long period of time, adaptation to whole body vibration may take place.•Some caution is warranted with the long-term use of whole body vibration as well as with its use immediately before competition, as it may have a potential negative impact in some chronically lame horses.

The effects of whole body vibration (WBV) in horses with chronic lameness were evaluated in an experimental, single subject, repeated measure design. To assess the long-term effect of WBV, eight horses not previously exposed to WBV were subject to WBV, 30 minutes twice daily, five days a week, for 60 days in addition to their regular exercise routine. Lameness was assessed subjectively and objectively 30 days before the start, at the start and 30 and 60 days after the start of the treatment (WBV). The immediate effect of WBV was assessed in four horses accustomed to WBV, by comparing lameness before and within 30 minutes of a single 30-minute WBV session at four different time intervals. Change in lameness was sought using paired t tests on the kinematic data. A P-value of <.05 was considered statistically significant. Intraindividual change was sought using a subjective and objective scoring system. No statistically significant change in lameness was seen after 30 or 60 days of WBV, respectively, in the chronically lame horses not previously exposed to WBV. However, a trend toward improvement was observed after the first 30 days of WBV, but this improvement appeared to be lost during the second 30 days of WBV. Although a statistically significant worsening of front limb lameness was seen immediately after a single 30-minute WBV session in the chronically lame horses accustomed to WBV, this result was largely attributed to a very significant worsening of the front limb lameness in one horse within that group.