In our sport, injuries do occur. Also chronic pain and joint problems from repetitive wear and tear on our bodies is commonplace. Treatment of injuries or pain and preventative maintenance programs are critical in maintaining our health and minimizing training downtime.
Ongoing active exercise programs are ideal to build fitness suitable for a riding lifestyle. I enjoy Pilates, cardio work outs and boxing to build strength, flexibility and endurance. I also employ passive therapy techniques for routine maintenance and physical recovery, such as regular chiropractic work, massage therapy and acupuncture.
Below I focus on a couple of therapies that you may not have heard of, but ones that I find provide great results.
Myofacial Acoustic Compression Therapy (MyACT)
Myofacial Acoustic Compression Therapy (MyACT)This treatment uses acoustic waves to target tissue at varying depths to compress and manipulate tissue resulting in a focused and precise deep tissue massage. It is a non-invasive treatment that specifically helps treat musculoskeletal conditions such as pain in muscles, tendons and joints.
Applications include the treatment of and pain associated with sports related and repetitive stress injuries. MyACT is one of the very few medical technologies that is effective at treating chronic injuries. It is suggested that MyACT can “jump start” the healing process in chronic, non-healing injuries and reintroduce healing. The therapeutic effects are:
- Alleviation of pain
- Muscle relaxation
- Improved blood supply
- Stimulation of tissue
A treatment session lasts 10 to 20 minutes, one or two times a week for a total of about five sessions.
Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy (PEFT)
Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy (PEFT)Low frequency PEMFs pass right through the body, penetrating every cell, tissue, organ and even bone without being absorbed or altered. As they pass through, they stimulate the electrical and chemical processes in the tissues. Some of the benefits of this treatment are:
- Reduce pain, inflammation, the effects of stress on the body, and platelet adhesion.
- Improve energy, circulation, blood and tissue oxygenation, sleep quality, blood pressure and cholesterol levels, the uptake of nutrients, cellular detoxification and the ability to regenerate cells.
- Balance the immune system and stimulate RNA and DNA.
- Accelerate repair of bone and soft tissue.
- Relax muscles.
These techniques, in addition to chiropractic work and acupuncture, are also effective treatments for my horses. I describe magnetic therapy for my horses in my blog: Horse Health and After Training Recovery.
