Whole Body Vibration (WBV) provided by Vitafloor has been proven to improve size and
symmetry of the equine back muscles
The study was conducted by:
Bart Halsberghe, DVM, cVMA, cert. ISELP, of Peninsula Equine Medical Center in Menlo Park, CA
Russ Peterson, DVM, MS, of Peninsula Equine Medical Center in Menlo Park, CA
Paul Gordon Ross, MS, DVM, of Western University of Health Science College of Veterinary Medicine in Pomona, CA
The study included 9 horses, ages 9 to 19 who all had clinical signs of back pain
and associated lameness.
Each horse underwent 30 minutes
of WBV twice a day,
five days a week, for 60 days.
Results through ultrasonography showed an increased total
cross-sectional area at each spinal level,
an indicator of hypertrophy.
Hypertrophy is an increase in size of skeletal muscle.
Before WBV and after WBV
"From a practical perspective, being able to increase the size of this muscle may play a key role in the treatment and prevention of back
pain in the horse, as has been shown in humans. Moreover improvement in muscle symmetry has been suggested to be a sign of the
muscle returning to normal and as such improved spinal health. Furthermore WBV can be used in maintaining or even improving muscle mass when horses are laid up for an injury with the usual deconditioning as a consequence." - Dr. Halsberghe
