Animal physiotherapy began with surprising enthusiasm, supported from its earliest days by none other than Lord Mountbatten (1939). It began to gain recognition and caught the attention of visionary therapists and forward-thinking institutions who believed that animals, too, could benefit from physical rehabilitation. Thanks to figures like Sir Charles Strong and the many therapists who followed, the field grew in both credibility and visibility, offering new professional pathways and areas of research.
In some ways, my research feels like a quiet continuation of that journey, an effort to explore how physiotherapists might contribute to the understanding of pain in non-verbal species. A few months ago, I defended my doctoral thesis, perhaps a common academic milestone at first glance. But this particular thesis represents something less conventional: a bridge between human physiotherapy and veterinary medicine, built from the perspective of a clinician stepping across disciplines, species, and ways of perceiving pain. As a physiotherapist, completing a PhD within a veterinary faculty was never the most predictable path. I’m not sure how many similar cases exist worldwide, but what I do know is that none of them, have explored the topic of myofascial pain in horses as the focus of their research. Since then, my professional path has continued to move between species and disciplines, eventually leading me to a research project that reflects that very intersection.
Listening without words
The question that sparked the project was both simple and daunting: Can we recognize subtle signs of pain in an animal that cannot speak?
In human medicine, myofascial pain is a well-known clinical entity, prevalent and impactful. My clinical experience treating people made this reality all too familiar. Yet, in the world of veterinary care, the concept of myofascial pain remains under-recognized, even invisible. Horses may show lameness, stiffness, or behavioural changes, but the muscle is rarely identified as a primary source of pain. I began to wonder: What if horses also suffer from myofascial pain? What if we are missing a silent contributor to both their discomfort and their performance limitations, simply because we haven’t trained ourselves to see it?
Maria Catalayud (PhD, PT)
Physiotherapist specialised in equine and human dry needling
Photo by Falco Negenman on Unsplash
Building the bridge
This thesis aimed to take a first step in that direction: to apply the existing knowledge about dry needling treatment of myofascial pain in humans to equine patients, with scientific rigour.
It was not an easy process. There were no validated clinical protocols and very little existing research specific to equine myofascial pain. And yet, the studies that do exist were invaluable. I’m especially grateful for McGregor’s research detecting electromyographic activity in the trigger points in the equine cleidobrachialis and Bowen’s work on palpation of trigger points in the pectoralis major in girth-sensitive horses (McGregor, 2014, Bowen, 2017). Haussler’s contributions to equine algometry also helped shape the way sensitivity and pain thresholds can be measured objectively in animals (Haussler 2009, 2018, 2021). Even earlier, Wall and others had laid meaningful foundations by identifying trigger points in dogs (Wall, 2014). Among these early efforts, Simmons (1976) provided a pioneering microscopic analysis of the features of taut bands and their transient contraction responses in canine muscle. This was followed by contributions from Janssens (1991), Basko (1996), Marks (1999), Frank (1999), Altug (2010), and Formenton (2023). In horses, the work of Ridgway (1999, 2005), Schoen (2000), Tangjitjaroen (2009), Sato (2020), and Story (2021) all offered insights and precedents that supported this path.
What I found was meaningful: myofascial pain is indeed present in horses, and it can be effectively addressed. Through this doctoral work, I was able to demonstrate that dry needling, a technique widely used in human physiotherapy, can significantly reduce local pain associated with myofascial trigger points in horses. To my knowledge, this is the first study to systematically investigate the clinical effects of dry needling for equine myofascial pain. The results suggest that, when properly applied, this approach not only improves local sensitivity but also opens new possibilities for the assessment and management of muscular pain in equine practice.
I’m grateful to to share these findings through my thesis, but even more so to continue sharing them in daily practice and in educational settings, where I have the opportunity to teach other professionals who are equally committed to improving equine care.
Photo by Fadhil Abhimantra on Unsplash
History in the making
Looking back, it’s impossible not to place this experience in the broader context of how animal physiotherapy has evolved. The very presence of physiotherapists in animal care is a relatively recent phenomenon.
My thesis, then, is part of that story: a reflection of what happens when clinicians take the long way around, and ask new questions. It is not just a piece of academic work. It also reflects a belief in the value of collaboration between physiotherapy and veterinary medicine, two professions that, by working together, can advance the understanding and treatment of pain in animals in meaningful ways. It is a call to reimagine how we understand pain in non-verbal beings, and how physiotherapy might contribute to veterinary medicine as a science-based discipline. It is also a reminder that science doesn’t just live in labs or journals, but it also lives in the field and in the stable.
I am grateful to the International Physiotherapy History Association for allowing space to share these stories. Because physiotherapy, as a profession, has always been shaped by those willing to explore unfamiliar ground. And sometimes, that ground is covered in hay.
References
Header image by Oscar Nilsson on Unsplash
This blogpost was originally published on the website of the International Physiotherapy History Association here: https://history.physio/animal-physiotherapy/
Declaration of AI use
Ce texte n’a pas été rédigé à l’aide d’un modèle de langage d’IA. L’IA, Microsoft® Copilot, a été utilisée pour vérifier la grammaire et l’orthographe. Les auteures ont examiné les corrections proposées par l’IA afin d’en assurer la précision, la pertinence et la cohérence avant de finaliser le texte.