Equine back pain is a diagnostic challenge: A physiotherapist’s perspective

Abstract

Back pain syndromes often present with non-specific signs and may involve multiple different structures as their pain-generator, making a pathoanatomical diagnosis challenging. Diagnosis of back pain requires a multidimensional approach, involving both functional and interventional assessments. Whilst the equine practitioner has a substantial number of assessment tools available, many are not utilized due to time constraints, lack of awareness, and financial implications. The purpose of this review is to summarise the literature on functional and interventional assessment for equine back pain and highlight the challenges faced by clinicians.