Local veterinarian’s practice makes waves

In the equine industry shock wave therapy is used to treat a variety of ailments



Local resident Jenny Johnson, an equine veterinarian, wanted to make waves when she decided to open her practice in Calabasas.

Having been a vet for 20 years and having practiced on standard bred racehorses, elite show jumpers and dressage horses, Johnson researched the vast array of therapeutic options available to the horse and settled on extracorporeal shock wave therapy.

Shock wave therapy has been used in Europe for many years to treat musculoskeletal injuries in both humans and animals. It was brought to the United States in the late 1990s to help treat horses.

A shock wave is a highfrequency sound wave. When a shock wave is focused and propagated from the outside of the body (extracorporeal) into and through the soft tissue, it stimulates the blood flow to an injury and helps the body’s own stem cells and numerous other healing agents migrate to the hurting area.

With analgesic and antiinflammatory effects, shock wave therapy can be used to treat tendon and ligament injuries, as well as arthritis, neck and back pain. For arthritic animals, it is a noninvasive treatment that frequently provides lasting relief from pain. Hip dysplasia, for example, is often treated with shock wave therapy, as are fractured bones.

In the equine industry it is used to treat a variety of ailments, especially lameness. It can also be used to heal dogs and other animals.

Johnson recently attended the 10th Annual Congress of the International Society for Musculoskeletal Shockwave Therapy, which was held in Toronto, Canada. At the three-day session, Johnson said there were over 70 presentations on current research projects and findings in musculoskeletal shock wave therapy for both humans and animals.

Johnson has had a life long love of horses and has ridden since the age of 4. She completed her undergraduate studies at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts earning a bachelor of science in biology with cum laude recognition. She completed her veterinary education at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, earning a V.M.D. degree in 1986.

For more information on shock wave therapy, visit www.equineshockwave.com.


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