The Equine Neck: Diagnostic and Treatment Strategies

While not an infrequent complaint related to athletic performance of the sport horse, the diagnosis of neck pain can be elusive and complex. Poor performance is a hallmark of neck discomfort and such discomfort can dramatically affect the horse’s way of going. Many symptoms may arise as simultaneous issues to other lameness problems, and the difficulty is determining the origin of the problem. Neck pain may be related to a ‘forced’ head position in training, injury from an accident or fall, muscle soreness, nuchal ligament injury, nuchal bursitis, previously undiagnosed fracture of cervical vertebrae or osteoarthritis of synovial facet joints [1] ...