So many competitive disciplines - dressage, endurance, eventing, racing, showjumping - require a horse to maintain top health and fitness. Potential injuries must be prevented and strains and inflammation treated quickly and effectively. In Europe Manual Lymph Drainage is established as a treatment for high performance athletes, and use with competition horses has proved equally efficient. Research has shown that it strongly increases the elimination of lactic acid in the muscles, improving recovery times and preventing stiffness and injuries to tendons heal more quickly.
Because of its anti-inflammatory qualities EMLD is very useful when applied during competition, and it can be effectively combined with other forms of treatment. When used with icing/cold treatment, this should be applied first as it has a paralysing effect on the lymphatic vessels, and these should be given time to recover. Massage should also be performed before EMLD so that the lymphatic system can eliminate additional tissue waste products stimulated by this.
One of EMLD’s biggest advantages in competition use is that it does not contravene anti-doping laws, does not require expensive equipment and has no side effects.