Treatment of arthritis

Traditional treatments are focused on reducing pain and inflammation within the joint. Oral anti-inflammatory medication is commonly used for pain relief, and joints may be injected with corticosteroids to reduce inflammation, or hyaluronic acid which plays a role in improving the joint fluid. These treatments provide important pain relief for affected horses, but it is important to note that they do not repair the underlying cartilage damage.

More recently, treatments that target repair of cartilage, such as stem cell therapies, have become available. Stem cell treatments target the underlying damage caused by arthritis and may provide long-lasting relief from this disease.