Noninvasive pain therapies gain attention in chronic care

A new dvm360 Vet Blast podcast episode put noninvasive chronic pain care in the spotlight, featuring Nicole Westfall of Zomedica discussing PulseVet shock wave therapy and the Assisi Loop as options for veterinary patients with chronic pain. The episode, recorded at Fetch Kansas City and sponsored by Zomedica, focused on how these therapies are being positioned alongside broader multimodal pain strategies, including in-clinic shock wave treatment and at-home pulsed electromagnetic field sessions. dvm360’s write-up says the conversation centered on clinical benefits, workflow, and what home use looks like for pet parents. (dvm360.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the bigger story is that chronic pain management keeps moving beyond drugs alone. The 2022 AAHA Pain Management Guidelines emphasize multimodal care and specifically call out the growing role of nonpharmacologic interventions, while newer literature suggests extracorporeal shock wave therapy may help some dogs with osteoarthritis and other musculoskeletal disease, even though protocols, durability of effect, and long-term evidence are still evolving. In equine medicine, the AAEP updated its position statement in 2025 to say shockwave therapy has evidence-based uses in some chronic soft tissue injuries and osteoarthritis, but should be used with careful patient selection, training, and follow-up. (aaha.org)

What to watch: Expect more scrutiny on where shock wave and PEMF therapies fit in chronic pain protocols, especially as new clinical studies, practice guidelines, and company-backed adoption data continue to emerge. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)