- Paulo Marques received his Veterinary Degree from the University of Veterinary Medicine (FMV-UTL) in Lisbon in 1995.
He is certified in Animal Chiropractic by the International Veterinary Chiropractic Association (IVCA), certified in Veterinary Acupuncture by the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society (IVAS) and a Certified Equine Rehabilitation Practitioner (CERP) by the University of Tennessee.
He is an Instructor of the Equine Rehabilitation certificate (CERP) and an FEI Official Veterinarian for Jumping, Dressage, Eventing and Driving.
A past Member of the Board of Directors of the International Veterinary Chiropractic Association (IVCA) and Honorary Member of this Association, also a past Member of the Board of Directors of the International Association of Veterinary Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy (IAVRPT) and a past President of the Portuguese Association of Veterinary Acupuncture (APAMV).
He was a guest professor at Lusófona University (ULHT) and Technical University (FMV-UTL) in Lisbon, on Equine Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy, Acupuncture and Chiropractic.
He was founder and Director of the equine practice Equidesporto in Portugal, and he was co-founder and Director of the Equine Rehabilitation Centre Hidrovet.
He was a member of the Equine Physiotherapy Team at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in 2021, and of the Physiotherapy and Supportive Therapies Team at the World Equestrian Championships in Herning in 2022 and Pratoni in 2022, and team leader of the Equine Physiotherapy Team at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
He is Editor and co-author of the textbook “Essential Facts of Equine Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine”, published in 2024.
His main areas of interest are Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Sport Medicine and Integrative Medicine in the performance horse.
How physical therapy can help prevention in athlete horses
João Paulo Marques a, DVM, MRCVS, CERP, IVCA cert., IVAS cert.
a Equidesporto AVM, Portugal
Abstract:
Physical therapy and rehabilitation aim to improve and restore functional capacity and reduce disability post-injury or in individuals suffering from health conditions. Implementation of such strategies relies on assessment of individual patient’s function in order to establish a personalized program, rather than focusing only on pathoanatomical diagnosis, and in that sense the same type of structured approach can be applied in the absence of injury. Prehabilitation prior to a medical intervention or surgical procedure uses identical strategies with the aim to reduce side effects and complications, enhance recovery and improve outcome, and the same proactive principles can apply to athletes with the aim to optimize function and reduce risk of injury.
Integrating physical therapy and rehabilitation strategies into sport horses’ regular routine enables identification of modifiable risk factors such as strength, stability, balance and coordination, joint mobility and movement patterns, and by influencing these factors and improving overall physical fitness and functional symmetry, an individual’s predisposition to injury may be reduced. Early recognition and management of exercise-related inflammation and muscle soreness, during training as well as in competition context, also prevent subclinical issues from developing into clinical conditions and supports post-exercise recovery.
While further research is needed to quantify the preventive value of integrating physical therapy in the regular care of equine athletes, available literature and expert consensus support physical therapy strategies as an effective means for preventing injury and recurrence of injury as well as supporting performance, thus contributing to the success and longevity of sport horses´ career.
Conflict of interest:
The author declares no conflict of interest.
Ethical committee:
Not applicable.
Sources of funding:
This research received no external funding.
