True Relief Gallery

True Relief is a non-invasive neuromodulation device for pain and inflammation in the equine athlete

At Blue Oak Veterinary Bodywork, our goal is simple: help horses move better, feel better, and stay in their sport longer—using therapies that are effective, safe, and thoughtfully applied.

True Relief® is one of our newest tools to support that goal.

True Relief is a non-invasive bioelectronic therapy that uses very high-frequency electrical stimulation to reduce pain and neurogenic inflammation—without drugs, injections, or sedation. It can be used as a stand-alone modality or, more commonly, as part of a comprehensive veterinary treatment and rehabilitation plan.

The short version : Pain is not just a mechanical issue—it’s also driven by irritated nerves that actively promote inflammation. True Relief is designed to calm those overactive pain-signaling nerves, helping reduce discomfort and inflammatory signaling at its source.Treatments are:

• Painless
• Quick
• Non-invasive
• Well tolerated by horses

Many horses show improved comfort, range of motion, or willingness to move shortly after treatment, particularly when pain has a strong neurogenic component.

The technical answer : True Relief delivers a very high-frequency (approximately 20,000 Hz) pulsed direct current through handheld stainless-steel probes applied to the skin by a trained clinician. This frequency range is distinct from traditional low-frequency therapeutic electrical stimulation.

Mechanism of action: A key peer-reviewed paper published in Bioelectronic Medicine (2022) describes how high-frequency electrical stimulation (HFES) affects sensory neurons involved in pain and inflammation:

• Activated sensory neurons release inflammatory mediators such as HMGB1, CGRP, and substance P
• These mediators amplify pain and prolong inflammation in surrounding tissues
• High-frequency stimulation significantly reduces the release of these mediators
• The net effect is a shift of sensory neurons into a less pro-inflammatory, less pain-driving state
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In animal models, HFES was shown to reduce pain-related hypersensitivity and neuroinflammatory signaling, supporting its role as a neuromodulatory—not merely symptomatic—therapy. 

Key reference:Yang H, Datta-Chaudhuri T, George SJ, et al.High-frequency electrical stimulation attenuates neuronal release of inflammatory mediators and ameliorates neuropathic pain.Bioelectronic Medicine, 2022. (Open-access, PubMed Central)While this research is preclinical (rodent and cellular models), it provides strong biological plausibility for the pain-modulating effects we aim to leverage clinically in horses.

In human medicine, a triple-blind, randomized, sham-controlled clinical trial published in JAMA Network Open (2023) evaluated True Relief in post-operative patients and found:

• A 47% reduction in inpatient opioid use
• Reduced opioid prescriptions at discharge
• No compromise in pain control
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While human clinical data does not directly translate to horses, it does demonstrate that this technology can meaningfully reduce pain burden in a rigorous clinical setting.

True Relief is best thought of as an adjunctive therapy, not a replacement for good diagnostics, appropriate imaging, rehabilitation, shoeing, or conditioning.Common scenarios where it may be helpful include:

• Cervical, thoracic, or lumbar pain
• Hock and stifle discomfort
• Tendon and ligament pain as part of a controlled rehab program
• Foot pain (after proper localization)
• Post-injury or post-procedure soreness
• Chronic pain conditions where medication options are limited or undesirable

Case selection matters. True Relief works best when the pain has a meaningful neuropathic or neuro-inflammatory component, which we assess during your horse’s exam.

True Relief is not “just another electrical therapy.” Key distinctions include:

• Very high frequency (≈20 kHz) rather than low-frequency muscle stimulation
• Pulsed direct current, not alternating current
• Dynamic probe application, allowing targeted treatment of specific pain patterns rather than static electrode placement

The goal is neuromodulation, not muscle contraction.

What a treatment session looks like

1. Veterinary exam and case assessment
2. Targeted treatment planning based on palpation, movement evaluation, and diagnostics as needed
3. Short treatment session (4-6 minutes per spot, often appprox 30 min each to treat the back or neck) using handheld probes
4. Immediate reassessment of comfort and movement
5. Integration into an overall treatment or rehab plan

Some horses respond quickly; chronic cases may benefit from a series of treatments

Safety and veterinary oversight: True Relief treatments are performed only under veterinary supervision.Standard precautions are followed, including avoidance in patients with demand-type cardiac pacemakers and careful electrode placement to ensure safety.As with any therapy, True Relief is used judiciously and as part of a broader medical plan—not as a one-size-fits-all solution.

True Relief® is show legal for both USEF and FEI competitions.

Because it is drug-free, non-invasive, and does not involve prohibited substances, True Relief is permitted under rules of both the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) and the Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI).

• No withdrawal times
• No medication reporting requirements
• Safe to use during training and competition periods

This makes True Relief a valuable option for performance horses where pain management is needed without jeopardizing competition eligibility.

True Relief is a modern neuromodulatory therapy that fits well into contemporary equine sports medicine:

• Drug-free
• Evidence-informed
• Show legal
• Practical for real-world performance horses

If you’re interested in whether True Relief is appropriate for your horse, we’re happy to discuss it as part of a comprehensive evaluation.