Physical Rehabilitation
Physiotherapy
The goal of physiotherapy or physical rehabilitation for animals is to improve their quality of life by reducing pain and increasing their mobility, Rehabilitation is mainly used to enhance recovery following surgery or injury or to improve mobility and general wellbeing when surgery is not an option. It is also used to improve the comfort and health of obese animals and to prevent future problems of age-related and degenerative diseases such as osteoarthritis.
After a thorough physical examination, a therapy plan is created for the specific condition of each animal. Several different techniques are used. Each technique has different benefits and not all techniques are useful for each condition. Hydrotherapy, muscle building, coordination and balance exercises, massage, cold laser, and thermotherapy, are some of the different techniques used in physical therapy. The human companion is also shown how to do different exercises with the animal at home and is encouraged to do these between treatments.
Hydrotherapy
Hydrotherapy is the use of water – such as swimming, walking on an underwater treadmill, or doing underwater exercises to improve muscle and joint function in animals. Water-resistance helps regain muscle strength and endurance while minimizing the stress on joints by decreasing the weight placed on the animal’s limbs and allowing very weak or injured animals to be able to work with their bodies. Hydrotherapy is highly recommended for dogs recovering from orthopedic surgery or suffering from a neurological disorder such as paralysis
Strengthening and Muscle Building Exercises
Strengthening exercises are a set of different exercises to do at home and at the clinic to strengthen different muscle groups of the body, exercises as walking on a treadmill, walking uphill or downhill, walking in zig zags, sit to stand, three-leg standing, and many more are used to build strength and muscle mass in animals that have undergone surgery or are injured or weak.
Coordination and Balance Exercises
Coordination and balance exercises help the animal regain or improve proprioception - the ability to know the position of its body or to sense where a body part is, without having to look. They are beneficial for neurological conditions and strengthen small muscles that are otherwise not used when doing other strengthening exercises in which larger muscles play a more important role. Coordination and balance exercises are especially useful for dogs suffering from neurological conditions.
Massage
Massage is used to relieve muscle tension and stimulate muscle development. This helps speed up recovery from injuries and surgery by increasing the blood flow to the problem area and thus relieving muscle spasms. Animals find massage comforting and it may be used to improve almost all medical conditions.
Cold Laser Therapy
The clinical application, of Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) – also known as cold or soft laser – works by directing a beam of coherent light onto the injury. This beam activates the damaged tissue by increasing local circulation and improving tissue oxygenation allowing the tissue to heal faster decreasing pain and inflammation caused by sprains and strains, arthritis, and joint injuries. LLLT also encourages post-surgical wounds and wounds caused by injuries to heal faster and reduces fibrous tissue formation, as well improves and regenerates nerve function. Laser therapy is a non-invasive, drug-free modality; it has no side effects and is very safe, excellent results are achieved when it is used to complement other treatment modalities including acupuncture and physiotherapy.
Laser is also used in stimulating acupuncture points on sensitive and/or nervous animals and in sensitive areas where placing a needle is difficult.
Thermotherapy
Thermotherapy involves applying either heat or cold to an affected body part. Heat is used to help the animal relax, ease pain, and feel more comfortable before applying certain physical therapy techniques as it decreases stiffness in the joints and thus increases the range of movement and blood flow. Cold is used to lower inflammation when the injury is acute.