CANINE PHYSIOTHERAPY

What is Canine Physiotherapy?

Veterinary Canine Physiotherapy uses a range of different therapies to target your animals’ tissues to improve the overall health and function of their musculoskeletal system. Just like with human physiotherapy, veterinary physiotherapy can be used for recovery after an operation or injury, for management of long-term chronic conditions and much more. If you are unsure if physiotherapy is right for your pet, please check our FAQ section, and do not hesitate to contact us if you are still unsure.

During a canine physiotherapist assessment, the therapist will perform several different assessments to assess the health and function of your dog’s tissues. This allows the therapist to identify the main issues and any compensatory issues. A treatment plan is then designed based on how to best target these issues, to increase healing, comfort and movement of your animal. This includes the treatment your physiotherapist will provide in the clinic, as well as a tailored exercise plan for you to perform at home to enhance their rehabilitation and recovery. As a result, your animal should be able to exercise and perform daily activities more comfortably, helping to increase the quality of their life.

 

How can Canine Physiotherapy benefit my dog?

The range of methods used in treatment can benefit your dog in the following ways:

  • Reduced pain and discomfort
  • Reduced inflammation
  • Improve range of motion and quality of movement
  • Increased ability to perform day to day activities such as standing up, toileting and walking
  • Increased rate and quality of recovery from injury or surgery
  • Improved strength and fitness
  • Increased muscle mass for joint support
  • Reduced chance of reinjury

There are many more benefits to physiotherapy, all of which can greatly improve the comfort and ability of your dog.

Get in touch today if you feel like your animal may benefit from some treatment.

 

Treatment Modes:

ELECTROTHERAPIES

Laser

Please head to our existing ‘laser’ section to find out more information. If you have any questions that aren’t found in the FAQs section, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy

Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMF) uses an electromagnetic field to cause the movement of positively or negatively charged ions in our body. The movement of these ions triggers a variety of chemical reactions in our body which can increase or reduce blood flow, reduce pain, improve bone healing and encourage neural regeneration. All these effects can be used to improve the comfort of your animal and stimulate healing.

Is it believed that PEMF therapy improves cellular and circulation function by improving the body’s ability to release nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is commonly used by the body following injury, to stimulate healing and reduce inflammation.

There are a variety of settings used which produce different effects such as:

  • Vasodilation to increase blood flow
  • Vasoconstriction to reduce blood flow
  • Neurological setting to encourage neural regeneration
  • Bone healing to improve the rate of fracture healing
  • Chronic and acute pain settings to reduce pain

Ultrasound Therapy

Ultrasound therapy uses high frequency sound waves which pass through the body and cause the cells to vibrate. It works best on tissues with a high collagen content such as tendons, ligaments and joint capsules. It promotes the body’s own natural healing process, resulting in a quicker and more optimal recovery.

  • Ultrasound has the following benefits:
  • Increased rate of healing by increasing cellular activity
  • Promotes a healthy inflammatory response to allow effective repair
  • Encourages the production of repair tissue
  • Promotes remodelling of the new tissue resulting in better function
  • Increases range of motion and flexibility of scar tissue

TENS & NMES

TENS and NMES both use electrical currents to produce different effects. TENS is used for pain relief, by reducing the pain signals going to the spinal cord and brain, which helps relieve pain and relax muscles. It can also stimulate the production of endorphins which are the body’s natural pain killers.

NMES uses a different frequency of electrical current to incite an artificial contraction in a target muscle. It is used for strengthening and maintaining muscle strength and preventing atrophy, particularly in patients who are immobilised.

Thermotherapy

Cold therapy can be used in the early stage of an injury to control inflammation & pain, and mediate the tissue damage. Heat can be used in the later stages or in chronic conditions to improve blood flow which will increase the oxygen and nutrients being provided to cells to optimise healing. Heat can also improve tissue flexibility, reduce pain & muscular tension, and increase lubrication of the joints by softening the joint fluid.

 

MANUAL THERAPIES

Manual therapies encompass a range of different massage and myofascial techniques, stretching, and joint mobilisations. These techniques help improve the comfort and function of your dog’s muscular and fascial system, as well as your soft tissue structures such as your ligaments and tendons. This will allow your dog to move in a more free and comfortable way and reduce any secondary issues that arise following any injury or surgery.
Some benefits of manual therapies include:

  • Improved circulation & lymphatic flow
  • Decreased muscle stiffness
  • Decreased joint inflammation
  • Improved flexibility
  • Improved mood & relaxation
  • Improved joint range of motion
  • Improved movement & decreased compensations

 

THERAPEUTIC EXERCISE

Therapeutic exercise involves movement prescribed to correct impairments and restore muscular and skeletal function. Therapeutic exercise involves the careful selection of the appropriate exercises to target specific rehabilitation aims. There are a wide range of exercises we can use, which help increase muscle mass and strength, improve range of motion, increase proprioception & coordination and more. Whether they are recovering from surgery or have an ongoing chronic condition, these effects allow an animal to exercise more comfortably, as well as be able to easily perform functional day to day activities.