Department
Rehabilitation Therapy
Rehabilitation Therapy involves using various way to treat, heal and prevent injuries and disabilities in your pet. Our overriding aim is for your pet to achieve the highest level of function, independence and quality of life.
The process of Rehabilitation Therapy should be an active one on the part of both the guardian and their pet.
Ideally, it should be a daily commitment that involves you working with our rehabilitation therapist to exercise your pet safely while aiming for steady improvement. Although improvement rates can vary and depend on the specific problem, your hard work and patience will often produce dramatic results.
Benefits of physical rehabilitation program
Taking part in a physical rehabilitation program has been shown to:
- Improve muscle mass and prevent muscle atrophy
- Improve muscle endurance
- Improve joint function and range of motion
- Increase joint stability
- Improve weight bearing
- Reduce the progression of osteoarthritis
- Reduce the need for pain medication
- Reduce pain and swelling
- Improve cardio respiratory endurance
When is Rehabilitation Therapy effective?
- Post-surgical recovery from neurological conditions (i.e. disc herniation, spinal cord stroke or spinal cord trauma)
- Post-surgical recovery for orthopedic conditions (i.e. cruciate ligament repair, fracture repair, joint reconstruction or replacement)
- Recovery from acute joint or soft tissue injuries
- Ongoing care of chronic degenerative diseases (i.e. osteoarthritis)
- General fitness and weight loss
- Building muscle strength and endurance for sport
Links
- Eddie’s Wheels www.eddieswheels.com
- Doggon’ Wheels www.doggon.com
- K-9 Carts www.k9carts.com
- Walkabout Harnesses www.walkaboutharnesses.com
Modalities
It is the physical properties of the water itself that makes hydrotherapy such a safe and effective treatment. The buoyancy of the water reduces the amount of weight-bearing on painful joints, while the resistance and viscosity of the water help to support and strengthen. The warmth of the water also increases flexibility, mobility and blood flow to promote healing of joints and tissues.
Hydrotherapy is applied as an underwater treadmill and provides a controlled, comfortable and safe exercise environment for patients recovering from soft tissue injuries, surgery (both orthopaedic and neurological) and for patients with osteoarthritis.
This treatment uses low or medium frequency electrical current in order to stimulate sensory and motor nerves and facilitate a muscle contraction. NMES stimulates and strengthens muscles after surgery, injury or disease.
It is much like NMES: it utilizes a different electrical frequency in order to provide pain relief following surgery or ligamentous sprains and for spinal or chronic musculoskeletal pain.
Uses low level laser energy to cause biostimulation of the targeted tissues. The laser penetrates deep into the tissues to influence cellular chemistry in a variety of beneficial ways. Laser therapy helps to reduce pain and inflammation and to speed healing of tissues. Research has shown that Laser therapy may be effective in treating the following conditions:
- Soft Tissue injuries – i.e. sprains, strains, tendonitis, bursitis and capsulitis
- Acute and Chronic Joint problems – i.e. arthritic disorders, and ligament & tendon injuries
- Acute Pain & inflammation – i.e. post surgery or injury and gross edema
- Chronic Pain – i.e. back & neck pain, neuralgia, and muscle contractures
- Tissue Healing – i.e. non union fractures, skin lesions and wounds
Applying heat to a targeted area decreases pain, decreases muscle spasms, increases circulation, facilitates tissue healing and prepares stiff tissues for exercise.
The application of cold to a targeted area decreases pain and inflammation and reduces swelling.
The mechanism of action of this therapy has yet to be discovered. Still, it has been shown to affect both tissue microcirculation and the levels of inflammatory substances produced by white blood cells. It is effective for bone, wound repair, pain and edema reduction. There is also evidence that it may be of value in patients with arthritic joints and soft tissue problems, such as muscle spasms and tightness.
Exercise is the cornerstone of any rehabilitation program. A specific and regular physical therapy and exercise program helps to reduce pain associated with arthritic and musculoskeletal conditions.