About Veterinary Physiotherapy
Veterinary physiotherapy is a practice that aims to maintain function and movement and decrease pain and discomfort for all animals. It can address performance issues and maintenance care for animals and can also address more severe clinical conditions.
Issues Physiotherapy can address:
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Poor performance
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Back pain
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Restricted muscle function
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Gait and stride length
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Hind limb engagement
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Kissing spines
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Arthritis
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Atrophied muscles
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Locking stifle
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Wound healing
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Neck pain
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Immobility
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Fractures
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Swollen/restricted joints
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Geriatric care
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Soft tissue injuries
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Tendon injury
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Post-surgical care
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Sacroiliac dysfunction
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Muscle asymmetries
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Stiffness and lack of suppleness when working
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Suspensory desmitis
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Neurological injuries
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Wobblers
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​Patella luxation
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Intervertebral disc disease
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Fracture repair
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Sporting injuries
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Neurological conditions
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Cruciate ligament injury
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Pain
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Loss of function
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Wound healing
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Hip dysplasia
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Elbow dysplasia
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Sporting injuries
Services
Manual Therapy
Massage and manipulation techniques, such as stretching and mobilisation, are another central aspect of the rehabilitation process. On a cellular level, massage allows the cells in the tissue to receive blood and the correct nurturance and oxygen they need in order to function and for less cell death to occur. This leads to things like the successful removal of toxins and the build up of oedema. It prevents hydrated fascia and facilitates less muscle tension, spasms and discomfort.
Stretching and mobilisation also have key scientifically viable and valuable grounding for successful rehabilitation, injury prevention, and performance enhancement. Stretching provides an initial muscle contraction, then once the muscle/ tendon relaxes, an elongation of muscle fibres which increases range of motion, improves muscle exstensibility, flexibility, viscoelasticity and improves muscle strengthening.
Electrotherapy
Using a wide range of electrotherapy techniques allows me to tailor my treatment to your animal's needs - read below to see each of the modalities I offer and their benefits.
Pulsed magnetic field therapy (PMFT)
Benefits:
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Alleviates pain
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Can increase the growth of neurons and aid in re-establishing cellular currents.
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Decreases inflammation
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Decreases oedema
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Aids the healing of bones and ligaments
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Benefits cartilage health
How it Works:
Cellular affects to achieve desirable outcome include:
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Reducing prostaglandins and
inflammatory cytokines -
Lowering the voltage of the cell
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Producing nitric oxide causes dilation of the capillary sphincter which leads to vasodilatation
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Encourages more chondrocytes osteoblasts which forms new tissue
Photo modulation therapy (laser) (LLLT)
Benefits:
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Alleviates pain
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Increases cellular proliferation
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Decreases inflammation
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Adds wound healing
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Alleviates trigger points and discomfort
How it Works:
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Light targets mitochondria in the cell leading to increases in ATP, nitric oxide and calcium ions.
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Nitric oxide vasodilates, and cell proliferation and cell migration is increased
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Suppresses sympathetic activity in second order neurons
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Decreases inflammatory neuropeptides and substance P which is responsible for pain signal transmission and inflammatory neuropeptides are responsible for inflammation.
Therapeutic Ultrasound
Benefits:
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Increases flexibility, mobility, resilience and strength of collagenous tissue
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Reduces the risk of re-injury.
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Prevents skar tissue
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Adds tendon and mussel healing
How it Works:
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Encourages cellular migration
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Facilitates the replacement of Type III collagen with stronger Type I collagen.
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Initiates immune responses and releases key inflammatory mediators without exacerbating inflammation
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Enhances the alignment of collagen fibres
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)
Benefits:
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Decreases pain
How it Works:
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Activation of opioid receptors leads to the closing of voltage-gated calcium channels on presynaptic nerve terminals.
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Closing calcium channels decreases the release of neurotransmitters, such as glutamate and substance P, effectively blocking pain transmission
Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES)
Benefits:
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Strengthens muscles
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Stimulates neurological activity
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Decreases spasticity
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Maintains strength due in periods of immobility
How it Works:
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Electrical currents pass through electrodes to stimulate motor points, creating muscle contractions that mimic natural ones by artificially activating the neuromuscular junction.
Thermo Therapy
Benefits:
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Relaxes muscle spasms
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Reduces pain
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Increases tissue extensibility
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Reduces oedema
How it Works:
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Transmission of heat activates thermos receptors sends signal up to hypothalamus which – releases bradykinin- which creates vasodilation.
Cryotherapy
Benefits:
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Decreases blood flow
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Decreases swelling
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Analgesia
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Prevents cell death
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Reduces oedema and pain
How it Works:
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Send signals to hypothalamus which releases norepinephrine which creates vasoconstriction
Remedial Exercise
Remedial exercises are an essential part of the rehabilitation process and a lot of the exercises can also be used to keep animals flexible, improve performance and prevent injury even when there is not a clinical case at hand.
Remedial exercises could be anything from gentle weight shifting to figures of 8 with pole work, depending on the individual needs and specific diagnosis. Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy work best when multiple different modalities and exercises are utilised and there is continuous input even in-between the physiotherapist visits which is why remedial exercises are crucial for success.